Why Suffering?

Take that one back. That'll keep me from... Not that I'm worried about your germs.

Well, brethren, the sermon is actually a very good lead-in to the subject I wanted to cover today, because we've been going through some difficult times, and to be honest, some sad times. And it goes back... When I first started putting this together, I thought I could go back almost as far as I want, but a couple of years ago, I remember being very sad, and that so many members and so many people that I knew and respected and even loved had left us separated from us because they started believing false accusations, in some cases outright lies. It's sad if you watch the news. We've been hearing about the bombing going on, about this huge explosion in Texas.

The murders and fights and wars are sad. And I get even more saddened, I think. Some of those are tragic, but when I think of the concerted efforts by some groups to undermine the morals and values on which this country was founded and by which it became great, and that's a sad thing.

Recently, we've had grief and sadness hit us in a more personal way here. You know, we've lost some good people that we wanted to have more time with. And it's sad because we know not only here, but in several congregations, there are older members and people with health problems, and we think the grief isn't necessarily over and done with. I've been praying that we'll have a respite, a good, long respite. But when we go through this, when we lose people or we just see sad events, it's natural for people to say to our Heavenly Father, God, why are you letting this happen?

And we might say, God, why don't you hear our prayers when we ask for deliverance, when we're asking for healing, for a miracle? Now, times like that, sometimes some people would even begin to doubt, is there a God up there? You know, was the faith unfounded? Now, I don't think that's a concern of people in this room, but it crosses everybody's mind at some time or another, earlier or later in the process of conversion. So, I want to spend some time on the subject. It's been forced on us, but it's something we should think about at times. And it's during times of grief and sorrow that we should strive to draw closer to God, and not allow our emotions to pull us away or separate us from Him. And that's not to say that strong emotions are bad. They're something God built into us. They're very good. But we certainly want to use reason and faith to guide those emotions in the proper channels and help us draw closer to God.

So, I want to spend some time today talking about suffering and sorrow, why we suffer, and how God can comfort us. So, I'm going to start on a more general basis. As long as mankind has been around, people have been asking the question, if there is a God who's all powerful, why does He allow such misery and horrible things to happen in the world? Now, I think most of us have studied that question. We can answer it, you know, because we searched into that when we first were called out of the world into the church. We've done so personally, and of course, the church has done its best to answer that question. I looked through my shelves and I found, of course, our current Bible study course has one full lesson to the subject of why God allows suffering. And this is a pretty poignant cover. And then I found the old one. This was from, as Mr. Warren says, the old worldwide days. Why does God allow suffering?

You've got that one. And I thought there might be some older ones, but I didn't come across them. So, it's not a subject that we haven't addressed. And we could say, and in short, why is suffering out there? Partly because God created mankind with free moral agency. He made us thinking human beings with the ability to decide what we'll do. Make choices. And God allows mankind to make choices and experience the consequences. Proverbs 22 verse 8, I'm just going to cite because it's so short, but it says, "...he who sows iniquity will reap sorrow." Now, and I said, I'm not addressed. That's not to cover all reasons why there's any suffering. That's an important one. Those who do so iniquity certainly reap sorrow. I thought that Sue was quoted her oldest brother, and I'm sure he didn't make this up, but her brother Steve Ward likes to use the phrase, if you mess with the bull, you're going to get the horns. And in essence, God says that to mankind.

But knowing that, for us, it's a lot easier to accept when we have a grasp of what we commonly call the plan of God. Now, that God's plan makes it easier to see why this happens, and it's outlined by the annual Holy Day cycle. We can start off by summarizing it briefly, and we were discussing beforehand how Mr. Armstrong would get a sermon that he would give sometimes two or three years in a row, or continuously, and this is one of the issues he addressed. How that after Adam and Eve, the first humans who were created, chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now, they had a choice tree of life. Let God set the rules and show you how to do things, or the tree of knowledge, and you try to decide for yourself what's good and evil. And when Adam and Eve chose that, God in essence said, okay, I'm leaving it up to you. You devise your own moral codes, your own religions, your own laws, and you'll reap the consequences of them. Now, we know God reserved for himself the right to work with some people. Now, a few people that he would call out and reveal himself and even give his Holy Spirit to, and order to accomplish his plan and purpose.

God also, at one point, then chose a nation of people. He raised up a nation from the descendants of one of those people that he worked with, the nation of Israel, and he revealed his law, and gave them a moral code, and said, this is how to do things. But he didn't give them his Holy Spirit, which, of course, demonstrated for all time, for all history. Everyone can look at that history and see, even if a nation has everything else, everything going for them, without God's Holy Spirit, and without submission to God, it's not going to work. You can't find the way to happiness. You won't get those ultimate blessings. All mankind lives under the simple truth that we see in Romans chapter 3 and verse 23 and 6 and 23. And again, you know those by heart. They tell us, everyone is sinned, and the wages of sin is death. So, in short, we could say, why is suffering and death exist for mankind? In large part, man brings it on himself. We all sin. We all deserve the death penalty. And anything that we get above and beyond that is, you know, is a great benefit, a blessing. Or some people say, that's all gravy. But our understanding doesn't stop there. Otherwise, this life would seem complete vanity. Of course, you can read the book of Ecclesiastes and discuss that. If this is all there is, as the Apostle Paul said, we are of all men most miserable. But we know this life here now is not. God allows bad things to go on in the world now.

Most people are getting the experience of a world led by Satan, lacking understanding of God's way.

But everyone will have the chance to have the exact opposite. Let's turn to 1 Corinthians 15 to remind ourselves of that. We call this the resurrection chapter because it provides more information in one place than anywhere else in the Bible about the resurrection. And it has some important information that we need to keep front and center on our minds. And as I said, this is a review. I think we all do have it. 1 Corinthians 15. I'm going to start in verse 19.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. That's the new King James. But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection from the dead. For as an Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, afterwards those who are Christed as coming. But then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father. When he puts an end to all rule and authority and power, he must reign until he's put all enemies under his feet. And the last enemy that will be destroyed is death. As I read that, I thought it struck me and it hadn't struck me this way before, but this in a few verses is an abbreviated version of the meaning of the whole Holy Day plan.

We know that Christ paid the penalty for sin, and by that only a resurrection from death is possible. And we celebrated the Passover recently reminding ourselves of that. And we know that then God, since that time, has been calling a few people now, calling them out of the world and giving them his Holy Spirit so that they can overcome, I should say, so that we can overcome, learn to overcome sin by the power of that Spirit and prepare for life in his kingdom. And the days of unleavened bread and Pentecost both cover aspects of that.

In due time, Jesus Christ will return to this earth. He'll raise up all those saints who had the Holy Spirit when they died. They'll reign on earth with him for a thousand years with Satan bound and put away and unable to cause any trouble. And the fall Holy Days cover that, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. And then that last Holy Day of the season encompasses one of the greatest things, and the one thing that sets our understanding apart from most other professing Christians. After the millennium and a general resurrection, everyone who's ever lived is going to be brought back to life in the flesh. They'll then have the opportunity to repent of their former way of life, live God's way with his Holy Spirit, and have happy lives. And that's the astounding meaning of that eighth day, the last great day.

Let's turn to Ezekiel 37 and read just a brief description of that. Because it is just amazing, and this picture is this happening to the descendants of the children of Israel. And Ezekiel 37 will begin in verse 12. This is the word coming to Ezekiel, and he recorded it for us. It says, Therefore prophesy, say to them, Thus says the Lord God to them, Behold, O my people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Eternal, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you out of your graves. I will put my Spirit in you, and you shall live. I will place you in your own land, and you will know that I the Eternal have spoken it and have performed it. Now, some would look at this and say, well, too bad if you're not a descendant of the children of Israel, but Revelation 20 shows us that while that focused on a certain group of people, God's plan is for everyone. Revelation 20, beginning in verse 11.

And I hope you won't mind if I'm going through this a little bit quickly, because, as I said, I think we've studied this and we know it. It does bear review. Revelation 20 in verse 11, and this, of course, is after that thousand-year reign, and Satan being put away, and then him being released for a brief time, and we can discuss that another day, but it says, Then I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. And the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works by the things that were written in those books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades, or the grave, give up the dead, and delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged according to their works. Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire, and that's the second death.

I'm going to stop there, because I want to make the point that the people were being judged then.

That means they're not being judged now. Those without God's Spirit, without that understanding, are not now being judged positively or negatively. We believe that at this time the books that are going to be opened are the books of the Bible, meaning they'll be opened to their understanding. With God's Spirit in them, people will be able to make an intelligent, well-informed choice of going God's way. They'll have a period of time to do so. We commonly believe that it'll probably be a hundred years. There's scriptures to indicate that. And we could say, this is why there's so much suffering in the world now. Because God's not working with most people at this time. They're subject to time and chance, to Satan's deception and the evil that he's foisted on this world. Just to make a reference to 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 4, it tells us, he's the God of this age. But we know from what we've just read, there is a time coming when God's going to take away that suffering. He'll give all those people the blessings that he always intended for mankind. And most people, having experienced the opposite, having lived under a world swayed and led by Satan, will be happy to accept God's way and his blessings then.

And as I said, that makes sense to us. I think we know and accept it. But we sometimes look and say, okay, since we're the called out ones and we have God's Spirit now, we're not left to Satan's control. Why do we Christians suffer? Couldn't God have made it differently? To make it so we don't have to go through the consequences of other people breaking the law or even what we do because we've repented? And you might remember, it hasn't been that long ago, in the days of Unleavened Bread, I asked that I think that same question in a different form and tried to answer it in a way that made sense. God did make it so we do have to overcome sin and the suffering that it causes. But he did that so that we could develop holy and righteous character. And this is because he didn't make us to be his pets. He didn't make us to be robots who just only do one thing. He made us to be his family. And he wants us to develop that character.

Being born into God's spiritual family as his begotten children is what our life and our calling is all about. And it seems that the suffering that's a part of the process we go through now is a vital part of it. Let's turn to the Book of Romans and see reads of one scripture. We'll look at two or three that support this interpretation. Romans 5 and verse 2.

Romans 5 beginning in verse 2. Though through whom we also have access by faith under this grace, in which we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And that's referring to Jesus Christ. But I wanted to make that point the hope. We have a hope. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance. And perseverance produces character and character hope. So one thing leads to another. It's part of a process, not something that God can just put in us. And hope doesn't disappoint because the love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. That hope that we have is the firm belief in knowing that there's something better ahead. Better ahead for us and for our loved ones who are no longer with us. And for everyone, really. Our experience of this life, of the suffering and even death, makes us learn deep down and really know that we don't want that result. We don't want anything that can lead to that. And it's interesting. Jesus Christ, even though he didn't earn any suffering because he never sinned. And I should make the point that we often suffer not directly as a result of our sins, but sometimes because of others and because of time and chance. But even Christ learned that example if we turn to Hebrews chapter 2. Let's read a couple scriptures just to remind us of this. And as I said, I'm going through this a little bit quickly also because I think we know these things. But, you know, when it's a time of sadness, it's good to remind ourselves of them. Hebrews 2 and verse 10, we're never alone in this. It was fitting for whom all things, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, and bringing many sons to glory, and that's us, to make the captain of their salvation, Jesus Christ, perfect or mature through sufferings. So Jesus Christ was made complete. And not that he wasn't complete before, he was God for all eternity. But in becoming the firstborn son of God to complete the process of being the first begotten, the first that would go through the process that we're going through, he was he completed that and included suffering. Let's go also to 1 Peter chapter 3. It's interesting, I wanted to emphasize that point of hope. We have hope. Whereas John is often called the apostle of love. He speaks of love a great deal in his epistles. Peter is referred to sometimes as the apostle of hope. He emphasizes the hope that sure confidence we have of something better. 1 Peter 3 and verse 18.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.

Now, I went there, I want to back up a page to chapter 2. They said Peter dwelled on the subject quite a bit. 1 Peter 2 and verse 19. This is commendable if because of conscious towards God, one endures grief. We have to endure grief. Suffering, suffering wrongfully. As I said, a lot of times we suffer not because we've done anything wrong. I wanted to make the point that sin causes suffering, but often we suffer and it's nothing to do with our sin or even anyone else's. But what credit is it if when you're beaten for your faults, you take it patiently. But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called. We were called to go through this process. That's part of why God called us out, so we can't expect it to not happen. Because Jesus Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow in his steps. And we do need to and want to follow his example. When we think of that, we should perhaps be more concerned if we don't seem to endure trials and difficulties in grief. Talking to Mr. Collins before services, even, you know, you know, he says, if it's not a health problem, then your car is breaking down. If it's not that, then it's finances. It's always something. But many places in the Bible tell us that this is part of that process of developing godly character that we have to have, but we're also reminded it's going to be worth it. We were in Romans chapter 8. Let's go back there. I'm going to pick up a little earlier than Mr. Warren did. Romans 8, beginning in verse 16.

The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and it's that Holy Spirit joining our spirit that makes us children of God. And if we're children, then we're also heirs, heirs of God, and join heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him. We suffer as Christ suffered, and it says that we may also be glorified together. We suffer as Christ suffered, but we're looking forward to glory as He did. And I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. Now, again, I think this makes sense to us. And we've all attended some funerals lately, and I've read some of these scriptures, so we know this and understand it. But I also want to make the point, then, that that doesn't make it easy. Understanding intellectually doesn't make it easy to go through the hurt and sorrow. It's tough, and it hurts. And sometimes it hurts a lot. I've got in my notes here, I haven't told you anything new today that you don't know, but I believe sometimes it's good to remind ourselves. But also, I wanted to then turn and focus on the fact that when this is happening, God's not off at a distance. During the time when we do this, I've been going through a lot of this in kind of an academic manner, to explain, almost as a mechanical process of manufacturing character that involves suffering. And that's true.

But we're people. We ache. We hurt. And sometimes when we're suffering, we don't want just someone to explain it to us. We want someone to help make it feel better. And to be honest, I think we have these feelings because God has them. God is a God who laughs and who cries, who gets angry. And it's not a coincidence. We have feelings and emotions because He has them. He made us to be His children.

So I think He knows how much we need comfort at times. And I think of this, there have been times in my life when I was sad and hurting. And during those times, I didn't always want someone to come on and say, buck up! This is making you better! I might have needed to hear that at times, but not always. Sometimes you need someone to just help you. Let's turn to Isaiah 61.

Isaiah 61. I wanted to read this because this is one of those cases where I think...

Well, I'll just say when I was first putting this together, I didn't have it in my notes. And then we were doing the in-home Bible studies this week, and I had made a reference to look over there. And as I read it, I thought, boy, that fits with that sermon I've been working on. Maybe God's trying to tell me that I should mention this. Now, Isaiah 61. This should look familiar because I believe it's in the book of Luke. We see Jesus Christ reading these words. It's that time where it says, He went to the synagogue, as was His custom, and He was handed the scroll. And He found in the book of Isaiah, and He reads most of this. But then He stops because it wasn't yet time for the day of vengeance. So let's read. It says, And now this is part of Jesus Christ's mission. The Spirit of the eternal God is upon me, because the eternal has anointed me, Jesus Christ, to preach good tidings to the poor. He sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, the day of the vengeance of our God. And He goes on, though, to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy from mourning, the garment of praise for the Spirit of heaviness, that they may be called tree of righteousness, the planting of the eternal, that He may be glorified. That one phrase, beauty for ashes, has always stood out for me, because it's poetic. But sometimes when we're feeling sad, we feel like we're ashes inside. And He says, I'm going to replace that. He says, I'm going to give you comfort, consolation. Now, it doesn't just happen in an instant, but it's nice to know God knows those feelings that we have. He wants to console us. And you all know my son, Connor, even though he's a toddler, he's a little more verbal than most kids his age. You know, he's very good with words. But I have to catch myself, just because he talks more doesn't mean he's more mature. He's still just a toddler. And so, he doesn't have the control of his feelings on maturity to understand things. Now, early on, I think this might go back almost a year, when he, you know, he does what kids do when they're hurt or they're upset, they cry. And he was getting in the habit of any time he didn't get what he wanted to start crying. Now, I didn't want to teach him that crying was wrong, because I think especially, some of us who are older, young men don't cry, big boys don't cry. But, you know, I didn't want to teach him that. But so, I would say, look, it's not okay to cry when you don't get your way. I said, it's okay to cry when you're hurt. It's okay to cry when you're sad. And as I said, I was teaching this because I wanted him to realize it's okay to cry in certain times. But it didn't, it surprised me, it didn't take so long for him when he would cry, not getting his way to say, I'm so sad. And I thought, okay, now that's enough to stop you on your tracks as a parent, to have your little boy say, you know, and like I said, he talks, you know, a lot of kids his age don't put it in words, but now I know what he's thinking. And he's saying, I'm so sad. Now, there are times I think he was trying to manipulate us to say he was sad to get his way. But, you know, it could be heartbreaking, because I think, you know, he's made sad by certain things that, you know, I don't see that way.

And there, where I see the parallel, because I think my relation to God the Father, I'm maybe as mature as Connor compared to him, probably not quite, you know, I'm probably younger than a toddler compared to God. But I thought, well, perhaps when I get sad, because God doesn't answer my prayers, you know, maybe my emotion seems to him the same way Connor's does to me, to some sense.

You know, God may say, okay, he might look at me and say, yeah, I know, understand that you are sad.

But I still can't give you what you're asking for right now.

You know, often, Connor, he's learned what ice cream is, and he'll ask for it. And sometimes, I have to say, no, we don't have ice cream for breakfast. Now, I think what he hears is the no, and starts crying. He's having trouble understanding, you know, that having ice cream when he first gets out of bed is not good for him, and it wouldn't help him in the long run. But later on, I'll give him ice cream. Now, and I said, this isn't the best analogy. So, I don't want anybody to think, well, you know, Duncan was taking things out of line. But, you know, I prayed very fervently that God would heal Mr. Luca of Cancer, and likewise, Anne Rourke. I prayed that he would cause Wanda Hal to wake up and know where she was and be able to communicate, perhaps for reasons that I don't understand. And I'm sure I don't understand the reasons, because I'm still looking at God saying, I sure wish you'd have done that. But He was saying, not now. And, you know, when I, I'm like Connor, I only got to know out of that. And so, I pray to Him and I say, I'm so sad.

And I think it's not wrong to be sad. In the same way, I don't reprimand Connor when he says that he's sad and say, you shouldn't be sad. I want to comfort him, you know. Sometimes I'll put my arms around him and give him a hug and say, I understand that you're sad. I'm still not giving you ice cream. But it's okay. And that's something I think it's good to remind ourselves that God wants to do that and will do that. And He has ways to help us. For one thing, He gives us each other.

And coming and being in a group of God's people can help when you're sad. He also puts His Spirit in us. And He gives us passages in the Bible that I think, and I'm going by my own experience. Some of them I found have been comforting. They didn't make everything go away, but it just sort of helped to hear them. I just read one of them in Isaiah that is comforting to me. Another one is in the book of Job. And we could spend some time there, but actually I want to set Job aside because I want to go into it in a sermon that I'm sort of in the early process of working for the future. But instead, I want to turn to a book that we don't read very often, and we're near there in Isaiah, from Isaiah. That's the book of Lamentations.

Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations because he was sad. It's all lament. It's a wailing and an expression of sadness. He was mourning over the conquest and destruction of Jerusalem and the nation of Judah. Now, we spent some time last year studying the book of Jeremiah, and we know that Judah had earned its fate. And also, besides the immediate sins, it was part of God's plan for the nation to fall and for the children of Israel to go into captivity for most of them to lose their identity. But that didn't stop Jeremiah from mourning and crying when it happened.

And I think it's interesting that God included that in Holy Scripture. So that tells me it wasn't wrong for Jeremiah to mourn and be sad, and to find a way to express those feelings. So it's certainly not wrong for us to do so.

There's something comforting about hearing the sadness, hearing a sad song. And it's funny, the song... there are several songs that I've listened to. I think, you know, I went through a period shortly after I graduated college when the girl that I thought I'd been in love with and sort of wanted to marry, we were on the rocks at times, and eventually she said, enough of you, I'm going to go with this other fellow that treats me better. And she made the right decision. But I was sad for a while, and I just about wore out one of my cassette tapes of Gordon Lightfoot, because he had some sad songs that made me feel better. And, you know, there's an Elton John... Elton John wrote a song about this, and I can't remember the title, but the chorus goes, turn them on, turn them on, turn on those sad songs. When our hope is gone, a sad song says so much. But it's kind of contradictory, because it's a really upbeat, happy song, but it's talking about how the sad song can make you feel better. But I think much of the book of Lamentations can be like that. Now, much of it focuses on the fate of the nation, but if you go to chapter 3, it focuses in on that personal hurt of an individual. Matter of fact, let's start with the first verse.

I don't know if Jeremiah meant this to be himself or a general everyman type person, but Lamentations 3 verse 1, it says, I am the man who's seen affliction by the rod of his wrath, and that his wrath, I think, is God. He's saying, I've known affliction by God's wrath. He's led me and made me walk in darkness and not in light. Surely, he's turned his hand against me time and again throughout the day. Now, that sounds pretty grim, but I want to move ahead to verse 20, and I want to read several scriptures here. And I've turned to this. It was pointed out to me when I was a student in college, and at times when I've been sad, I've read this and said, yeah, okay, I'm sad now, but other people have been sad, and there's still hope. It said, My soul still remembers and sinks within me. This I recall to mind, though, I'm putting in the dough, therefore I have hope. Through the eternal's mercies, we're not consumed, because his compassion fails not. They are new every morning, and great is your faithfulness.

God's compassion is new. There's something about the coming up of the sun. If you make it through the night, you're a little closer to being in God's kingdom when that sunrise comes the next day. The Lord is my portion, says my soul. Therefore, I hope in him. The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It's good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the eternal. It's good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth. As I said, I was introduced to this when I was a youth, so I'd say, I told myself, okay, it's good, you know, let him sit alone and keep silent because God has laid it on him. Let him put his mouth in the dust.

There may yet be hope. And putting your mouth in the dust is about as low as you can go, but then he said, there may yet be hope. That, as I said, that helped me a lot at times.

Even when we're devastated, you know, whether or not we brought any of it on ourself, it's good to know our Heavenly Father wants to comfort us. Just like a little child might be devastated, you know, perhaps when he's crying because he wants to go outside in the yard and play with that pretty kitty cat that has a white stripe all down its back with the black.

And, Daddy won't let him go outside and play with what looks like a kitty cat, you know, but Dad still wants to comfort him when he's so sad about that. God wants to comfort us. Let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians. This is part of Paul's introduction to the book, but I like the way he words this. He says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies, and God of all comforts.

I paused and I thought, that's one of God's titles. Or, some would even say one of God's names is God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

And I think all of us have been in that situation, especially I know I'm in an older audience here where you've all suffered and been able to use that to help others. And sometimes you can't give an explanation, but you can just say, I've been there. And I know and I remember, it's funny, I still remember it well. I was beginning my sophomore year in college when my mother passed away, and I was sad.

And my resident assistant in college just came one morning and he just came and talked with me and told me about some things in his life and about things that had made him sad before. And somehow, just knowing that he felt that way and gotten better again made me feel better. It still took time, but it helped.

Let's go over to John chapter 14. I want to emphasize that one of the ways that God does comfort us is through His presence in us, His Holy Spirit. And I think we might know that anyways, but it's interesting that the choice of wording that Jesus Christ used when He's introducing the idea of the Holy Spirit to His apostles. Because if you remember later, well, matter of fact, I think I'm going to read the scripture where He says, it's been with you, it's going to be in you. John 14 and verse 16 says, I'll pray the Father and He'll give you another Comforter. The original King James says Comforter.

And the new King James, they chose the word Helper. They're both accurate. The Greek is Pericles. But I like the fact that the Holy Spirit can be called a Comforter, that it will abide with you forever. The Spirit of Truth, which the world can't receive, because it then sees Him nor knows Him, but you'll know Him. It will dwell with you and will be in you. The Comforter dwells in us.

Let's go down to verse 26. But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, it'll teach you all things. Bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. And then He says, Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled. Neither let it be afraid. So we can have the peace of God through that Spirit, the Comforter in us. And I think it's interesting, because He lists being afraid, but He also says, Let not your heart be troubled.

Two separate things that the Holy Spirit can help us through. And lately our hearts have been troubled. As I said, we've lost loved ones, but all we have to do is turn on the evening news. Or now you don't have to wait for the evening news. You can pick up a newspaper. You can go online, and it's one thing after another. It's troubling. But God's Holy Spirit is a Comforter.

If you don't mind, I'd like to read another passage of Scripture. As I said, I've got two or three that when I've been in sort of the dark times, they sort of help. This one's in the Psalm, Psalm chapter 27. Psalm 27, and excellent. I'm going to go ahead and read, I think, about all of it.

And then there's a good version of this put to music if you want a more upbeat. But I remember Roger Bryant used to sing this song based on this, and boy, it was stirring. But I want to read it in a more Assyria or somber tone. It says, The Lord, the Eternal, is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. My life's strength is from Him. Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and my foes, they stumbled and fell. And though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war may rise against me, and this I'll be confident. One thing, I have all the things in the Word, said, one thing I've desired of the Eternal, that I will seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. And one thing we say, God's Church is His house, His temple, because the Spirit is in us. And we're not looking for short-term, we're looking for all the days of our life. We want to be there through eternity. To behold the beauty of the Lord and inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble, He'll hide me in His pavilion. And in the time of trouble, God will take you in, put His arms around you. In the secret place of His tabernacle, He'll hide me. He set me high upon a rock. That picture is not up on a rock, exposed to the weather, but up on a high and a safe place. And now my head shall be lifted above all my enemies all around me. Therefore, I'll offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle. And I'll sing, yes, I'll sing praises to the Lord. As I said when I've read this at times when I'm sad, I notice it's the future tense. I'm going to sing praise. I'll get to that point again where I can sing and be happy, even if I'm not there now.

Hear, O eternal, when I cry with my voice and have mercy upon me and answer me. When you said, seek my face, my heart said to you, Lord, your face I'll seek. So don't hide from me. Don't hide your face from me. Don't turn your servant away in anger. You've been my help. Don't leave me or forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me. I like that phrase. Even when your father and mother, your nurturers, the people that brought you into the world, when they leave you, and I don't like to think of forsaking, but remember, I found this when I was, as I said, only a 22-year-old man and I'd lost my mother.

And I thought, and my parents had been divorced when I was three years old. So I, you know, I thought, now I've lost my father and my mother, but I have God there. He would take care of me, and He always has. Now, it hasn't prevented me from going through suffering. I'll often brought on myself, not always, but He's there. He said, when father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take care of me. And therefore, I could say, teach me your way, O eternal. Lead me in a smooth path because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and such has breathed violence. I would have lost hearts, unless I believed. If I didn't know this truth, I might have lost heart, that I would have seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the eternal. Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage, and He'll strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. Now, as I said, these words, they don't make grief and sorrow disappear, but I think they can help us to cope and carry on. We know that there's suffering in the world, and that doesn't mean that there is no God, but we rather realize that God's plan requires that suffering be possible. We also realize that there's a time coming as part of God's plan when He'll put an end to that suffering. Not only for those who know Him now, but there's a time coming when He's going to put an end to everyone's sorrow. But in the meantime, we grieve. We do mourn. But we can call out to our Heavenly Father at times like these, and we don't need to pretend that we aren't hurting. As I said, I'm fairly certain He hears, and He feels it deep down. If we have to say like Connor tells to me, you know, I'm so sad, you know, I'm still upset, He'll say.

I say that to God. Matter of fact, I've started saying it sometimes to Him. And I say, God, you know how I feel when Connor says that to me? I'm telling you, I'm upset. But our God is the God of all comfort, as Paul wrote. He's there for us. His Holy Spirit is the comforter. His words promise relief and comfort in due time. As for, we want to do what we read at the end of Psalm 27. Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage. And He'll strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord.