In this chapter we will look at my 8th way that God comforts his people, which is by giving inner peace, or calming the mind, when it is agitated like troubled waters, and in ways inexplicable.
Comfort by Giving Inner Peace of Mind
"Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." (II Cor. 13: 11 kjv)
In these words of exhortation the apostle Paul shows that being comforted by God is something that is often conditioned upon the choices of believers. Being comforted by God is not a case where Christians are merely passive, but are active in experiencing divine comfort or strengthening. The words "be of good comfort" might better be translated as "be comforted," or "take comfort in this." In this text Paul does not tell the brethren how to be comforted, but surely the "how" is already known by them for Paul has already shown them how. It is by taking heed to the word and counsel of the Lord. So wrote Solomon in the Proverbs, telling us what Wisdom says of those who reject her:
"Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you." (1: 25-27 nkjv)
God's word offers comfort to all but it is not a blank check. Yes, God often comforts us without our active participation, but not always. This is because God is full of compassion and tender mercy. He is "full of compassion" (Psa. 78: 38; etc.). The Psalmist also said: "But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth" (Psa. 86: 15 nkjv); And, God himself comforts his people by saying:
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you." (Isa. 49: 15 nkjv)
Jeremiah also says:
"Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies." (Lam. 3: 32 nkjv)
In the same way as God says to us "be of good comfort" he also says "cheer up" or to "take heart." The Lord Jesus said to his followers: "Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14: 27 nkjv). This shows that to some degree our receiving divine comfort is conditioned upon us heeding these words of the Lord Jesus.
One good way to be comforted is to remember what is called the "serenity prayer" which says: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference." I have many times in my life uttered this wise maxim, both to myself and to others. Sometimes peace of mind and comfort comes from being resigned to the will of God, saying "not my will but yours be done" as did the Son of God when he was in the midst of his sufferings. This involves believers always saying "If the Lord wills" (James 4: 15), and "It is the Lord: let him do what seems to him good" (I Sam. 3: 18). So the disciples, when attempting to persuade Paul from going to Jerusalem (who refused their exhortation and prophetic warning), said "the will of the Lord be done." (Acts 21: 14) This state of mind arises from a belief that God knows best, and only has the believer's good at heart, even in times when it does not seem to be so. So the Lord says to his people:
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jer. 29: 11 nkjv)
In the text at the top of this chapter you see the words of Isaiah 26: 3. I have also often cited these words when talking to my soul. We see this in the Psalms where the Psalmist would say things to himself, to his soul. We should say to our souls "he will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed (or fixed) on you," This "perfect peace" will comfort and console the believer. As long as you fix your mind on things of the world you will lack divine comfort. This is why Paul exhorted the believers to -- "seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3: 1-2 nkjv). The Lord's people are often stressed out and full of anxiety, stress, and care because they are not fixing their minds on things above and on the promises of God's word. Here is a prayer of the apostle Paul towards this end:
"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man..." (Eph. 3: 14-16 nkjv)
As we saw, the word "comfort" involves being strengthened within our hearts and minds. So, to be strengthened with might through the Spirit in the inner man is to be comforted and encouraged in the deepest recesses of the soul and spirit. Recall also these words of exhortation to the first Christians:
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4: 6-7 nkjv)
Having this peace in the heart and mind will alleviate anxious care, will "guard" a believer's heart and mind through Christ Jesus.
Casting Your Cares Upon The Lord
"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (I Peter 5: 6-7 nkjv)
"Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." (Psa. 55: 22 nkjv)
So, what does it mean to cast your cares and burdens upon the Lord? How do believers do this? Obviously it is a choice, as the texts above show. It involves a kind of "letting go" of the thing that is worrying us. It is a kind of "laying down" your anxieties. There is a Christian song titled "Leave It There" that captures this idea, one of the main lines saying "take your burden to the Lord and leave it there." Another song says "Lay your burdens at the feet of Jesus" which you can hear sung by Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver (here). It is like taking a load from off your back and ceasing to carry it. It involves a decision to transfer the responsibility of a situation from oneself to God. The word "cast" means to "throw." Isaiah says that the Messiah would be "fastened" by Yahweh "as a nail in a sure place" (Isa. 22: 23), and as such every child of God can hang his or her cares on that nail. I wrote on this verse (here).
I like the words in that famous hymn "Is Not This the Land of Beulah?" that says: "Tell me not of heavy crosses, Nor of burdens hard to bear, For I've found this great salvation Makes each burden light appear." I also like the words of the song "Tell It To Jesus" which has lines that say "Are you weary, are you heavyhearted? Tell it to Jesus, Tell it to Jesus; Are you grieving over joys departed? Tell it to Jesus alone." Just telling Jesus your cares is often in itself a relief. There is a hymn titled "The Great Physician Now Is Here" that speaks of the "sympathizing Jesus." The first stanza says "The great Physician now is near, the sympathizing Jesus; He speaks the drooping heart to cheer, oh! hear the voice of Jesus." Christ not only sympathizes with us, and has empathy for us, but he actually heals the brokenhearted. Why? Because he himself experienced human grief and suffering and because he takes our burdens and cares and bears them on our behalf. Isaiah said of the Messiah -- "Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows." (53: 4) Therefore he is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" (Heb. 4: 15).
"Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us,
and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work."
(II Thess. 2: 16)
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