Lord’s Day, Vol. 8 No. 20
God’s Comfort Amidst Suffering
God’s people may be subject to discouragements in suffering, by reason of impatience in us. Having the thought that we shall never get through such a cross. But if God bring us into the cross, He will be with us in the cross, and at length bring us out more refined; we shall lose nothing but dross – Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
Of our own strength we cannot bear the least trouble, and by the Spirit’s assistance we can bear the greatest. The Spirit will join His shoulders to help us to bear our infirmities – Psalm 37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
“You have heard of the patience of Job,” James says in James 5:11. We have heard likewise of his impatience too; but it pleased God to mercifully overlook that. It yields us comfort also in desolate conditions, as contagious sicknesses, and the like, wherein we more immediately under God’s hand. Then Christ hath a throne of mercy at our bed’s side, and numbers our tears and groans.
God appointed the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper not for angels but for men; and not for perfect men, but for weak men. Let us pray as Hezekiah did in 2 Chronicles 30:19 That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.
Then we come comfortably to this holy sacrament, and with much fruit. This should carry us through all duties with much cheerfulness, that if we hate our corruptions, and strive against them, they shall not be counted ours. It is not I says the Apostle Paul, but “sin that dwelleth in me,” (Romans 7:17); for what displeases us shall never hurt us and we shall be esteemed of God to be that we love, and desire and labour to be. What we desire to be we shall be, and what we desire truly to conquer we shall conquer; for God will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him – Psalm 145:19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
The desire is an earnest of the thing desired. How little encouragement will carry us to the affairs of this life! And yet all the help God offers will hardly prevail with our backward natures. Whence are, then, discouragements?
- Not from the Father, for He hath bound Himself in covenant “to pity us as a father pitieth his children,” Psalm 103:13, and to accept as a Father our weak endeavours; what is wanting in the strength of duty, He giveth us leave to take up in His gracious indulgence, whereby we shall honour that grace wherein He delights, as much as in more perfect performances.
- Not from Christ, for He by office will not quench the smoking flax. We see how Christ bestows the best fruits of His love on persons who are mean in condition, weak in abilities, and offensive for infirmities, nay, for grosser falls. And this He does, first, because thus it pleases Him to confound the pride of the flesh, which usually measures God’s love by some outward excellency; and secondly, in this way He delights to show the freedom of His grace and confirm His royal prerogative that ‘he that glorieth’ must ‘glory in the Lord’ (1 Cor. 1:31). In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, among that cloud of witnesses, we see Rahab, Gideon and Samson ranked with Abraham, the father of the faithful (Hebrews 11:31-32). Our blessed Saviour, as He was the image of His Father, so in this He was of the same mind, glorifying His Father for revealing the mystery of the gospel to simple men, neglecting those that carried the chief reputation of wisdom in the world (Matthew 11:25-26). It is not unworthy of being recorded, what Augustine speaks of a simple man in his time, destitute almost altogether of the use of reason, who, although he was most patient of all injuries done to himself, yet from a reverence of religion he would not endure any injury done to the name of Christ, so much so that he would cast stones at those that blasphemed, not even sparing his own governors. This shows that none have abilities so meagre as to be beneath the gracious regard of Christ. Where it pleases him to make his choice and to exalt his mercy he passes by no degree of understanding, though never so simple.
- Neither do discouragements come from the Spirit. He helps our infirmities, and by office is a comforter (Romans.8:26; John 14:16). If He convinces of sin, and so humbles us, it is that He may make way for His office of comforting us. Discouragements, then, must come from ourselves and from Satan, who labours to fasten on us a loathing of duty. Amen.
[Extracted and edited from The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax – Duties and Discouragements by Richard Sibbes]
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee