Comfort My People

Comfort My People

Isaiah 40

1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. How?

2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her,

· that her warfare is accomplished, Death has been defeated. Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

· that her iniquity is pardoned: In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Ephesians 1:7.

· for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.

How is it that we are to comfort God’s people; each other? The same way Isaiah did, with the word of God. God offers hope through His word as given here through the mouth of Isaiah.

Isaiah 40:3-8 – the coming hope, the Hope of Glory; Messiah.

For us, “… Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29.

Behold Your God: to behold God is to have true peace and comfort.

Isaiah 40:9-11 – the coming of the Good Shepherd.

Isaiah 40:12-17 – the magnificence of God.

Isaiah 40:18-27 – the foolishness of idols.

Isaiah 40:28-31 – the faithfulness of God offers us all hope.

The simple knowledge of these things should bring anyone comfort.

There is hope to be had by all. If we possess this hope, we ought to use it to comfort to one another.

On the issue of comforting God’s people from the NT side of things:

Romans 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. [Love God, love people].

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18.

So, what are we to do to comfort God’s people? Remind them of the promises of God. Remind them that God said, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11.

Ultimately, the way we comfort one another is through prayer.

That is our purpose in meeting on Wednesday nights, to pray.