Psalm 119 and verse 50. This is my comfort. This is my comfort in my affliction
for thy word has quickened me. Now every believer's experience
echoes David's words when he said Many are the afflictions
of the righteous. The path to God's kingdom through
this world is a path which leads all of God's children through
much tribulation. There's no other way to glory.
We must, through much tribulation, inherit the kingdom of God. And yet, in the midst of sorrow,
in the midst of trouble, In the midst of tribulation, God's saints
are kept in grace and they are made to be gracious. God's people
are. God graciously deals with us
for good in the midst of our troubles. Now those troubles
come from many sides. They come in many forms and many
shapes. Sometimes we have difficulty in our families, husbands and
wives. have difficulty with their maids.
Believing men and women have much pain with their children.
Believing children have much difficulty with their parents.
Sometimes those difficulties come in the tears of the world,
the financial strains, the sicknesses, the bereavements, the things
that just the sorrows that accompany this life. For the Child of God,
I think probably, however, the most difficult trial, the most
difficult trouble to endure, is that horrible apathy, that
horrible coldness, that horrible lethargy that seems so quickly,
and so constantly to engulf our souls, so that we're made to
cry, like the church in the Song of Solomon, I sleep, but my heart
wake up. There's something in there, why?
There's something in there that cries after God, something that
yearns for His presence and His power and the knowledge of His
grace and His glory, but there is just this sleep, this horrible,
horrible, horrible evil of indifference that we carry with us and struggle
with continually. Well, in the midst of these troubles,
in the midst of these troubles, the believer finds comfort and
the comfort we find is in the Word of God. Now, no one, no
mortal, no mere mortal man was ever more severely tried in faith
than the Apostle Paul. And yet, even when this man was
in prison at Rome, about to face execution because of his faith
in Christ and his commitment to the gospel, he found reason
to rejoice and he learned to be content, even as a prisoner
awaiting execution. Now, the secret is just this.
Paul had learned to look upon his earthly woes in the light
of grace and in the light of eternity. Oh, God, give me grace
to do that, to learn to look upon my earthly cares, whatever
they are, my earthly sorrows, my earthly troubles in the light
of His grace and in the light of eternity. Turn to 2 Corinthians
4. 2 Corinthians 4. We'll come back
to our text in a few minutes, but I want you to see a couple
of things. The Apostle Paul, from the time that God saved
him to the day he left this earth, was constantly exposed to trouble
and heartache and persecution and every manner of evil that
men could heap upon him. And yet he learned in all of
these things to look at things in the light of grace and eternity.
He says in verse 17 of 2 Corinthians 4, our light affliction which
is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which
are seen." I'm afraid we'd have to say we
look too much at the things that are seen, wouldn't we? But he
said, we've learned to look not at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen. For everything you can
see, the things which are seen are But the things which are
not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly
house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building
of God and house not laid with hands eternal in the heavens.
He had learned to look upon things in the light of grace and in
the light of eternity. Now I'm convinced that we would
not be half so disturbed by our afflictions as we now are. And they would not spread gloom
over our souls half so much if we would simply learn by the
grace of God to view our troubles in the light of His grace and
in the light of eternity. I pray that God will give us
grace to do that, and I hope the message this evening will
help you to. Perhaps you think to yourself, well, Don, you don't
know the trouble I'm going through. You don't know the weight I carry
in my heart. How could you call this thing
a light affliction? I didn't. God did. Paul did. He called it a light
affliction, a featherweight, a momentary thing. You see, our
afflictions are light in comparison to what we deserve. If we had
what we deserve, all of us would be in hell. Every one of us would
suffer the wrath of God forever. So anything out of hell is mercy. And we've not just got mercy
so that we've escaped hell. We've been made the heirs of
God and joint heirs in Jesus Christ. Our afflictions are light. Very, very, very light in comparison
with what our brethren have suffered before us. You read this book
and you read history. And you'll find out there have
been a good many of God's people who've suffered considerably
more than we've ever imagined suffering in the name of Christ
and for Christ's sake. You look about you and you will
find that there are a good many more today who are suffering
considerably more than we are, who endure considerably more
difficulty than you do, who endure considerably more heartache,
considerably more misery than you do. I could name in your
hearing families If I called their names, you would know them.
And I don't call their names because I wouldn't want to embarrass
them or you. But I'm telling you, I could
call in your presence families whose difficulties I'm aware
of that would just shock you. They would just shock you. You'd
stand back and say, I can't imagine a man enduring that. I can't
imagine. what I would do if I had that circumstance. I have friends
who are pastors who have children in prison, pastors who have children
who have died with AIDS. I have pastors whose children
are in difficulties and constantly bringing shame and reproach upon
them. I've got friends all around the
world who suffer heavy, heavy, heavy woes and troubles. Our
afflictions are light compared with what others suffer. But
more than anything else, they are very, very light compared
with what our Redeemer has suffered for us. The Son of God, Jesus
Christ, was made to be sin for us. You know what a struggle
you have with your sin? What you were just saying about
a little bit ago? You know what a struggle that is in your soul?
Imagine what it was. for him who knew no sin. Somebody said, do you believe
Jesus suffered hell? He suffered more than hell could
ever dish out. He was made to be sin. Can you grasp that? He suffered
the wrath of God as our substitute. He endured being forsaken of
his father as our substitute. He suffered all that God in his
infinite justice could or would pour out upon sin for all eternity. He bore it in himself, in his
body, in his mind, and in his heart. He was made to be sin
for us. And our light afflictions, they
are light certainly in comparison with the glory that awaits us.
Now I don't pretend to know what burden you carry in your heart. As Merle was reading and praying
a little bit ago, I'm hearing a little bit in what you're saying.
I know a little bit about it, but I don't really know the weight
you carry in your heart. I acknowledge that. The wise
man Solomon made this statement, the heart knoweth his own bitterness. I do know something of the bitterness
that I carry in my own heart. I do know something about trouble. I know something about trial
and tribulation. I know something about suffering
in body, suffering in mind, suffering in soul, and suffering in heart.
I know something about things I'm talking to you about. And
yet, I do know this. I know that the cause of my trouble
Whatever it is, whatever it is, comes from the hand of my God.
Whatever it is, whatever it is. Turn over to Hebrews chapter
12 for a minute. Hebrews 12. I know that when God chastens
his own, he's dealing with us for our sins, because of our
sins. But whatever the trouble is that
comes to us, whether it's because the Lord God would correct us
for sin or keep us from sin, whatever the trouble is, it comes
to us by the hand of our Heavenly Father. The Apostle Paul is writing
here in Hebrews 12 and he's talking about what Christ suffered and
how that he endured affliction, striving against blood, resisted
unto blood, striving against sin, that is. And then he says
in verse 5, And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh
unto you as unto sons. My son, despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him."
Now God has a lot of ways of doing that, but I promise you
this, our Heavenly Father will always exercise loving discipline
in His family. He always does. He will not allow
His children to run as rebels. He will not allow his children
to stray from him. He chastens those whom he loves. For whom the Lord loveth, he
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Now, if
you endure chastening, that is, if you live through it, if you
endure this chastening of the Lord, God deals with you as with
For what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if you be
without chastisement whereof all are partakers, that is, whereof
all God's children are partakers, then you're bastards and not
sons. Furthermore, we've had fathers of our flesh which corrected
us, and we gave them reference. Shall we not much rather be in
subjection to the father of spirits and live? For they have barely
for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure. That is,
our mothers and dads, all of them, without exception, on occasion,
whipped us and slapped us and beat us because they got angry
with us and they wanted to satisfy their anger. That's not discipline. That's not discipline at all.
We were watching this program the other week on television.
mocking God's word concerning this thing of discipline, and
they were showing parents slapping their children in the face and
just slapping them here and there, cussing and yelling at them,
and call that discipline. That's not discipline. No, that's frustration. That's dealing with kids in anger.
That's dealing with them in embarrassment. That's dealing with them in frustration.
Discipline is the loving, firm, consistent correction of a child
enforced with the rod. And our father, because he loves
us, he consistently, he constantly, he continually enforces his loving
care with the rod of correction. Now our fathers in the flesh,
they did it for their pleasure, but he for our profit. Now this
is another thing to learn. Whatever the trial is that you
bear, it's for your good. God is doing you good by it. He is bringing about that which
will be for your everlasting good. He's correcting sin within
you, winning you from the world, and keeping you from the evil
that's out there, even as the Lord Jesus has prayed. Even keeping
you from the evil that's in your own heart. He, for our good,
that we might be partakers of His holiness. Now look at verse
11. So why does it hurt so much?
Because it wouldn't do any good if it didn't hurt. That's exactly
the reason. Somebody asked me one time, I
was disciplining faces, why do you have to spank her like that?
Why do you have to hurt her so much? Because if it don't hurt,
it's not discipline. If it doesn't hurt, it doesn't do any good.
If it doesn't hurt, you don't remember it. But no chastening
for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. God causes
the grief. Yes, he does. He causes your
soul to be heavy. He causes your heart to break.
He causes you to weep before him. It's not pleasant but grievous. Nevertheless, afterward, when
God gets done with you, it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness
unto them which are exercised thereby. The only source of comfort for
my soul in time of trouble, the only one there is, is the Word of God. And that's
what I want to talk to you about tonight. I'm not going to talk
to you long, but I want to talk to you real plain, and I hope
I can help you. Come back here to our text. Psalm 119, verse
50. God has given us His Word. for
our comfort and consolation. And we cannot find comfort in
time of trouble anywhere else. David said, This is my comfort
in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me. Now the worldling
seeks comfort in the things of the world But the believer seeks
his comfort in the book of God. He turns to the word of God and
he says, this is my comfort. Let me show you an example. Back
here in Psalm 8. We'll look a good bit at David,
Psalm 4 rather, verses 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Psalm 4. David is talking about one of
his times of trouble, great difficulty and trouble he was enduring as
he writes this fourth Psalm. And this is what it says in verse
4. Stand in awe and sin not. Commune with your own heart upon
your bed and be still. Now stop and think. Offer the
sacrifices of righteousness and put your trust in the Lord. There
be many that say, who will show us any good? Lord, lift up the
light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in
my heart more than in the time that their corn and their wine
increase. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for
thou, Lord, only, makest me to dwell in safety." David does
not say, that is my comfort, as if he pointed to the book
of God afar off and said, now there, there is my comfort, but
rather he seems to hold this to his heart and he says, this
is my comfort. This is my comfort. this book which I grasp with
faith and grasp to my heart, this book, the book of God, this
is my comfort, this book in which I find hope. Now, what he here
says is addressed to God. So that he is speaking to the
Lord God in a form of prayer and of praise. He is pleading
with God in prayer that which he had enjoyed of mercy and of
grace and that which he has already received from God, his word.
He says, now Lord, this is my comfort. He's speaking to God
and says, I found my comfort in your word and now I seek my
comfort from your word. The singular source of the believer's
comfort then. is the Word of God. Look at verse
49. He says, Remember the Word unto
thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This
is my comfort. This is my comfort in my affliction. In time of trouble, we find our
comfort in what God has caused to be written in the sacred volume
of Holy Scripture. That's where it is. When Paul
was in Rome in prison, and he was facing the winter that was
coming upon him, he wrote to Timothy in his last epistle,
the last letter that he wrote, in 2 Timothy chapter 4, and he
said, now Timothy, winter's coming. Go down to Carpus and get the
coat that I left there. And bring Mark with you. He's
profitable to me for the ministry. And bring the books. Bring the
books so I can continue to feed my mind. But especially the parchments. Timothy, be sure you bring me
the scriptures. Be sure you bring me the Word
of God. I've got that. If you forget
Mark, and you forget the Code, and you forget the books, bring
me the parchments. The Book of God. The Word of
God. That's where my comfort is. We
find our comfort in that which God has written in his word,
the blessed, blessed, blessed promises of the word. You ever
find yourself turning to the book of God and as you read,
your heart's heavy, you turn over and you start to read the
scriptures. Whether you're reading your daily reading or you're
just searching for some words from God, you keep looking for
word, you run across a promise. And while you can't seem to enter
into the blessedness of it, and your heart seems so unbelieving
and so cold that you can't draw the blessedness from it that
you would, you find in the Word of God a comfort in the promise
itself just in the fact that there is God has spoken, and
whether I understand it or not, whether I can grasp it or not,
whether I can believe it or not, God has spoken, and his word
is sufficient. His word's true. We find the
record of God's goodness given to us. Oh, I love to read in
the scriptures of what God has done in the past for others and
for me. Listen to what David said in
Psalm 77. Just listen. He said in verse 5, I've considered
the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance
my song in the night. I commune with my own heart,
that is, I meditate with my own heart, and my spirit may diligent
search. Will the Lord cast off forever? Sometimes it sure seems like
He will. Will he be favorable no more?
It sometimes appears that way. Is his mercy clean gone forever? Doth his promise fail forevermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his
tender mercies? You pause and consider what you're
saying. You ever think like that? We never say it because we're
not quite as honest as David. And we don't say it because we're
not inspired of God. And this was written by inspiration
for our learning and our admonition. But think it. Yeah. Yeah. And we think like that. Be sure
you answer like this. David said, after thinking, and
I said, this is my infirmity. But I will remember the years
of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works
of the Lord surely. I will remember thy wonders of
old. I will meditate also on my work
and of thy doings. Oh, now there's our comfort.
To remember God's goodness of old. He's always been good to
us. He's always been gracious to
us. He's always been good and gracious to all his people in
all their circumstances. We find our comfort as well in
the power of his word. Solomon said, where the word
of the king is, there's power. I read this text this afternoon.
This is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened like a word from God himself
coming down from heaven that came right into my heart. The
word of the king's word of power. His word is like a fire, and
it's like a hammer. Like a fire to burn up the dross
and to melt the hardened heart, and like a hammer to smash in
pieces the hard, hard heart of man. Like a fire and a hammer,
his word comes. and we find our comfort in the
doctrines of the Word. I keep meditating, talking to
you about, writing about, go home and meditate some more on
the blessed doctrines of Holy Scripture, which are the constant
sustenance of my heart. And I tell you again what they
are. more steadfastly holds my soul
in peace than the blessed knowledge of God's absolute sovereignty. My father is in control even
now. My father is ruling this world
and having his way at yonder and even in here in me right
now. and the blessed gospel doctrine
of substitutionary redemption. Oh, how I rejoice in special
atonement, in special grace, in effectual blood redemption
by Jesus Christ, God's Son, so that even this sin with which
I struggle so constantly Even the sin that is constantly, constantly,
constantly oppressing me, even that, Jesus Christ has suffered
for as my substitute. Even the lethargy, even the indifference,
even the coldness, even the near death in my soul, that too, the
Son of God has suffered for as my substitute. And He alone is
my answer to God for my sin. And I rejoice, oh, how I rejoice,
and give thanks to God for his wise and good providence. I read a statement today, I read
it to Shelby, Chapter 4 Services, by C.D. Cole. I've never heard
anybody say this before, but this is worth remembering. He
said, providence is the attention of God concentrated everywhere. Now our attention just, we just
focus on one little thing. And sometimes it seems like the
older we get, the more, the more little that one little thing
got to be. We just, just got to have tunnel vision. But God
gives special attention to everything at all times. And that just kind of sustains
our souls in the midst of trouble. How do you explain what's going
on when I don't Brother Don, can you give me
some understanding as to what God's doing here? No, I can't. Can you tell me what the end
of it's gonna be? Not in this world. But I can
point you to the book of God, and I can tell you that God's
ruling, and that Christ, your Redeemer, who died for you, sits
on the throne of glory, and he rules in providence to do you
good, now you can trust him. When you can't feel a thing,
when your hearts are cold and heavy and indifferent, you can
still trust Him. Rest your soul on Him. And as
we turn to the Word of God, we find our comfort in our experience
of the Word as well. David said, Thy Word hath quickened
me. He had in past experienced the
goodness of God, the quickening power of the Word. The Word of
God had raised him from death to life, and from apathy to zeal. The Word of God had raised him
from despair to hope. Look in verse 67 of this 119th
Psalm. David said, Before I was afflicted, I went
astray. But now I've kept my word. You pulled me back in line. I'm
so glad you did. Aren't you? When I was a boy,
my mother did most of the discipline, and she was good at it. I mean,
anything else was warm up to mama. She could exercise the
rod well. And I was a rebel, and I despised
it. I despised the discipline and
I despised her folly. But I'm going to tell you something. I'm so glad she did what she
could to keep pulling in the reins. Just keep pulling in the
reins. Now our father, his discipline's
different. But he doesn't try to pull in
the reins, he pulls them in. He doesn't try to correct us,
he corrects us. He doesn't try to get our hearts.
He gets our hearts. He doesn't try to get our attention.
He gets our attention. This is what David said, before
I was afflicted, I would have strayed. But now I've kept your
word. Look in Psalm 42. David had felt
and experienced the power of God's word. And he speaks of
it here. In Psalm 42 in verse 5. David had had this struggle with
apathy and indifference and being cast down, driven to despair. And now he begins to reason with
himself when he remembers these things and his soul was poured
out within him. He says, Why art thou cast down,
O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within
me? Hope thou in God, for I shall
yet praise him for the help of his countenance. Oh my God, my
soul is cast down within me. Therefore will I remember thee
from the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites and from the hill
of Mizer. That is, I'll remember all that
you've done. Deep calleth unto deep at the
noise of thy water spouts. All thy waves and thy billows
are gone over me. Yet the Lord will command his
loving kindness in the daytime. And in the night his song shall
be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. Now, children of God, when your
soul is heavy and troubled, seek the Word of God for your comfort. Seek the Word of God for your
comfort. I don't know how many times, I've said this to friends, said
it to some of you a long time. Wrap yourself up in the book
of God. Plunge into the word of God and
take refuge here. I'm telling you, there's no other
source of comfort for your soul. Do it in your closet. When you
set it home, rather than pacing the floor and biting your nails,
and nursing an ulcer, open the word of God and seek a word from
God from your heart. Rather than just sitting and
fretting and worrying about things you cannot control and things
you cannot do one thing on this earth about, open God's word
and find strength and comfort for your heart. I just don't feel like doing
that. If you ever get into it, you'll
feel like it. And not only in your closet,
but in the house of God as well. When you're having a tough time, Bob, and
your heart's heavy, and you got trouble pressing You don't want to be around anybody.
And don't feel like coming to church. And what you want to
do is sit at home and continue feeling sorry for yourself. But
don't give in. What you need is what you get
right here, right now. If you find any comfort anywhere,
it's going to be right here. Don't neglect your soul. Don't
neglect the worship of God. will take your heart away from
the world and away from the troubles of it. It will lead you to the
Lord God in prayer. It will certainly humble you,
and if it humbles you, it'll make your spirit tender, and
it'll direct you to Christ. I've tried about everything else,
too. A dying believer, I don't know
his name, made this statement to someone standing by his bed
trying to comfort him. He said, speak to me now in scripture
language alone. I can trust the word of God.
But when they are the words of a man, it costs me effort to
think whether I may trust them. Give me God's word. Just the
word of God. Give me not your opinion about
God's Word, just God's Word. Not modern thoughts about God's
Word, just God's Word. I don't trust that. I don't trust
it. Mr. Spurgeon on one occasion
was struggling with the syrups and
struggling with the lethargy of his own soul. One of those
times of despair He said he went out to hear a village preacher,
unlettered man, spoke rough language, nothing grammatically correct
about his sermon, but he opened the word and began to speak forth
the truth of God. And as he talked about Christ
and redemption by Christ and grace in Christ, his virgin said,
the tears began to run down my cheeks and my heart began to
melt within me. And I've often thought of it
and remembered it with fondness and with joy, and I'd look back
and I'd say, oh, thank God, His Word still speaks to my heart. I'm not dead to His Word. That's my life. I find it in
His Word. But whatever your trial is, you'll
find the comfort you need in the Word of God. Look in our
text here, in Psalm 150. Look how David speaks. well, the things I hoped for
haven't come to pass. Well, when hope is deferred,
the word calls David to hope on. He said in verse 49, remember
thy word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast called me to
hope. David says, I hope, but the hope hasn't come to pass.
Lord, remember your word to me. When affliction brought him down,
the word of God quickened him. He said in verse 50, thy word
hath quickened me. When the scorners mocked him,
the word of God sustained him. In verse 51 he says, the proud
have had me greatly in derision, yet have I not declined from
thy law. I'm not turned aside from your
word. When the sins of others horrified him, still the word
of God comforted him. He said in verse 52, I remembered
thy judgments of old, O Lord. I remember what you've done in
the past, and I've comforted myself. Horror hath taken hold
upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law. But I remember
your word, and I'm comforted with your word. But his pilgrimage
took him through many turns and brought many changes in his life.
Still the Word of God gave him joy. He says in verse 54, thy
statutes have been my songs and the house of my pilgrimage. And
when darkness engulfed him, the Word of God gave him light. He
said, I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night, and have
kept thy law. I've kept your word. This I had
because I kept thy precepts. All the Word of God is the best
nightlight you'll ever find. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path. Now here's a test, a real test
of character. Where do you find comfort? Where do you find comfort? There was a rich man who had
much good stored up for many days. He said, so take that easy. The worldling finds his comfort
in his possessions. So that can't be me, I don't
have any worldly possessions. Oh, you don't have to be rich
to find your comfort in riches. You don't have to possess anything
to find your comfort in possessions. The worldling finds comfort in
the things he has. The superstitious religionist
finds comfort in his feelings, or in visions, or dreams, or
in omens, or signs. The rebel finds his comfort in
riotousness, and revelry, and drunkenness, and lasciviousness,
and partying, and in dope, and all the things with which he
hopes he can drown his sorrows. Others turn to their fellow mortals
for comfort. Turn to me and listen to what
Jeremiah says. For the Lord God speaks by Jeremiah
in Jeremiah 17. Just let me read it to you. Jeremiah
17, verse 5. Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be
the man that trusteth in man, and maketh the flesh his own,
whose heart departed from the Now it's fine, it's fine to let
your brethren bear your burden with you, that's fine. It's fine
to share your troubles with others who want to carry them as your
brethren, but don't you go trusting man to cure your troubles. Don't
you go trusting a man to correct your problem, it can't do it,
it can't do it. Preachers have jumped on this
bandwagon of counseling. Everybody wants to play psychiatrist,
psychologist. They want to get other folks'
troubles straightened out. I can't straighten my own out.
Much less yours. Man can't do that. The believer
finds his comfort in God's Word, in just the Word of God. I read today about a fellow named
Benjamin Parsons. I don't know who he was, but
when he was dying, his pastor came to visit him. And his pastor said to him, how
are you today, sir? Mr. Parsons answered, my head
is resting sweetly on three pillows, infinite power, infinite My head is resting sweetly on
three pillars of wisdom, that you could rest your aching head
on those three pillars.