May it please Almighty God to
bless us together this evening as we meditate in His Word. Let
us turn to the second epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, in
chapter 7, and we'll read verses 5 and 6. The second epistle of
Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 7, and reading verses 5 and 6. For when we were come into Macedonia,
our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side.
Without were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless, God
that comforted those that are cast down, comforted us by the
coming of Titus. It's good to realise that the
Apostle Paul was able to declare his situation and his position
in the various epistles that he was able to write to the various
churches. And as we read them, we will
note that he is not afraid to point out the difficulties and
the trials and the oppositions he had, but also the blessings
that he had and enjoyed. And we would be thankful that
it is so, because we live in a day, we still live in the world,
a day when the Lord does bring us into times of opposition but there are also to be found
blessings and encouragement in those times. Well we know of
course something of the Apostle's time in Macedonia and Philippi
was not easy for him at all. And to recognise that, sometimes
point out, He'd gone there doing the will of God. He hadn't gone
against God's directions or against God's favor. He obeyed the will
of God, but nonetheless, he still came into that time of great
opposition at Philippi. But even in that time of opposition,
God was with him. So we should be really thankful
to know that we have a God who is the same today, who guides
and directs us as we journey on through this world. But we
should never expect that our journey through this world will
be an easy journey. We only have to read, don't we,
right through the Word of God, all the patriarchs, and all the
disciples and the saints of God, how much difficulty and opposition
they had to contend with. But the good news was God was
with them. God didn't leave them. God didn't
forsake them. And so we should be thankful
to believe that we have a God who is the same today, and that
God who we can rely upon. And He's told us, He will not
lay on us more than we're able to bear. I sometimes remember
a little anecdote about Frank Gosling, and I have mentioned
it sometimes, He was under much trouble and he was very fearful
of what else might come into his life. And he prayed that
the Lord would be with him and would deliver him and he may
not have any more difficulties and troubles. Well, he did enter
into a further time of difficulty and trouble. And he says, and
he sank. But he then says, I sank into
the arms of Jesus, proving that underneath were and are today
the everlasting arms of God. So we should be thankful that
Lord does not learn us more than we're able to bear. We may think
perhaps we can't bear anything more, but the Lord knows His
grace, as the Apostle proved and tells us. The Lord spoke
to him when he had that thorn in the flesh. And he prayed three
times, and we might think, well surely God would hear the Apostle
and answer him. But the Lord answered him, but
not in the way he expected. He still had to endure a thorn
in the flesh. But what the Lord told him was
this, my grace is sufficient for thee. And when we consider
that, the grace which is the unmerited favor of God, which
Paul did prove to be sufficient, and the church had got to die.
do prove that that grace is sufficient, so we should be thankful for
it. Well, says the Apostle, when
we were coming to Macedonia, our flesh had no rest. Constant opposition, constant
battle. It says we were troubled on every
side. It would appear to be the front,
the sides and the back. And he also tells us, within
were fears. That wasn't just a physical opposition. It was also a spiritual opposition. So we can see how Paul was really
in a difficult scene. And we should be thankful that
he records such an account for us today, to realize, well, the
Apostle Paul He had much to contend with, but the Lord was with him,
and the Lord blessed him. And so he comes and tells us,
having told us the difficulties, he then says, nevertheless God,
and that's a comfort, it should be to us, as he goes on to say,
nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down. And then he speaks about his
own situation, how he was comforted by the coming of Titus, as Titus
was able to declare what had occurred. We read together in
that 13th verse, therefore we were comforted in your comfort,
yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus
because His Spirit was refreshed by you all." Well, we should
be thankful that we have a God still today who does comfort
and He brings comfort to those who are cast down. You might
say, well, that's a rather strange expression, cast down, but it
is really today I'm sure we can understand what
that means to be depressed, to have much opposition. So we are
depressed. And then to be comforted, it
means to draw near. What a mercy that is when God
draws near to us. Well, we need comfort. God is
the Great and Glorious One who gives comfort, and how thankful
we should be that we have such a God. You'll expect to remember
the beautiful words in the 40th of Isaiah, which commences with,
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. comfortably to
Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished,
that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received the Lord's
hand double for all her sins. our inner man, regard to the
things which do so easily beset us and the troubles that we have. And here then, Isaiah, the prophet,
tells us, come forthye, come forthye, my people, saith your
God. It's God who is speaking. Through the prophet Isaiah, far
more than we do. Sometimes it's just good. And
it should be a comfort to us as we may look at ourselves and
we may perhaps cry out how hearts are locked, but to then compare
ourselves with what the Lord Jesus endured. on our behalf,
for us, that should put things in a right perspective. And that
should be a comfort and a help and a strength to us to realize,
as the Prophet says, that her warfare is accomplished, that
her iniquity is pardoned. And that may be one of the great
burdens, that may be one of the things which really depresses
us, our sins, the evil of our heart. As the Apostle said, the
good that I would What can I do? The conflict which
the Apostle had, the conflict which the Church of God had,
and yet to realise that our warfare, the battle between the flesh
and the spirit, is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. for she hath received of the
Lord's hand double for all her sins. It reminds us of that which
the prophet spoke in the first chapter of this prophecy of Isaiah. When he spoke about our sins,
what a wonderful blessing it was to realize the Lord spoke hear the word of the Lord. And he speaks, indeed, about
sins. He says, Come now and let us
reason together, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be white as snow, and though they be red like crimson,
they shall be as wool. You see there the gracious forgiveness
of Almighty God. And it goes on, if he be willing
and obedient, he shall eat the good of the land, but if he refuse
and rebel, he shall be devoured with a sword, for the mouth of
the Lord hath spoken it. It's a good thing, is it not,
to realise we have a God who does forgive, and a God who we
come before, and a God who we should thank, that He is a gracious
God, He doesn't deal with us as our sins deserve. So let us
realise here we have a God, nevertheless God, that comforted those that
are cast down, those that are perhaps depressed. Well, I wonder
whether we are in that condition this evening. We read that fourth
chapter in this same epistle because of what the Apostle wrote
in the eighth and ninth verses. He tells us there, we are troubled
on every side. Yet, not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in
despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Cast down, but not destroyed. It's encouraging, isn't it, to
know that the Apostle was able to write such grand truths. in the day in which we live with
much opposition, yet to understand these words are indeed true,
and as he goes on to say, always bearing about in the body the
dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus Christ
might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always
delivered unto death, for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus
might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. The pathway of God's people is
to draw them nearer to Christ. to draw them into a greater union
with Christ. And as we spoke last Sunday,
I think it was, of the experience of the Apostle Paul, where he
said he desired to know fellowship of his sufferings and to be made
conformable unto his death. You see, these desires do not
emanate from our natural flesh. They emanate from the grace of
God. They emanate from the wonderful
testimony that God brings to us to be encouraged and to thank
our God that He is a God who deals with us graciously and
brings us into that wonderful blessing of fellowship with the
Lord Jesus Christ. We may sometimes pray that we
may have more union with Christ. Sometimes we don't realise what
we're praying for. Because sometimes the Lord answers,
but not in the way that we expect. But He does answer in the way
which is best for us, so that we do find that we don't have
just a smooth path. We are, like the Apostle says
here, troubled on every side. But, he says, yet not distressed. What produces that response? the Lord is leading us in a certain
way. And we're perplexed, but not
in despair. Why? Casting all your care upon
Him, because He cares for us. That's the reason. That's why
we're blessed with this wonderful favour of comfort. As the Apostle
says, nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast
down, those that are distressed. Well, I wonder this evening,
as you and I may look into our lives and look into our pathway,
look back perhaps into our lives, to be able to trace out a little
of God's blessing upon us. When He did bring us into this
kind of path, but He didn't leave us, He didn't forsake us, He
enabled us to press on. He enabled us to continue. So what a mercy it is because
as the Apostle said, of course, in an earlier verse in this fourth
chapter, for God, we just read about God and now we have for
God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness. When we're
in depression, When we're in difficulties, when we are in
distress, we're really in darkness. So he says, for God, who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness. Remember when the Lord created
the earth? He caused light to shine. What
a wonderful miracle that was. And it's still really the same
today in our souls when God shines. into our souls and we see the
light, and what is that light? We're told, hath shined in our
hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ. Now if the Lord shines and reveals
to us the Lord Jesus Christ, reveals to us that it is He who
is leading and directing us. It is He who is bringing these
situations into our lives so that we are brought to nearness
to Him. We can understand the truth of
Hezekiah. Hezekiah, you know, in his life,
He had to pass through difficult times, didn't he? But what is
he saying? He tells us, by these things,
men live. By these things, men live. You see, if we just sail through
life with no difficulty, no trials, with no opposition, we wouldn't
pray for a star and we wouldn't appreciate the goodness of God. We wouldn't appreciate the love
of God. And that love of God directs
us to this great truth. He led them forth by the right
way that they might go to a city of habitation. What a good thing
it is when by the grace of God you and I are directed to that
city of habitation. And so the Apostle says, for
we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that's what we are,
that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. Mercy it is, if you and I can
trace out the power of God in our spiritual life, that power
of God which has directed us to the Lord Jesus Christ and
we can therefore rejoice in it. Well, we may then be cast down,
but let's not forget what Psalmist David had to say in many times
in the Psalms, but perhaps in particular in the 42nd Psalm. We read there what David had
to say, and it's good just to trace out what he had to say. He started off, As the heart
panteth after the water brooks, So panteth my soul after thee,
O God. But he comes down to the fifth
point and he asks the question, why art thou cast down, O my
soul? And why art thou disquieted in
me? It was a question he was asking
himself. And it's good sometimes if we
do ask ourselves such questions. Why are we cast out? Why are
we depressed, oh my soul? And why are we disquieted? Why are we restless? He says,
hope thou in God. Hope thou in God. For I shall
yet praise him for the help of his countenance. His hope was
in his God. His confidence was in his God. And it's a great mercy for us
today, if perhaps we are cast down to hope in God. And he goes on, oh my God, my
soul is cast down within me. Therefore, when I remember thee
from the land of Jordan and from the Hilmiza, of the Hermonites
from the Hilmiza, Well, he says, yet the Lord will command His
loving kindness in the daytime. If we are one of God's children,
and if we have the evidence of it, bless God if we do, the evidence
that God has come and called us. He's come and called us. I wonder if you and I can trace
that out in our spiritual life. That God has called us. great
blessing God has called us. And therefore, yet the Lord will
command His loving kindness in the daytime and in the night. His soul shall be with me and
my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say unto God, My
Rock, why hast thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning? Because of the opposition of
the enemy. Well, it's the path which God's
children are called to walk in, but nonetheless to realize that
God indeed is with us. And then we come down to the
last verse, which is really a repeat, almost, of the verse which we've
just read. Why art thou cast down, O my
soul? And why art thou disquieted within
me? Hope thou in God, and yet praise
Him who is the health of my countenance. And then there's three very important
words which are added, and my God. You see, if we have a good
hope in the mercy of God, if we have a good hope that God
has called us, the light has shone into our hearts, we can
indeed believe This is true, and my God. And therefore we
can ask ourselves this question. Why art thou cast down, O my
soul? Why art we perhaps depressed?
And why art thou disquieted within me? We are sometimes. Hope thou
in God. Hope in God. Don't hope in anything
else. Don't rely upon people. They're
just poor earthen vessels. Our hope can only be in God. Hope thou in God, for I shall
yet praise Him. Yes, to think the Lord comes
and quietens our spirit. He doesn't always deliver us
out of the situation, but He quietens our spirit and He directs
us to Himself and to His finished work. And that's where we can
rest, in what Christ has done. Because if we're resting there,
what we know is this, it is well with our soul. My friends, that's
the vital thing in real religion, is to be directed to the blessings
and directions I have the evidence that God
has been gracious to me, that God has not left me, that God
has not forsaken me, but that He is with me. What a mercy then
to know that. Well, the Church of God are indeed
cast down, they are indeed afflicted, but we should be very thankful
to know that we have a God who is the same today that He was
in the days of the Church of God, yes, the New Testament,
and also the Old Testament. We can go right back to the Old
Testament. And it's good, isn't it, to think
that we have those evidences in the Old Testament that indeed
God was with His people in those days. And right back in Exodus,
the first chapter, how the children of Israel They had hard taskmasters. They
had a difficult life. And we read this in the 12th
verse of that first chapter. But the more they afflicted them,
the more they multiplied and grew. And what a mercy that is
for us today. If we perhaps feel to be afflicted,
The devil comes in like a flood sometimes. The more that occurs,
what's the effect? What a mercy it is if you and
I are blessed with spiritual growth. The more they were afflicted,
the more they grew. My friends, our great concern
should be to be amongst those who grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And the Lord Himself
knows what He will do to bring that to pass. You and I don't
know. We think perhaps Sometimes we
pray without really thinking much about it, that we might
grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. And it's a good prayer. Nothing wrong with that at all.
It's a good prayer, which we should pray. But let's be aware
that sometimes God answers it in a different way. But He does
answer it. That's the great thing. He does
answer it. He answered it, he answered with,
the Israelites of old, he brought them out of Egypt. Didn't bring them out immediately.
No, they didn't have an easy time. And of course, when Moses
and Aaron went before Pharaoh, it got worse, it got harder.
But the time of deliverance came. And when that time of deliverance
came, Israel went out. And we're told in the Huth, was
left behind. Nothing was left behind. The
Lord indeed was with us. Let us be encouraged today to
believe indeed the Lord indeed is with us. And we're told in
Zephaniah, the Lord says, I will also leave in the midst of thee
an afflicted and poor people. Let us not think that you and
I are going to escape. And it's not thinking that somehow
that doesn't apply to us. In one way or another, it will.
So that we are enabled to recognize the truth of this Word. Nevertheless,
God that comforted those that cast down. You see, God then
shows us what He's doing with us. And what is He doing with
us? What does He do with us? My friend,
he's preparing us for our eternal home. Do you know, if you and
I are being prepared for our eternal home, we won't be allowed
to settle down on this earth. This is not your rest, says Micah,
it is polluted. It's a polluted spot. We perhaps
don't think very much of that. When we're young, perhaps we
think it's a wonderful place to live in. But it's good when
the Holy Spirit shows us this world is polluted. It's polluted
with sin right from that time in the Garden of Eden when sin
entered in. Here Michael says, O thou hideous
monster sin, what a curse hast thou brought in. And what a favour
when the Holy Spirit shows us the truth of that. What a curse
sin has brought into this world. What sadness, what opposition. Yes, but my friends, we have
a Saviour and we have a glorious prospect for the Church of God. It's not something that you and
I should pass over. The Lord leads us in that right
way, which brings us at last to our desired haven. Perhaps the desire isn't always
as bright as it should be, but it's a good thing when the Holy
Spirit does enable us to set our hearts and our affections
upon things above, and not on things on the earth. You see,
we spend a lot of time on the things of time, and yet they're
passing. Yes, there's no real value. There may be a natural value,
there's no eternal value. But there is, if you and I are
blessed with the knowledge of Christ, which, as the hymn writer
says, is more precious, more valuable than gold. Now through
this path, this path that is outlined here, in these words,
we are brought safely to glory. But the Lord does enable us then
to come earnestly seeking for our eternal home. We have no
continuing city here, but we seek one to come, says the Apostle. Well, the Apostle knew what he
was seeking. He tells us, for me to live is
Christ and to die is gain. So it is. What a blessing when
the Holy Spirit shows us the glory of that truth. And the
Apostle also says, having a desire, to go and to be with Christ,
which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the
flesh is more needful for me. His heart was set upon spiritual
blessings. He looked forward to that great
day when he would be with his Saviour, when all the trials
of the way would be forgotten and passed and would not be entered
into again. And he would have passed through
time into eternity, into that place of eternal bliss, eternal
happiness, no more trials, no peace and joy and eternal happiness. It's good, therefore, if God
enables us, as we think of these words, nevertheless God, that
comforteth those that are cast down, comforts us, with a consideration,
a meditation, a view of the glories which God indeed has prepared
for His Church, for His people. Well, the Lord has set before
us these things to encourage us in the age in which we live. In the Apostle we see, you know,
He glories in His infirmities. He tells us, I have become a
fool in glory, ye have compelled me, for I ought to have been
commended of you. For in nothing am I behind the
very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. The apostle knew
what he was, but he rejoiced indeed in the great blessing
of God. Did I make a gain of you by any
of them I sent unto you? No, he didn't, you see. He was
concerned about the blessings of God in his own soul. He tells us, It is not expedient
for me, doubtless to glory, I will come to visions and revelations
of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ, it was
of course himself, above fourteen years ago, whether in the body,
I cannot tell, or whether out of the body, I cannot tell, God
knoweth. Such an one caught up to the
third heaven, and I knew such a man, whether in the body or
out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth. However, he was
caught up into paradise, for a man to utter, of such a
one will I glory, yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine
infirmities. Well there we have a little view
of the Apostle Paul blessed with that wonderful vision and to
realize he did have that view of paradise and therefore by
God's grace one day, one day by his grace we shall be in paradise,
with the Lord Jesus Christ, forever and ever, when for us time will
be no more, and we shall enter into that eternal sleep. What a blessing, therefore, as
you and I journey on to comfort one another with these truths. That's what we're encouraged
to do. morbid things. They're great
and wonderful truths. And the Lord has gone to prepare
a place for His people. And as He said in that 14th chapter
of John, if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you unto Myself, that where I am there ye may be also. Well, nevertheless God, that
comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming
of Titus. Amen.