Comfort Those Who Grieve
Introduction:
The Bible is a source of tremendous comfort to those who are
grieving or suffering. Listen to the following words of the
Apostle Paul. (II
Corinthians 1:3-7)
He consoles us in our pain as we draw from His comfort and
share it with others in pain. There are always hurting
hearts.
Body:
I.
Jehovah Comforts Israel
·
God’s people were in desperate need of hope and comfort.
They were in exile in a foreign land. Their despair is
depicted in
Psalm 137:1-6.
They were homesick, brokenhearted, and tormented by their
captors.
·
More than a century before, the prophet Isaiah wrote words
of comfort for God’s suffering people. (Isaiah
40:1-2)
·
God gives reasons for His comforts: “battles are over” Jehovah provides the ultimate victory. (Romans
8:37-38, I John 4:4) “iniquity
is pardoned” Christ is the ultimate sacrifice. (I
Peter 2:24)
·
Israel’s hope was grounded in their relationship with
Jehovah God.
II.
Jehovah Comforts Us
·
Everyone goes through times of grief and despair. Remember
that God knows your situation. He understands you
completely. One blessing He has left for us is His divine
Word. Scripture offers us comfort and hope. Let’s look at
some of these now.
·
From the Book of Psalms
o
Psalm 10:17-18 God
hears and will do what is right.
o
Psalm 18:6, 16 Picture
of Jehovah plucking us out of a raging river
o
Psalm 34:4-5, 18-19 We
all have fears and afflictions.
o
Psalm 37:28 Always
remember that our God is just. He will do what is right.
o
Psalm 38:8-9, 15 Note
the trust and confidence.
o
Psalm
72:12 Have
you ever felt that you had no helper?
o
Psalm
116:5-7 The
character of God
o
Psalm
119:50 God’s
promise is our comfort.
o
Psalm
126:3-6 Remember
all the times God has comforted us in the past.
o
Psalm 145:17-19 We
need to call upon Him in truth!
·
From Other Old Testament Books
o
Isaiah
54:10 Steadfast love – Covenant of peace –
Compassion
o
Lamentations 3:21-24 Steadfast love never ceases.
·
From New Testament Books
o
Matthew
5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall
be comforted.”
o
Luke
6:21 “Blessed
are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.”
o
John 14:27
He gives as the world can’t.
o
John 16:22, 33 We should focus on the fact that Jesus has overcome the
world.
o
II Corinthians 1:3-5 We are comforted so we can comfort others.
o
Hebrews
4:16 Because
Christ our High Priest suffered, He can sympathize with us.
Through Him we may receive mercy and grace in our time of
need.
o
Hebrews 13:5-6
We can be confident God will never leave us!
Conclusion:
Tada and Steve Estes write in their book When God Weeps,
“Earth’s pain keeps crushing our hopes, reminding us this
world can never satisfy; only heaven can. And every time we
begin to nestle too comfortably on this planet, God cracks
open the locks of the dam to allow an ice-cold splash of
suffering to wake us from our spiritual slumber.” (p. 202) Joni
Eareckson
We all will grieve and suffer at various times. Let us
remember the wonderful resource we have at our fingertips.
Bobby
Stafford
March 3, 2013
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