FINDING HOPE
&
COMFORT
Seek and You Shall Find
“Come unto Me,
All you who labor
And are heavy laden,
And I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you
And learn of Me …
For I am meek and lowly in heart,
And you shall find rest
Unto your souls.
For My yoke is easy
and My burden is light”
(Matthew 11:28-30)
In Those Times . . .
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all … ”
Psalm 34:19
The Bible warns we will all go through periods of troubles, difficulties, suffering, and pain during this mess called life …
We may never know the “Why?” until we get to Heaven.
Regardless of our age, intellect, responsibilities, or experience, in God’s eyes we are still just little children, and when we fall into various trials He wants us to come to Him to seek His Will and His direction and to quit attempting to carry the burden ourselves.
This requires faith.
Jesus Christ stepped forth from eternity to become a man and endured much. He has felt the pain of sorrow, rejection, grief, and excruciating physical trauma found in this life.
He knows how we are feeling.
He loves and cares for each of us and promises to help us through the difficult “storms” of life we will someday face.
Let’s now seek God’s help to find the hope, strength, and comfort we need to get through these times of trouble …
Finding Hope and Comfort …
“Ask, and it will be given to you;
Seek, and you will find;
Knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives,
and the one who seeks finds,
and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”
(Matthew 7:7-8)
No one who hopes to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven will escape the pain, heartbreak, sorrow, and distress found in this life, but the Lord promises to help us, strengthen us, and to see us through all of them. His promise is not to take us out of the bitter storms of life, but to safely lead us through the storms. No matter how bad the situation might seem now, it will one day be over and behind you.
“The Lord is near to those
Who have a broken heart,
And saves those
Who have a humbled (contrite) spirit.”
(Psalm 34:18)
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him
Out of them all.”
(Psalm 34:19)
We are “made” righteous in God’s eyes when we first “believe” and place our love and faith in Jesus Christ, His Son.
“The Angel of the Lord
Camps around (guards and protects)
Those who fear Him.
Blessed (happy) is the man or woman
Who trusts in Him.”
(Psalm 34:7,8)
“The eye of the Lord
Is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy …
Our soul waits for the Lord.”
(Psalm 33:18)
Waiting is hard, especially when we feel the battle between our faith and our fears, anger, or pain raging inside of us.
“Job is an example of a man
Who continued to trust the Lord
In sorrow and suffering.
Even through his suffering and affliction
We can see how the Lord’s plan
Finally ended in good …
For the Lord is full
Of tenderness and mercy.”
(James 5:11 tlb).
The book of Job shows God is sovereign over all things, though the terrible things which happened to Job were brought on by Satan whose desire was for Job “to curse God, and die.” In each trial we go through we have the choice of drawing closer to the Lord in faith, or bitterly turning away from God, to “curse God and die.” This is our test.
The road to Heaven is NOT an easy one as God tests our faith along the way …
“Because narrow is the gate
And DIFFICULT is the way
Which leads to life (in Heaven),
And there are few who find it.”
(Matthew 7:14)
Invite Jesus into your heart and you will find it!
“Count it all joy
When you fall into various trials (difficulties),
Knowing that the testing of your faith
Develops patience.
But let patience have its perfect work,
That you might be perfect
And complete, lacking nothing.”
(James 1:2-4)
The “trials” and “tests” in life aren’t joyful, but when they are over we find joy in knowing the Lord truly loves us, and as a loving Father He helps us develop the patience, obedience, and humility we need to grow and walk in faith . . .
“And have you forgotten
The exhortation (the encouraging words)
Which God speaks to you as sons (and daughters)?
He said, ‘My son, do not despise
The chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when
you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves
He chastens (disciplines),
And scourges (disciplines) every son (and daughter)
Whom He receives (into Heaven).’
For if you endure chastening,
God deals with you as sons (and daughters)
For what son is there
Whom a father does not chasten?”
(Hebrews 12:5-7)
“Now, no chastening seems to be joyful
For the present, but painful;
Nevertheless, afterward it yields
The peaceable fruit of righteousness
To those who have been trained by it.”
(Hebrews 12:11)
Not all trials are from chastening. We may never know the reason until we get to Heaven. But suffering in the life of the believer helps conform us into His image and helps us to become more like Him in patience, gentleness, kindness, humility, compassion, forgiveness, and obedience. Faith provides strength and power.
Faith provides strength and power
CLING to God’s promises during the storms …
“Do NOT worry (or be anxious) about anything,
But pray about everything
With thanksgiving”
(Philippians 4:6) (Did you know this is a commandment?)
“Do NOT be anxious for tomorrow,
For tomorrow will care for itself.”
(Matthew 6:34) (This is also a commandment)
“Therefore whoever hears
These sayings of Mine,
And does them,
I will liken him to a wise man
Who built his house on the rock:
And the rain descended, the floods came,
And the winds blew and beat on that house;
And it did not fall,
For it was founded on the Rock.”
(Jesus is the Rock who will carry us through it all.)
(Matthew 7:24-25)
“But be doers of the Word,
And not hearers only,
Deceiving yourselves.”
(James 1:22) (We must either walk in faith or in fear)
Jesus KNOWS …
Remember, Jesus KNOWS how our pain and suffering feels because HE has experienced and felt it all!!!
The verses below were given to understand what Jesus Christ (Messiah) endured Himself to bring us hope in times of trouble…
Feeling rejected and grieving?
“He (Messiah) is despised
And rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows
And acquainted with grief.”
(Isaiah 53:3)
Feeling betrayed by one you once called “friend”?
“Even My own familiar friend
In whom I trusted,
Who ate My bread,
Has lifted up his heel against Me.”
(Psalm 41:9) (Jesus was betrayed by a very close friend)
Not feeling attractive enough?
“He (Jesus/Messiah) had no beauty or majesty
To attract us to Him,
Nothing in His appearance
That we should desire Him.”
(Isaiah 53:2 NIV) (We are drawn to Him through His love)
Feeling lonely and despised?
“The Redeemer of Israel,
Their Holy One,
To Him whom man despises,
To Him whom the nation abhors.”
(Isaiah 49:7) (He knows … His love carries us through)
Please remember . . .
God loves you more than words can say. He knows the pain and heartbreak we feel … for He has felt it, too. The Bible says our spirit will someday groan to leave this earthly body. Our real life, in His Kingdom of Heaven, is yet future . . .
“The Spirit Himself
bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs —
heirs of God and joint heirs with Messiah (Christ),
IF indeed we suffer with Him”
(Romans 8:16)
Jesus Christ is our Hope . . .
Although there are times we may feel alone and abandoned, He will never forsake you or leave you. The Bible says the true child of God will find suffering in this life. Each of us will have our faith tested. Jesus waits for us to ask Him into our lives to help, to strengthen, to comfort, and to heal. He lovingly wraps His arms around the lonely and the brokenhearted. Jesus will never cast away or turn away any man or woman that willingly comes to Him, regardless of how young or how old, or how good or how bad. Any and all who come to Him with a sincere and humbled heart are welcomed with open arms. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Jesus is God. He now prepares our place in Heaven where there will be no fear, no worries, no pain, no heartbreak, and no tears.
He will see you through these difficult times . . . Trust in Him!
For the next step in Finding Hope … With A Little Faith >>
Now, to strengthen us through life’s battles … Facing Our Fears >>
Or, you can peacefully rest in God’s loving assurance of life in Heaven … God’s Promise >>>