Comfort from the Psalms: Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is one of those familiar Psalms that is frequently quoted in times of death or great sorrow. It’s so familiar to many of us that it’s easy to skip over the truth or miss what God is saying to us. There is so much comfort and hope found in Psalm 23, that I want to take a moment to delve deeper into this passage.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
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." (v. 1-4)

What does this Psalm teach us about God?

He is our Good Shepherd (v. 1). He leads us wisely and faithfully, gently and lovingly. He knows what is best for us, and all His ways are right and good.

He is our Restorer (v. 3). We need this so often because we get bogged down with life, and we need His restoration.

He leads us in ways for His name’s sake (v. 3). God always is bringing glory to Himself. It’s about His Name being spread, His power being manifested in your life. Even when everything seems to be a mess and nothing makes sense, we can trust that He is leading us and what is happening is for our good.

He is our Comforter (v. 4). God often uses the valleys of life to reveal areas in our hearts that need to be refined, wrong motives that need to be confessed, idols that need to be destroyed. Yet in the midst of those valleys, He comforts us. Isn’t this an amazing God?

In light of those truths about God, what should our response be?

If He is our Good Shepherd, we should trust Him wholeheartedly. If He was an unreliable Shepherd we’d have reason to doubt, but God never fails and everything He does is perfect and right.

If He is our Restorer, we should find Him to be our source of joy. Our treasure, our life, our all. He is the only One who can meet the deepest needs of our hearts. Even when we are empty and dry, He can restore our souls.

If He leads us for His name’s sake, we should follow Him, no matter the cost. If He did things for our sake, then it would be a small, short-lived glory. But we’re following a King that is worthy of all our devotion and obedience! Because it’s for His sake, we can obey Him when He commands us to love unconditionally. To serve joyfully. To give sacrificially. To fight sin. To pursue unity. To embrace accountability. To be vulnerable and open. To deny ourselves and live selflessly. To spread the gospel. To give up our earthly lives.

If He is our Comforter, then we can comfort others. What we’ve been freely given, we can then give in return. God works in our lives, not so we can keep it to ourselves, but because He intends for it to be spread, through the body of Christ in the local church, and through the globe, as believers passionate about God’s glory spread His name and share what He has done in their lives. His comfort is given to us that we can in turn comfort others in Christ (2 Cor. 1:4).

May these truths found in Psalm 23 encourage and comfort our hearts today.

Originally posted on the Vision of Hope blog.

Comfort from the Psalms: Psalm 73

Psalm 73 is one of the most marked-up passages in my Bible. That’s partly due to a teaching I heard, and partly because it resonates so much with the season I’ve been in the last few years. There’s much comfort to be found from Psalm 73.

It's interesting to me that it appears Asaph had health issues. When he compares to the wicked, he says “their bodies are fat and sleek (v. 4, ESV).” NLT’s description is “healthy and strong”. It isn’t surprising that he is envious, because when you’re in the grips of darkness and suffering, it's so tempting to compare to those who appear better off. In this situation, Asaph sees the wicked prospering, and believes his attempts at following God are in vain (vs. 4-13).

Have you been there? I know I have.

What rescues Asaph from his struggle? It’s not a change in circumstances, but a change of perspective resulting from worship. Isn't that always what gives us hope? Looking to Christ instead of fixing our gaze on the storm around us brings hope in the darkness. Asaph saw that the temporary pleasure and ease of the wicked would not last (vs. 17-19). And he recognized that that his envy of their prosperity caused anger and bitterness to well up in his heart towards God (v. 21-22).

Asaph then turns his lament to God and preaches the truth to himself:

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

This Psalm ends not with things becoming happy and easy, but rather with Asaph recognizing that there is nothing he wants more than God (v. 25).

My question for myself is, “Do I want God more than anything else?” It’s hard to answer sometimes, because I get so discouraged with the never-ending cycle of chronic health problems. Sometimes I'd rather have healing. Or comfort. Or a lot of other temporary things.

Are you battling some form of ongoing health problems? Then you're keenly aware of that reality of your flesh failing. Are you discouraged with your battle against the sin in your heart? Then you know how often your heart fails you. So where do you find hope and comfort? In God, your strength and portion. Asaph’s reminds us of this in verse 26:

God wants to deepen my hope in Him and strengthen my trust in Him. He wants to show Himself mighty in my weakness. And so that very trial that I despise may be the form of grace He is using to lead me to worship and rely on Him more fully. So let's not turn away from Him in anger and bitterness at our lot in life, comparing to those we think have it better. Instead, let's turn to God and say, with the Psalmist, "But for me, it is good to be near You."

Comfort from the Psalms: Psalm 33

Comfort. It’s one of the things we all seek, but something chronic illness sufferers especially desire. And understandably so! Comfort from the physical, mental, or emotional pain. Comfort from the stress of life. Comfort from the hurt and heartache.

But where you and I tend to run for comfort doesn’t last. That Netflix binge only comforts as long as you’re distracted. That ice cream only brings comfort while you’re eating it. That relationship only brings comfort as long as they love you the way you want.

Psalm 33 reminded me of this.

“The king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.”
Ps. 33:18-22

There are many things that give us a sense of hope that turn out to be false, like the army or strength or war horse described in verses 16-17. The same is true for comfort. There are many things in life that promise us comfort—Netflix, a relationship, food, sleep, a spouse, the right job, the next day off or vacation, social media validation. Those things can be good, but they will never satisfy our hearts completely.

The only comfort that’s everlasting comes from the Great Comforter, the One who delivers and sustains us (v. 19). God comforts us in all our afflictions (2 Cor. 1:4). He is the God of all comfort (Rom. 15:5). And He uses His Word to bring us comfort (Ps. 119:50). He helps us in our difficulties. All His work is done in faithfulness (v. 4). Because of God's unchanging character, this should be our response:

“Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.” (vs. 20-22)

Yes, we can then wait for God, trust in Him, hope in Him and find our joy in Him. He is the One we can turn to and find lasting comfort and hope. Don't miss out on this by turning to things that will only comfort for a moment, when the One who created you is calling you to come to Him and find rest (Mt. 11:28).

Let these truths comfort your heart today.

Comfort from the Psalms: Psalm 69

I woke up groggy, in pain, and feeling pretty yucky overall. As the morning progressed, my symptoms only worsened. I found myself feeling more discouraged with my limitations. While this is a common occurrence in my fight to heal from chronic infections, I still quickly find myself discouraged, frustrated, and weary. This is not how I wanted my day to go. My frustrations built up and I began to get angry at the world.

I opened my Bible, even though I didn’t really want to read. And as I read Psalm 69, God used the honesty and difficulty to soften and encourage my weary heart. There you find much struggle. And yet hope.

“Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck
I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.
I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.”

I must admit, I have thought very similar things in my battle with chronic illness and in facing the difficulties of life in a fallen world. David feels overwhelmed by his terrible circumstances. He's walking through deep waters, and then to make matters worse, a flood sweeps over! He compares himself to sinking in mud where there is no place to plant his feet. He’s drowning in the depths. He questions if God will even come to deliver him.

But what struck me is that David didn’t allow his doubt and despair to turn him away from God. Instead he turns to God in his pain:

“But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.
At an acceptable time, O God,
in the abundance of your steadfast love
answer me in your saving faithfulness.”

This is what you and I need to do when we wake up and everything seems to be going wrong. When that phone call brings heartbreaking news that a friend was killed in a car accident. When that emergency car repair left you broke and you aren’t sure how to pay for groceries the rest of the month. When that doctor’s appointment brings a devastating diagnosis. When all around you seems to be falling apart, and there is no one to help or comfort you.

David understands this. He laments, “Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.” (v. 20) Do you ever feel completely alone and helpless? Even the divinely-inspired writer of the Psalms did! Yet David continues to cry out to God:

“Deliver me from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters.
Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up,
or the pit close its mouth over me.
Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;
according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
Hide not your face from your servant,
for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.” (v. 14-17)

In the midst of suffering, it frequently feels like God is far off. So David calls out to God, “Draw near to my soul, redeem me…” (v. 18) He tells God of his distress, even though God already knows and understands everything about him (vs. 19-29). He asks God to save him on the basis of God's faithfulness, love, and mercy (vs. 13, 16).

And then then David remembers where his hope is found. It's not in his circumstances changing, but in God Himself.

“When the humble see it they will be glad;
you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
For the Lord hears the needy
and does not despise his own people who are prisoners." (vs. 32-33)

Even the purpose of God's deliverance is to remind us that HE is the God who saves. Be encouraged that God hears you and that He will answer. Sometimes that answer comes in the form of grace we don't want. "Uncomfortable grace" as Paul Tripp calls it. Nevertheless, it is exactly the grace we need.

"You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for"
-Wonderful, Merciful Savior

Comfort from the Psalms: Psalm 57

Sometimes the storms we face are destructive. They leave scars that shape our future. They can push us to breaking point. Whether it's the storm of undiagnosed chronic illness wreaking havoc on your life, an unexpected divorce, a close friend suddenly turning on you, the loss of home through fire or flood, a prodigal child, or the death of a loved one, we all experience devastating storms.

If you are in the middle of a storm, it seems all-encompassing. The grief and heartbreak overwhelm you. It threatens to swallow you. It may not seem possible, but there is hope to cling to in the middle of the storm. David encourages us in this as He cries out honestly to God:

"Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in You my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High, 
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.”
Psalm 57:1-2

As we think on these verses, let's consider:
Where is the hope in the midst of destructive storms?

1. Hope is found in our merciful God (v. 1). It is tempting to get angry at God or to doubt His goodness when everything is falling apart. I know I frequently want the storm to be over. In those desperate moments of despair, we must turn to God and seek His mercy. Don't turn away from Him in anger, but keep crying out to Him, as David does in this Psalm. Ask Him for mercy and for grace to persevere when the chronic pain is unbearable or the grief from loss overtakes you. Ask Him to give you hope. 


2. Hope is found in our Refuge in the storm (v. 1). The definition of refuge is “a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.” We are safe in the storm, because we know the One who has complete control over the storm. The imagery here of finding refuge in the shadow of His wings is quite stunning. Just as a bird, caring for her young, protects them from harm of the winds and storms, so God does the same for us! He doesn't always cause the storm to cease, but He is our Rock and Refuge in it. So cry out to God, as David did, and find comfort and protection.


3. Hope is found in realizing this is temporary (v. 1). As David mentions, the storms of destruction will pass by (v. 1). They are not eternal, even though it may feel that way! Our afflictions, if we are believers in Christ, are temporary (2 Cor. 4:17). This is perhaps one of the hardest truths to believe when you're suffering. It seems like it will never end! But we know that God is faithful and that His Word is true, and so we can rest in knowing this trial is temporary. 


4. Hope is found in remembering (v. 2). God is fulfilling His purpose for you. This is an interesting phrase to follow verse 1. After all, David is running from Saul. The man promised to be the next king of Israel is hiding for fear of his life! This doesn’t make sense. How could this be accomplishing God's purposes? I'm sure David didn't understand, as I usually don’t in the middle of my storms. But somehow, amidst the destruction, God is fulfilling His purpose for you. For me. He has not forgotten you. Remember that no matter how bad it gets, God is fulfilling His good plans for you.

The truth is, knowing God doesn't take away the storms of life. But there is hope we can breathe even as we face the most heart-wrenching circumstances. Today, if you find yourself there, run to God and take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. And as you wait, let Him give you hope that can only be found in Him.

Comfort from the Psalms: New Series Coming!

Over the last couple years, I’ve spent much of my Bible reading immersed in the Psalms. It is there that I have encountered honesty, struggles, and hope. In my darkest moments, I’ve been reminded that I’m not alone. The Psalms have been a great source of comfort to my heart.

Because of this, I hope to write a series over the next few months titled "Comfort from the Psalms". Not because I have a lot of great wisdom or insight into these passages, but because I’ve experienced how hard it is to find comfort and hold on to hope in suffering. I need to remind myself of where my hope is found. A lot of my examples will likely geared to bring comfort and hope for chronic illness, but the truth of Scripture applies to all areas of life and suffering.

As I’ve battled chronic illness and other difficult life circumstances, the Psalms have been my go-to book. In the wrestling, the laments, the pain, and the hurt, the Psalms bring us back to the only One who gives lasting comfort and hope. This is one of the things that has steadied my heart on many a day where pain is intensified, emotions are screaming, and everything within me wants to blame God for why He hasn't changed my circumstances.

Can you relate?

I want to remember in those moments of doubt and struggle that God is working, and that what He is doing is good, as much as it conflicts with what I think is best. As Charles Spurgeon expresses:

"No flowers wear so lovely a blue as those which grow at the foot of a glacier;
No stars gleam so brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky;
no water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sang;
and no faith is so previous as that which lives and triumphs in adversity."

I pray that as I remind myself of the truth of who God is in my suffering, you too would experience comfort, find encouragement, and breathe hope through the Psalms.