The Soul’s Medicine During a Global Pandemic

Now is the time for the reading and preaching of God's Word, and it's my joy and honor to introduce my friend Eric Raymond.

Eric is quite an accomplished pastor.

He's authored several books, including one entitled Chasing Contentment, Trusting God in a Discontented Age.

And he writes regularly for blogs and websites that I follow, like Nine Marks, Gospel Coalition.

He has a blog entitled Ordinary Pastor that's hosted by the Gospel Coalition website.

He is actually a Massachusetts native but moved to Nebraska because he was with the Air Force and came back to serve as the lead pastor of Redeemer Fellowship Church in Watertown.

I don't know how he finds the time for all the stuff he does, especially with six children, right?

Undoubtedly, he has an excellent helper in his wife, Christy, who's also here with him.

It's an honor to meet you, and I'm glad that you guys could all join us.

But more than any of those things that I've just mentioned, what impresses me the most about Eric is he's a faithful pastor.

He's a faithful, humble, local church pastor, as you can tell from his blog title, Ordinary Pastor.

And he's brought together a group of pastors in the area, and we're calling it the Charles River Pastors Network.

And with his leadership, that's been outside of our local church leadership team.

That's been the single most encouraging group that I've been a part of, extra local, but in this area.

So I'm really grateful for his leadership in that and for his example.

And so I'm really excited for you guys to meet him, to hear from him.

I'm really excited to hear from you, Mike.

So thank you, Eric.

Please come up and preach for us.

Thank you.

Well, thank you very much, Sean.

It's certainly a privilege to be with you guys tonight.

Thank you for the opportunity, and we rejoice with you at the birth of your new baby.

We're grateful to God for his blessing.

And I just want to, on behalf of Redeemer Fellowship Church in Watertown, just want to say we are grateful for you and your witness as a church.

We pray for you guys regularly.

And we're just so thankful for the fellowship in the gospel that we have together as brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's go ahead and turn in our Bibles to Psalm 94, the 94th Psalm.

And this will be the scripture reading for tonight.

I want to read the whole Psalm, and we're going to focus on one verse mainly tonight, and that is verse 19.

So if you go ahead and turn to Psalm 94.

I want to read the whole Psalm, and then pray, and then we'll consider God's word together.

Let's hear God's word.

O Lord, God of vengeance.

O God of vengeance, shine forth.

Rise up, O judge of the earth.

Repay to the proud what they deserve.

O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?

They pour out their arrogant words.

All the evildoers boast.

They crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage.

They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless.

And they say, the Lord does not see.

The God of Jacob does not perceive.

Understand, O dullest of the people.

Fools, when will you be wise?

He who planted the ear, does he not hear?

He who formed the eye, does he not see?

He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?

He who teaches man knowledge, the Lord knows the thoughts of man.

They are but a breath.

Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord,

and whom you teach out of your law,

to give him rest from days of trouble,

until a pit is dug for the wicked.

For the Lord will not forsake his people.

He will not abandon his heritage.

For justice will return to the righteous,

and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Who rises up for me against the wicked?

Who stands up for me against evildoers?

If the Lord had not been my help,

my soul would have soon lived in the land of silence.

When I thought, my foot slips,

your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.

When the cares of my heart are many,

your consolations cheer my soul.

Can wicked rulers be allied with you,

those who frame injustice by statute?

They band together against the life of the righteous

and condemn the innocent to death.

But the Lord has become my stronghold,

and my God, the rock of my refuge.

He will bring back on them their iniquity

and wipe them out for their wickedness.

The Lord, our God, will wipe them out.

This is the word of God.

Let's pray.

Our Father, it is our prayer tonight

that you would take the reading of this word

and bless it to our ears,

and to our hearts, and to our lives.

Help us now, we pray, to hear this word,

hear the scriptures,

for they are life to us.

We pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

As I mentioned, I want to focus on verse 19.

What we have in this verse here

is an abundance of cares

and sufficient consolation from God.

We have a psalm here

where the psalmist is enduring

some season of difficulty.

We're not sure precisely what it is.

It doesn't lay it out for us.

But we can be sure that the opposition

was directed at him personally

and in large part because of his faith in God.

That's this contrast between the wicked

and the righteous.

And really, what's helpful about this psalm

is that the precise circumstances

are not important for us to nail down,

to take application from it.

But rather, we can see how God helps him

amid his difficulty.

And what we'll see tonight,

really as our main point,

is that God consoles his children

amidst swelling concerns.

God consoles his children

amidst their swelling concerns.

And we see it in verse 19.

When the cares of my heart are many,

your consolations cheer my soul.

So it's really three progressions for us

in seasons of uncertainty.

And these progressions begin with the problem.

The overwhelming concerns.

The prescription,

divine consolations.

And the prognosis,

personal contentment.

So we'll see those three tonight.

First, the problem,

overwhelming concerns.

We see in verse 19,

he says,

when the cares of my heart are many,

this word that's rendered cares

could be worries.

So he could be saying,

the worries of my heart are many.

Or the anxious thoughts of my heart are many.

You get the idea.

It's what's heavy upon his mind.

It's what he wakes up thinking about.

What he goes to bed thinking about.

What occupies his mind

as his brain goes into neutral.

It's a disquieting concern

that he can't get off of his mind.

And for the psalmist,

likely there's some degree of personal attacks

that he's dealing with.

But really,

what issue he's facing

that really exacerbates the problem

is not primarily the issue

that he's facing with people,

but rather the issue

that he perceives

that God is not doing anything about it.

What really seems to vex him

is that he wants to see God act

in the midst of it.

And the lack of action,

according to his perception,

causes him to be discouraged

and even have anxiety multiplied.

And that's what ends up tying him in knots.

We see in the first seven verses

where he's making the case for God to act.

He's petitioning God.

He's calling him a God of vengeance.

And he's asking him to judge

and to deal with those who are proud.

In verses one through three,

he's basically saying,

God, you're a judge

who punishes those who do wrong.

And in then verses four through seven,

he's laying out the case for them

and their need for punishment.

He's talking about arrogant words,

evildoers,

crushing the people,

afflicting your heritage.

They're attacking those who you love.

They kill the widow.

They murder the fatherless.

And they even mock God

to say that the God of Jacob

does not see.

This is brutal stuff.

The psalmist's question is,

why isn't God doing anything?

There's many concerns.

Notice even the plural.

When the cares of my heart are many.

Multiple cares, many.

Swelling concerns.

I wonder if you can relate to the psalmist.

Many concerns.

Do you have any concerns?

Perhaps a concern to go with

every hour or every minute of the day.

Swelling concerns,

like bees buzzing around the head.

Insects that won't leave you alone.

These concerns that just seem to weigh on you.

Do you find it difficult

to collect your thoughts

and process through burdens?

Do you have any concerns tonight?

Do you have anxieties and fears?

Kind of expanding fears,

expanding anxieties,

crowding together.

Very difficult to subdue and rule them.

They just dominate.

We know really across the world right now,

with COVID-19,

there's swelling fears.

Constant concerns.

There's a spread of a virus.

There's health for yourself

and for others.

We're constantly hit with numbers

of cases and deaths,

spread, rates, hospitalizations.

We're always reminded of the stats.

And even the news anchors

and the news articles

and the websites

just seem to,

if you might be not having an anxious day,

seem to just throw gasoline on the fire

and cause it even to fan into a flame

of more anxiety and more concern.

There's economic impact of the virus.

There's political concerns

as a result of it.

There's anxiety multiplying

throughout our time.

That's just one issue

that happens to be served up to us

right now

that causes

a collective,

global swelling of concerns.

But then even in our lives,

I've been in pastoral ministry

to know that

in most churches,

there's relationship issues

even within the church

and within extended family

and friends in workplace.

There's relationship burdens

that we have.

We have friends that have suffered.

We have friendships

that have suffered.

We have people that have died.

Some have died

in the midst of this COVID time.

And it's very difficult

for people to grieve

and say goodbye

to family and loved ones.

There's wayward children

who grow up believing

and then walk away

from the faith.

Then there's personal concerns.

Your future,

school,

work,

marriage,

where the church is going to meet.

When is it going to go back to normal?

All of the things that we want.

These swelling concerns

that come up.

And then personal depression,

anxiety,

bitterness over the past,

uncertainty over the future.

And then there's the spiritual concern.

Guilt over personal sin.

What do I do with my sin?

Is God angry?

What about these evil thoughts

in my mind

or impure thoughts

that circle through the mind

like gnats?

Or anger or frustration

or doubts about God?

Or feeling personally

far from God

like God is withdrawn?

Hard time reconciling

what's going on in the world

with what we read in the Bible.

These are just examples

of swelling concerns

that could fill out

our personal prayer list

before the Lord.

And as of yet,

we're not intending

to solve the problem.

We're just trying to show

the commonness

of swelling concerns

at this point.

When the concerns

of our heart are many,

what do we do?

Well, that's the problem.

Overwhelming concerns.

Now, what do we do about it?

That's the prescription.

The verse says,

when the cares of my heart

are many,

the overwhelming concerns,

what is the prescription?

It is divine consolations

or sacred care.

This is the prescription.

If you have swelling concerns,

according to the psalmist,

it's divine consolations.

We need God

to care for us.

We're intended to see

the medicine

that handles

the sickness.

You see how it's

side by side

in verse 19.

Cares of my heart,

your consolations.

Many cares,

many consolations.

It's as if

there is a consolation

in God

for every one

of our swelling concerns.

This is an outstanding statement.

It's a bold statement

that God is able

to console

the cares

of every one

of his children.

Well, think about this.

The psalmist

is endeavoring

in this psalm

to understand

his circumstances

in light

of God's character.

See, this is a problem

we face often.

So often

when we get into

this analysis

of swelling concerns,

we're dealing

with the concerns

of our circumstances

or things

that are in our mind,

we look through

the lens

of our circumstance

and we see

God's character.

And we say,

based upon what

I'm dealing with,

God must be like this.

So for example,

if things are difficult,

we might feel like

God doesn't love us

because we expect

things to be easy.

So through our circumstances,

we look at God's character.

But the Bible teaches us

to look a different way.

Instead of looking

at our circumstances

and making judgment

upon God's character,

we're to look at

God's character

and then judge

our circumstances.

So we should evaluate

our circumstances

in light of the character

of God

and not the other way around.

Because when we do that,

we're always going

to have trouble.

And that's what

the psalmist teaches us

here in the psalm.

He goes to God

as the source

of His consolations,

His character.

And what are some things

that we see about God?

Well, in general,

just in thinking about

dealing with concerns,

we need to be reminded

of the fact

that God is sovereign.

God is in control.

The coronavirus

may have caught

the World Health Organization

by surprise,

the CDC,

the President

of the United States,

and many of us,

but it didn't catch God

by surprise.

He's sovereign

over everything.

He's in absolute control.

Psalm 115, verse 3,

Psalms 115:3

Our God is in the heavens.

He does whatever

He pleases.

Isaiah 46.10,

He declares the end

from the beginning.

From ancient times

to things not done,

saying,

My counsel shall stand.

I will accomplish

my good purpose.

But not only is God

sovereign,

but He's also good.

I'm sure you see

the need for God

to be good

as well as sovereign.

If He was just sovereign,

He might be

a malevolent dictator.

But He's sovereign

and it's paired

with His goodness.

So His all power

is combined

with His all goodness.

Psalm 119, verse 68

Psalms 119:68

says,

You are good

and you do good.

Teach me your statutes.

For you, O Lord,

Psalm 86.5,

are good and forgiving.

O give thanks to the Lord

for He is good.

Psalm 107, verse 1.

Psalms 107:1

He's good

and He's sovereign.

He's also faithful.

He keeps His word.

If He makes a promise to you,

you can take it to the bank.

You can trust it.

You can cling to it.

Like an oak

that will not be moved,

God is trustworthy.

Psalm 25, 8, 9.

Good and upright

is the Lord.

Therefore He instructs

sinners in the way.

He leads the humble

in what is right.

We know the verse,

Romans 8, 28,

which says,

We know that for those

who love God,

all things work together

for good.

For those who are called

according to His purpose.

So God is a God who cares.

He's sovereign.

He's good.

He's faithful.

And we need to remember

these things

when we are dealing

with swelling concerns.

And that's what we end up

seeing from the text

is that the psalmist,

in the midst of his

pleading to God,

he finds himself instructed

and he's grabbing a hold

of God's character.

And what he's clinging to

is God's word,

His work and His worth,

who God is.

And he makes it very personal.

Did you notice when we read that

how many personal pronouns

he used?

He's dealing with himself

and the Lord.

Look at verses 16-19.

Who rises up for me

against the wicked?

Who stands up for me

against the evildoers?

If the Lord had not been my help,

my soul would have lived

in the land of silence.

When I thought,

my foot slips,

your steadfast love

held me up.

When the cares of my heart

are many,

your consolations cheer

my soul.

Verse 22,

but the Lord has become

my refuge

and the rock

of my refuge,

my stronghold.

So we see that God's care,

His goodness to His people.

And He does it in surprising ways.

These might be not ways

that you would think about God

caring for His people,

but it is in fact

what the psalmist grabs onto.

In verse 12,

He says,

blessed is the man

whom you discipline.

An evidence of God's care

for His people

is discipline.

I'm sure you can think

of a passage

in the New Testament

that teaches this,

Hebrews chapter 12,

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

that teaches us

that God loves His children

and He disciplines us.

One of the ways

that shows that He actually

cares for us

is He doesn't let us

ruin our lives

and the life of everybody else.

He cares for us

and disciplines us

like a loving

and faithful father.

And that's what the psalmist

is grabbing onto.

Blessed is the man

whom you discipline,

even Himself.

And then He teaches us.

Verse 12,

the second half of it,

He teaches us

out of His law.

He teaches us

from the Scriptures.

These are good gifts of God.

These consolations of God.

Verse 13,

He gives rest

in the days of trouble.

Those who are weary

and heavy laden,

He gives rest

for their souls.

Here in anticipation

through the pages of Scripture,

but ultimately

in Jesus Christ

He gives us rest.

He's also faithful.

Verse 14,

you will not forsake

His people.

This is the consolation

as He's dealing

with this swelling concern.

He's reminding Himself,

God loves me.

He disciplines me

because I am a son.

He teaches me His law.

He gives me rest.

He's faithful.

He will not forsake me.

Even verse 15,

justice will return

to the righteous.

He will vindicate you.

He's reminded

that God's going to care

for His people

and absolutely vindicate Him.

Verse 16,

He defends His people.

Who will rise up

for me against the wicked?

Who stands up for me

against evildoers?

The answer is God.

God will do this.

See how He's consoling Himself

upon God.

It's as if His soul

is restless,

but He's laying upon

the pillow

of God's character

and He's being consoled

and saying,

this is who God is.

this is what I need

to remember.

He's being brought back

to health

through His contemplation

of God.

Verse 17,

If the Lord had not been

my help,

my soul would have lived

in the land of silence.

He's reminding Himself

that God has helped him.

Has God helped you?

Has God been your defense?

Has God proven

His faithfulness to you?

Has God given you rest?

Has He taught you

from His Word?

Has He disciplined you?

Then verse 18,

He's the sustainer.

When I thought my foot slips,

your steadfast love,

O Lord,

held me up.

We're basically like,

we're like toddlers

walking on ice.

And God is like

the loving Father

with His arms

underneath our arms

helping us to move.

We'll make a hash

of everything.

But God is faithful.

And He's being reminded

that I didn't slip

not because I'm so good,

but because God is so good.

And because He's so faithful.

The consolations

of God

are cheering His soul.

And then verse 19,

He's the consoler.

When the cares of my heart

are many,

your consolations

cheer my soul.

They console

like a crying baby

that's been consoled

and cared for

by her mother.

That is the psalmist.

And even further,

you have God's character.

He's no ally of the wicked.

He will never partner

with lawless.

It says in verse 20,

the wicked rulers

cannot be allied with you.

He's a refuge

for His people.

Verse 22,

the Lord has become

my stronghold

and the refuge.

My refuge.

And He's the judge.

He is going to vindicate

His character.

Verse 23,

He will bring back on them

their iniquity.

He will wipe them out

for their wickedness.

There are limitations

to human justice,

but there is no limitation

to divine justice.

Everyone will stand

before Almighty God,

the judge,

and give an account.

You can take it to the bank.

He will vindicate

His righteousness

and judgment.

You may not see them

judged in this life,

but you will see them

judged in the age to come.

And that should console you

when you see evil people,

wicked people,

people who do great harm

to people,

oppressed and injustice

and hurt people,

go through life

and seemingly get off

scot-free.

They don't get off scot-free.

They will stand before

an Almighty judge

and that consoles

the psalmist.

It's not that God

has forgotten.

It's that God

is forbearing.

And there is a time

coming when He will

judge everyone.

And that reminds them

that God is good.

So you have the blessing

of divine care

for Him individually.

You have the blessing

of God's character.

And so in the midst

of this whole season

where He's working

through this difficulty,

He's reminded

that the preciousness

of God's consolations

is not in the absence

of difficulty

but in the promises

of God.

See, listen,

we oftentimes think

that if things are difficult,

that means that God

is angry.

Or if things are hard,

that means things

are not going the way

they should be going.

That's because we like

things to go easy

and we want things

to be comfortable.

But we just have to look

at the Lord Jesus Christ

and know that that's not

the way it works

even for the faithful.

Oftentimes,

difficulty comes to us

for the purpose

of strengthening us

and making us

more like Christ.

To endure suffering well.

The psalmist would not

have known God's consolations

if he had not felt

the provocations

around him

and the roaring sea within.

He's brought to be

consoled by God

because his soul

is disquieted

in the midst

of difficulty.

In other words,

your comfort in this world

is not primarily

an easy path

but a faithful God.

Your consolation

is God himself,

not an easy life.

If you're equating

God's love for you

with the absence

of difficulty,

you end up distorting

what the Bible says

about God

and what it says

about us.

And if we do so,

even subtly,

we are nibbling

at the hook

of the prosperity gospel

which teaches

that this life

is all about

our personal prosperity

and if we don't

experience that,

there's something wrong

with God or us.

That's a lie from hell.

Look at Jesus

and see what he went through.

We know that he was

the most faithful man

who ever lives.

Think of the hymn,

Fear not,

I am with thee,

O be not dismayed,

for I am thy God

and will still give thee aid.

I'll strengthen thee,

help thee,

and cause thee to stand

upheld by my righteous,

omnipotent hand.

He's with us

in the midst of it.

It wasn't ease

that made him smile,

but God's preciousness

to him.

Remember Herod

in Acts chapter 12,

Acts 12 · chapter mention

he was scared

sitting on his throne,

but the apostle Paul

and Silas

were singing in prison.

On the one hand,

Herod had a guilty conscience

and he was terrified.

Paul and Silas

had a clean conscience

and they were rejoicing.

It's all about your respect

to God

one way or the other.

So what are some

practical examples?

Let's just think about this.

How do you practically

do this?

How do you take this medicine

on the day-to-day?

How do you do that?

We don't want to let anxiety

or fear live rent-free

in our head

where we're just constantly

going in this place

of anxiety and fear

and this constant

swelling concerns

of our hearts.

We want to be the landlord

of our mind.

We want to take

every thought captive

as 2 Corinthians chapter 10

2 Corinthians 10:5

verse 5 says

in obedience to Christ.

Take every example

you can think of

and take it

in obedience to Christ.

Is there suffering?

Take it into

obedience with Christ.

Think of this

the whole COVID crisis.

What is the root concern

that everybody has?

The root concern

is not contracting

the virus.

The root concern

why people are

freaking out

and so upset

is people are scared

to die.

That's the issue.

We're scared to die

as a people.

That's enslavement

to a fear of death.

Hebrews chapter 2

Hebrews 2 · chapter mention

tells us that

in verses 14 through 18.

But the reality is

for the Christian

he says that he has

freed us

from slavery

to a fear of death

through Jesus Christ.

Or anxiety

about the future.

We trust in God

who's in control.

Jesus tells his followers

in Matthew chapter 6

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

basically take a walk

and look at the birds.

see them neither

laboring or toiling

but they're fed.

God knows how to

take care of the birds.

He can take care of you.

Is it grief or sadness?

Remember that this God

according to Psalm 56

Psalms 56:8

verse 8

he puts our tears

in his bottle.

He doesn't have a literal

bottle where he catches

our tears

but it's a way of

communicating that

God is near to you

in the midst of your sorrow

gathering up your tears.

He loves you

and cares for you.

This is our God.

Is it doubt

over your own acceptance

with God?

Is that the cause

of the anxiety?

Do you believe

in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Have you trusted in him?

Is he your Savior

and Lord?

Then he's yours.

He's your Lord.

He's your Savior.

If you trusted in him

if you turned from your sin

your sin is gone.

And listen to Romans 8

trying to nail this down

for us

verses 31 through 34

what shall we say

to these things?

If God is for us

who can be against us?

He who did not

spare his own son

but gave him up for us all

how will he also

not with him

graciously give us

all things?

Who will bring a charge

against God's elect?

It is God who justifies.

Who's there to condemn?

Christ Jesus

is the one who died.

More than that

who was raised?

Who is at the right hand

interceding for us?

As the hymn writer says

that soul

that on Jesus

has leaned for repose

I will not

I will not

desert to his foes.

That soul

though all hell

should endeavor to shake

I will never

no never

no never

forsake.

That soul

that leans upon Christ

will never forsake.

So isolate

the source fear

that is causing

the raging concerns

and take the proper medicine

the divine consolation

find your rest

in God.

And then we see

the results

the prognosis

personal contentment.

You see swelling concerns

you see divine consolations

and then finally

personal contentment.

What I think is so interesting here

is that most of our concerns

that you and I have

are external to us.

We worry about all kinds of things

of natural life

and that's fine

that's right

God cares about these things

but the solution

to dealing with

most of our concerns

is internal.

God works from the inside out.

The medicine is applied

to the heart

the soul.

It's the storm

on the inside

that needs quieting

first

before the outside.

Just like the sea of Galilee

Jesus speaks a word

of peace

to our hearts.

You see the phrase

in verse 19

when the cares of my heart

are many

your consolations

cheer

my soul.

This word

cheer

means to delight

or have pleasure.

It expresses refreshment

and satisfaction

it's another word

for contentment.

It's even used

in Isaiah 66 12

to describe the care

that a mother

provides to a restless child.

Listen to Isaiah 66 12 and 13

For thus says the Lord

Behold I will extend

peace to her

that is his people

like a river

in the glory of the nations

like an overflowing stream

and you shall nurse

and you shall be carried

upon her hip

and bounced on her knee

that is the word

cheered

bounced upon her knees

as one whom the mother

comforts

so I will comfort you

you shall be comforted

in Jerusalem.

This is how God

deals with his people.

In the midst of

swelling concerns

the divine consolations

cheer the soul

like a baby's

crying eyes

go to laughing

on the mother's

bouncing knee.

The look of affirmation

love

care

acceptance

providing love

and just

being close

to one's mother

takes the swelling

concerns

to cheer

and that's what Isaiah

is saying

look at a mother

console her child

and see

that's how God's

consolations

cheer his people.

This is how God

deals with us.

This is superior

comfort

to our

issues.

See food

may nourish the body

wine

can cheer the heart

music

soothes

the ear

art

can captivate

the eyes

sleep

refreshes

the body

but the only

thing

that consoles

the heart

and soul

is the

consolation

of God.

That's the only

thing

that ultimately

brings rest.

And you know

if we think about

the Lord Jesus Christ

we could see him

in the midst

of this verse

when the cares

of his heart

were many

your consolations

cheered

his soul.

Do you remember

Jesus in the

garden of Gethsemane?

There when he

told his disciples

to pray

and he goes

and he said

his soul

was distressed

and dispirited

to the point

of death

and he fell

upon the ground

and he pleaded

with his father

pleading with him

to take the cup

of wrath

which was going

to be the judgment

upon our sin

which he was going

to bear.

He said

if it is your will

will you allow

this cup

to pass for me?

Nevertheless

not my will

but your will

be done.

In the midst

of great agony

in the garden

Jesus is faced

with the agony

of the cup

but his consolation

is ultimately

in the will

of God

and nevertheless

not my will

but your will

be done.

He rests

in God's will

in his character

as the swelling

concerns of his heart

were many

he was cheered

even by the will

of God

and that's what

we end up reading

in verses 1 and 2

of Hebrew.

Look to the Jesus

the founder

and perfecter

of our faith

for the joy

that was set

before him

endured the cross

despised the shame

and is seated

at the right hand

of God.

Jesus is the model

of being consoled

by God

and the joy

set before him.

He's also the motivation

for us to live

in that way.

We look at Jesus

the one who lived

for us

died for us

and was raised

on the third day

and we see him

in the way

that he bore up

under such anguish

and we're reminded

that God cares for us

because of what Christ

has done

and we find ourselves

clinging to him.

He is the consoler

for the weary soul.

We find our rest

in him.

We can be content

in God

because he supplies

our need.

So in the midst

of a pandemic

of fear,

anxiety,

and uncertainty

the soul's medicine

is God himself.

His consolations

cheer our soul.

So I trust

that today

and this week

in the midst

of constant alerts,

bad news,

difficult phone calls,

tough conversations,

personal,

spiritual,

relational,

physical issues,

that your reflex

is going to be

to worry

and to be filled

with anxiety

and just march

and step

with everyone else

that's filled

with anxiety.

But I trust

that you may remember

by God's grace

the kindness

of the Holy Spirit

if you be reminded

of this verse

that when the cares

of my heart

are many,

your consolations

cheer my soul.

Your soul

can be cheered

by divine consolations.

May God

be pleased

to make that so

this week

for all of us.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Our Father,

we are very needy

people

and we thank you

that our neediness

finds your sufficiency.

Everything we need

and we lack

you have provided

for us in Christ.

Christ.

And so we thank you

for your wonderful grace,

your patience,

and your mercy.

And we do pray

that in the midst

of this time

in particular

that we would find

ourselves resting

upon you

and your consolations,

your character

and your commitment

to your people.

Forgive us

for the ways

in which we turn away

and we reflect

the old nature

and demonstrate

an unbelief

and a lack of faith.

We pray that we

would wear out

a new path,

one that goes back

to Christ

and we find

our rest in Him,

the one who is gentle

and lowly

and humble

and welcomes us

with a light burden

and a yoke

that is easy

to give rest

for our souls.

I pray that we

would rejoice

in our Lord Jesus Christ

and we would cling

to your Word.

And I pray, Lord,

for this church,

Trinity Cambridge,

that you would use

the people of this church

to be an encouragement

to one another,

to remind one another,

to speak the truth

and love,

reminding each other

of the divine consolations,

to cheer the souls

in the midst

of swelling concerns.

And I pray

for a faithful witness

to those outside

of Christ

in the church

to speak the good word

of the gospel

where one might find

hope and peace

in the midst

of their own

swelling concerns.

Thank you

for your sufficiency

in the midst

of our weakness.

Thank you

for your love

in the midst

of our great need.

We pray

in Jesus' name.

Amen.