Comfort, Comfort My People
Good afternoon GBC Family!
Little trivia for today (perhaps it’ll come up in the coming ladies Taco and Trivia night!), on this day in 1750 Johann Sebastian Bach died. Though take heart, if he was truly a believer, and it’s widely thought that he was, he’ll be Bach… .
Midweek Meditation: Comfort, Comfort My People- Isaiah 40:1-5
One of God’s greatest gifts to us on earth, is the ability to comfort our condition. Sometimes, just by controlling a few very mundane variables, we can regulate our own comfort. For example, if after a hard day’s work, the rain clouds roll in, I eat a delicious comfort food, get comfortable clothes on, enjoy the sound and smell of rain, make a good cup of coffee, and watch a movie with my cuddly kids, I can bring myself a moment of comfort. Yet, these moments are only partial and brief comforts. They may relax me, but they don’t resolve any problems. We can’t control the variables of life’s pain, man’s betrayal, the world’s chaos, or the effects of sin. We cannot absolutely regulate comfort through adjusted circumstances. Nor can we provide true internal comfort. I can adjust some scenarios which adjust my mood, but I cannot completely ease the pains of my soul. In Isaiah 40 God provides comfort to a people who are unable to adjust their circumstances. He offers comfort to people whose circumstances rob their situational comforts. We’re going to focus on Isaiah 40 in the coming weeks. Let this text comfort you.
Where does our comfort come from?
1. We are comforted by the remission of sins- Vv. 1-2
1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
After all of Israel’s failures, idolatry, and turning to other sources for deliverance (read chapters 1-39), God tenderly assures the faithful in Israel that he will forgive their sins and restore them. And so for the people of God, we may receive the comfort the soul that our sins are forgiven. Look at the latter part of verse 2. This is Israel’s justice for their wrongdoing. Yet, through the gospel, Christ has received our portion of God’s wrath, and thus our iniquity is pardoned. Rejoice with Paul that you may forget what is behind (Phil. 3:13) and press towards righteous with a repentant spirit, having received fully the remission of your sin. It’s gone!
2. We are comforted by the declaration of Christ- Vv. 3-5
3A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
This the hope of this prophecy is only partially realized when Isaiah gave it. This prophecy pertains to the ministry of John the Baptist, who would proclaim the coming of the Messiah. John the Baptist was the road-paver, Jesus walked the road. So the declaration of the great levelling of the earth and revelation of the Lord’s glory is seen fully in the person and work of Jesus Christ. We have the realized hope of this prophecy! We know through the gospel glory of the gospel and the “glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Our hope should be all the more grounded since we know more fully the glory of this declaration. You need nothing more for comfort than to know Christ is yours, and you are his. If he can settle the chaos of the earth, he can calm the storms of your soul. Rest in him!
Ministry Prayer Requests
· Pray that we would prioritize eternal things!
· Pray for our upcoming fellowship opportunities.
· Pray for a spirit of discernment.
Ministry Reminders
· Come for our Family Bible Study on Wednesday. This week we will continue inductively studying 1 John 2 and Jacob Mansfield will have his teaching time with the children. It’s been a joy to see that ministry grow!
· Check bulletins and the Weekly updates for upcoming ladies and men’s ministries events.
· Our annual meeting is the evening of August 9th. Information for this meeting can be collected in the foyer.
Book Recommendations
Recently it was suggested to me to include a reading list in the Pastor’s Post. I thought this was a great idea! I’m going to include it at the end of each month, so that you have a few days to pick up a book if you want to start reading new titles monthly.
· What Happens When We Worship
I can’t recommend this book enough. My friend Jonathan Cruse wrote it and I think it’s an excellent aid to the church.
· The Spirit of Early Christian Thought
This is an accessible and warm history of the church. It’s a great place to start if you have interest in the history and development of the church.
In Christ,
Pastor Kyle