O GOD, COMFORT ME!

GOD IS NOT SURPRISED BY OUR STATE

PSALM 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

3 He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of 

the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

In our journey through Psalm 23 so far, we have seen the great privilege it is, to become sheep of the Shepherd. Our needs are met, as He leads us to necessary nourishment. We come broken, needing the specific and wise care the Shepherd provides for us, and as we daily live in a difficult world, He protects and guides us.

This caring intervention in our lives provides us with the comfort we need. In English, ‘comfort’ means to soothe in times of affliction or distress. In the Hebrew, this word includes the idea that this comfort is motivated by compassion.

Could you imagine God as a Good Shepherd, without the reality of His compassion for us?

We must not forget why we have a relationship with the Shepherd, at all. He saw us without direction, incapable of making sense of our lives, under the weight of our sin, condemned to a Christless eternity, sheep with broken lives, living in a broken world. But He prepared for our need, before He even created the world: the Good Shepherd would give His life for the sake of His sheep.

God is not surprised by our state; He is not distracted by other events, but is meticulously working in our lives to prepare us for His presence.

Ephesians 5:25-27

…as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Do you ever stop and think about the higher purposes that God has for you? He is cleansing you through the Word. As life’s difficulties expose parts of our lives that are still broken, God wants the truth of the His Word to transform us. God wants us without spot or wrinkle, that is holy, set apart, without blemish, without sin. We are being prepared with unmatched care, to live in His glorious presence eternally.

The Holy Spirit is the One who is our Comforter; He is our Helper.

John 14:16-17, 25-27

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Jesus reminded us that we can certainly be encouraged, because He has overcome the world.

John 16:33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Paul prayed that the believers who were being persecuted in Rome and Thessalonica would abound in hope.

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17

16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

God knows that we need to be comforted in our daily struggles and needs, when we lose sight of God’s presence and His eternal purposes. He has given us His Word and has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us so that we would be comforted with what is eternal, even as we live in this world.

Are you discouraged? Are you depressed? Are you lonely? Are you feeling overwhelmed? The devil would love for you to take your eyes off the Shepherd and focus only on yourself, dwelling in your misery.

When Satan asked God to come against Job, his premise was that men worship God only when things go well.

Job 1:9-11

Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”

Dear friend, God is close to His sheep. He is carefully at work in you and in me. His presence, His character, His strength, His wisdom, and His love are our comfort. Where else would you ever go?

John 6:66-69

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”  Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

How are you answering the same question today?