When You are Suffering or Afraid, 13 December 2015
When You Are Suffering Or Afraid
Series: Be Here Now
Psalm 139, 23, 56:3-4
Series Overview: Christmas is the celebration of “presence.”
Big Idea: God is with us…always…especially when we are suffering or afraid.
Introduction
This morning we continue our Advent series, “Be Here Now,” a series on presence.
Perhaps the holidays for you are the most isolated time of year. You feel like the guy in the video, surrounded by people, yet empty inside, alone, and seemingly invisible to everyone.
The first two weeks dealt with us being fully present with others and God. The next two weeks will address God’s presence with us. You are not invisible. You are not alone. Today we’ll briefly look at God’s presence when we are suffering and when we’re afraid. I have a few things to say, but mostly today I want to let the words of David from the Psalms refresh you.
This past week I was invited to the offices of Proclaim FM 102.3 and their sign said, “Christmas is about three words: God with us.” That is the meaning of “Emmanuel.” God is with us. He is present. He is here…now.
Do you know God is here? Perhaps you feel His presence right now. Maybe you don’t. It’s possible you’ve never felt God with you.
But He is. Whether you feel it or not.
Feelings are real. They are powerful. They cannot always be trusted. That’s why we need the Bible to guide us into truth.
One of my favorite psalms, Psalm 139, beautifully describes God’s presence—even seeing us in the womb!
Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139)
God is here. How do I know? “The Bible tells me so.” Is that enough? Sometimes.
Often I find a conflict between my thoughts and feelings, between what I know in my head to be true and what I sense in my heart.
I often think of God like radio waves. Whether you know it or not, this room is filled with radio waves. They are invisible, but real. You simply need to dial in to experience them. A television will be able to tune in television channels, a radio radio frequencies, and a laptop WiFi signals. You can deny their existence…or listen in. God is here whether you deny or embrace it, whether you feel it or not. Is your antenna up?
Sometimes God seems very distant. I’ve had many “dark nights of the soul” where I cried out, wondering where I could find God. Perhaps you’ve had them. Perhaps you’re going through such a season right now. I promise you God is real and He loves you and He is with you. I don’t understand why He sometimes seems to play hard to get, but He promised to never leave us or forsake us, to be with us always to the very end of the age. Don’t give up. Tell a friend your struggles. Fill your mind with the truth of God’s Word. Beg Him to reveal Himself. Be assured He is worth the pursuit.
When have you felt God closest to you?
On September 21, 2006 a friend of mine sent me this e-mail while our daughter was in horrific pain in the hospital:
It is hard to figure out where God is when we are sitting in the ash heap in suffering, but I really sense that God is sitting in the ash heap with you. Along those lines, I encourage you to spend time in the place of mourning (even as you work on solutions to the problem) and I think that you will meet God there.
His words were truly prophetic. The next day, September 22, I found myself at one of the worst moments of my life, despondent over our suffering child who could get no relief from horrendous pain. I opened my Bible to Psalm 22—since it was September 22—and read these words
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Psalm 22:1a)
I instantly bawled like a baby, something highly unusual for me. The paradox was how close I felt to God at the moment. In fact, I’ve probably never felt close to the Father than when I read those words. I did not feel forsaken by God. Instead, my mind raced to the words of Jesus on the cross we looked at last week…
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). (Matthew 27:45-46)
As I watched my child suffer excruciating pain, I was transported to Calvary and the pain the Father must’ve felt watching His child suffer excruciating pain.
Where is God when you’re suffering? With you. He understands.
Psalm 34:18 says
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
There are many wonderful attributes of God. One is His presence. He is not only omnipresent—everywhere at once—He is especially close to the hurting, the suffering. Jesus knows pain and refused to watch us from a distance. The celebration of Emmanuel is God came near, God entered our world, God experienced pain, God understands.
For the longest time I couldn’t turn to Psalm 22 without getting emotional. Those nine words pierced my heart, reminding me of that place of mourning and agony and yet joyfully reminding me of God’s presence.
It was months later when I realized what follows the suffering of Psalm 22…Psalm 23. Perhaps you’ve heard it!
A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever. (Psalm 23)
Because David was able to fear God and not evil—he found God more awesome than his temptations or fears—he was not afraid. The presence of God brought him comfort.
Every day we are tempted to be afraid as we read the news, talk with friends…look in the mirror! As we said several weeks ago, “Fear Not. Fear God.”
Where is God when you’re afraid? With you. So we need not be afraid.
A few chapters later in Psalms we read these words of David
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4)
It’s great to know God is powerful, but it is His presence which is truly comforting. Whether you feel it or not, God is with us. Always. Everywhere. He’s with us in the midst of suffering. He’s with us when we’re afraid.
The irony of Advent is during this season of waiting for Jesus, He is with us. He is here. At this time of year we look back at history, we look forward to the return of Jesus, but we must also be fully present in the moment, welcoming Jesus into our current reality.
He wants to do life with us. Today. We are never alone. As we celebrate Emmanuel, invite Jesus into your life, your home, your school, your place of work, your recreation, and your commute. He not only wants to be your friend, He is the Almighty God of angel armies who is always by your side.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here. You can subscribe to the free FAC Focus e-newsletter here.
Series: Be Here Now
Psalm 139, 23, 56:3-4
Series Overview: Christmas is the celebration of “presence.”
Big Idea: God is with us…always…especially when we are suffering or afraid.
Introduction
This morning we continue our Advent series, “Be Here Now,” a series on presence.
Perhaps the holidays for you are the most isolated time of year. You feel like the guy in the video, surrounded by people, yet empty inside, alone, and seemingly invisible to everyone.
The first two weeks dealt with us being fully present with others and God. The next two weeks will address God’s presence with us. You are not invisible. You are not alone. Today we’ll briefly look at God’s presence when we are suffering and when we’re afraid. I have a few things to say, but mostly today I want to let the words of David from the Psalms refresh you.
This past week I was invited to the offices of Proclaim FM 102.3 and their sign said, “Christmas is about three words: God with us.” That is the meaning of “Emmanuel.” God is with us. He is present. He is here…now.
Do you know God is here? Perhaps you feel His presence right now. Maybe you don’t. It’s possible you’ve never felt God with you.
But He is. Whether you feel it or not.
Feelings are real. They are powerful. They cannot always be trusted. That’s why we need the Bible to guide us into truth.
One of my favorite psalms, Psalm 139, beautifully describes God’s presence—even seeing us in the womb!
Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139)
God is here. How do I know? “The Bible tells me so.” Is that enough? Sometimes.
Often I find a conflict between my thoughts and feelings, between what I know in my head to be true and what I sense in my heart.
I often think of God like radio waves. Whether you know it or not, this room is filled with radio waves. They are invisible, but real. You simply need to dial in to experience them. A television will be able to tune in television channels, a radio radio frequencies, and a laptop WiFi signals. You can deny their existence…or listen in. God is here whether you deny or embrace it, whether you feel it or not. Is your antenna up?
Sometimes God seems very distant. I’ve had many “dark nights of the soul” where I cried out, wondering where I could find God. Perhaps you’ve had them. Perhaps you’re going through such a season right now. I promise you God is real and He loves you and He is with you. I don’t understand why He sometimes seems to play hard to get, but He promised to never leave us or forsake us, to be with us always to the very end of the age. Don’t give up. Tell a friend your struggles. Fill your mind with the truth of God’s Word. Beg Him to reveal Himself. Be assured He is worth the pursuit.
When have you felt God closest to you?
On September 21, 2006 a friend of mine sent me this e-mail while our daughter was in horrific pain in the hospital:
It is hard to figure out where God is when we are sitting in the ash heap in suffering, but I really sense that God is sitting in the ash heap with you. Along those lines, I encourage you to spend time in the place of mourning (even as you work on solutions to the problem) and I think that you will meet God there.
His words were truly prophetic. The next day, September 22, I found myself at one of the worst moments of my life, despondent over our suffering child who could get no relief from horrendous pain. I opened my Bible to Psalm 22—since it was September 22—and read these words
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Psalm 22:1a)
I instantly bawled like a baby, something highly unusual for me. The paradox was how close I felt to God at the moment. In fact, I’ve probably never felt close to the Father than when I read those words. I did not feel forsaken by God. Instead, my mind raced to the words of Jesus on the cross we looked at last week…
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). (Matthew 27:45-46)
As I watched my child suffer excruciating pain, I was transported to Calvary and the pain the Father must’ve felt watching His child suffer excruciating pain.
Where is God when you’re suffering? With you. He understands.
Psalm 34:18 says
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
There are many wonderful attributes of God. One is His presence. He is not only omnipresent—everywhere at once—He is especially close to the hurting, the suffering. Jesus knows pain and refused to watch us from a distance. The celebration of Emmanuel is God came near, God entered our world, God experienced pain, God understands.
For the longest time I couldn’t turn to Psalm 22 without getting emotional. Those nine words pierced my heart, reminding me of that place of mourning and agony and yet joyfully reminding me of God’s presence.
It was months later when I realized what follows the suffering of Psalm 22…Psalm 23. Perhaps you’ve heard it!
A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever. (Psalm 23)
Because David was able to fear God and not evil—he found God more awesome than his temptations or fears—he was not afraid. The presence of God brought him comfort.
Every day we are tempted to be afraid as we read the news, talk with friends…look in the mirror! As we said several weeks ago, “Fear Not. Fear God.”
Where is God when you’re afraid? With you. So we need not be afraid.
A few chapters later in Psalms we read these words of David
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4)
It’s great to know God is powerful, but it is His presence which is truly comforting. Whether you feel it or not, God is with us. Always. Everywhere. He’s with us in the midst of suffering. He’s with us when we’re afraid.
The irony of Advent is during this season of waiting for Jesus, He is with us. He is here. At this time of year we look back at history, we look forward to the return of Jesus, but we must also be fully present in the moment, welcoming Jesus into our current reality.
He wants to do life with us. Today. We are never alone. As we celebrate Emmanuel, invite Jesus into your life, your home, your school, your place of work, your recreation, and your commute. He not only wants to be your friend, He is the Almighty God of angel armies who is always by your side.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here. You can subscribe to the free FAC Focus e-newsletter here.