Finding Strength in God’s Comfort and Love

Shared on December 1, 2024

Some of us may be struggling to find the strength to push ahead, but we must not stop moving forward. Join Pastor McCrary in this week’s Sunday School lesson so that you can learn how to always find the strength to endure, no matter the season.

Lesson Introduction

Many of us may be struggling to find the strength – the hope – to push forward today.  It’s in such moments where you and I need to seek God’s comfort.  You see, there is strength in God’s comfort and love.  God will renew your strength and He will lift you up!

This week’s lesson is the first lesson of the winter quarter.  The winter quarter is titled – “Love in Action”.  The unit of lessons for the month of December is titled – “Love of the Father”.  Love, as we will see, is not simply a word that you say, but rather, love is shown through one’s affection, tenderness, and care.  The beauty of God’s love is that His love is unmerited – He just simply loves because love is who He is— God is love.

Isaiah’s Prophecy

This week’s lesson will be coming from the book of Isaiah.  The prophecy of Isaiah took place at an interesting time in scripture.  Isaiah 1:1 tells us that his vision came during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.  To be specific, Isaiah 6:1 tells us that Isaiah was called the year that Uzziah died.  

The period of time Isaiah prophesied was interesting because it covered a period where Israel – the northern kingdom was overcome with sin.  During that stretch of time, Israel was conquered by the Assyrians.  What about Judah, the southern kingdom?  

According to the time frame given by the kings he lived under, Isaiah prophesied for at least 50 years.  His prophecy began when Uzziah had gone bad, but then he would live during the good years of Jotham and Hezekiah who were both good kings.  Yet, his prophecy concerning Judah was one that was dire.  Isaiah had seen what became of Israel and saw hints of what led to Israel’s fall during the reign of Ahaz.

What stands out a great deal about Isaiah’s prophecy is how far into the future his prophecies were.  For example, in the selected scripture for our lesson this week, Isaiah prophesied about Judah’s eventual fall to the Babylonians well before it happened.  What Isaiah’s prophecy goes to show is that God has a plan that is not a “in the moment” plan.  God’s will is well crafted – it is holy and divine.

An Offer of Peace

So, let’s understand that a future day was in mind for what is written in Isaiah 40:1-2.   Comfort was for God’s people and Isaiah was to also speak comfort to Jerusalem, the city, because “her warfare” had ended and her iniquity had been pardoned.  This opens up a few questions for us.

Jerusalem’s warfare

Let’s first start off with Jerusalem’s warfare.  We would likely think that this warfare was between Jerusalem and the Babylonians, but there wasn’t really even a battle!  Babylon easily defeated and conquered Jerusalem and left it in desolation.  So, Jerusalem had been at war but with who?

Let’s make a note that God was the one declaring that Jerusalem’s warfare had ended.  Let’s make a note that God was the one that declared her iniquity had been pardoned.  So, the implication is very clear that God and Jerusalem had been at war with each other.  

So, how would a city be at war with God?  It would certainly be because of the people that live within it and how they choose to live.  For example, Sodom and Gomorrah are two cities we know went to war with God because its inhabitants lived sinfully.  We just had a lesson recently where the Lord sent Jonah to Nineveh because its wickedness had come before God.

Such a thought of cities being at war to God because of how its people choose to live would be a concerning thought.  As we know, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because the people chose sin.  God relented from bringing disaster to Nineveh because they repented.  I do believe cities and even nations can rise and fall due to how its inhabitants choose to live.

In Isaiah 1:10-13, God warned Judah to stop bringing their futile offerings to Him.  God saw their offerings as futile because the people had chosen sin over Him.  God’s warning was an opportunity for them to turn back to Him but they chose to live sinfully and waged war against God.  So, judgment was brought upon them in the form of Babylon.  

Jerusalem’s sin pardoned

Now, what’s interesting here is that God said, “her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”  Two things:  what did Jerusalem do for her iniquity to be pardoned?   What is meant by Jerusalem receiving double for all her sins?

In Isaiah 40:3-4, we see reference to the voice of  “one crying in the wilderness” preparing the way of the Lord and preaching how creation will exalt Him.  This is a prophecy of the forerunner of the one through whom the “glory of God shall be revealed (Is. 40:5).”  

The one through whom God’s glory was revealed to the world is God’s only begotten Son— Jesus Christ.  The forerunner of Christ was John the Baptist.  John the Baptist would one day acknowledge him as one that cried out, “Prepare the way of the Lord (John 1:22-23).”

What’s interesting about this is that after 70 years in exile, the people returned to Jerusalem, but their warfare with God still had not ended.  You see, after their exile, for a short period of time, the people committed themselves to God as shown in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.  However, they fell back into their old ways of sin and their conflict with God was perpetuated.

So, God would have to judge Jerusalem again since they perpetuated their sin?  If God chose to repeat that same action, since sin is so ingrained in man, man would’ve just sinned again.  So God would choose to go with one end-all-be-all to His warfare with Jerusalem, which would also serve the same for all of mankind’s sin.  

To end wars, there is typically a peace treaty made between two warring parties. Now, what can man offer to help make for peace with God?  Man could say, “I won’t sin again, Lord’ but that would be a lie.  So, mankind doesn’t have anything it can bring to the negotiating table.  

So, God offered the one through whom His glory would be revealed – Jesus Christ.  Considering man has nothing to offer to make peace with God, this goes to show how much God desired to make peace – to bring the warfare to an end.  This also speaks to God’s grace considering that man would never defeat God and that God could easily wipe out man.  As Peter noted, Jesus was given because God doesn’t want anyone to perish (2 Pet. 3:9).  

So, Jerusalem received double for all her sins because not only was she judged through the Babylonians but Jesus gave up His life there for her.  Jesus is the reason why Jerusalem is no longer at war with the Lord today.  Jesus is also the reason why none of us who are of sincere faith are at war with God today. 

Accept God’s Peace With Humility

Sadly, too many people make light of God’s comfort and love.  As many of us have found rest in God’s comfort and love, there are many more who are at war with God today.  Are there still towns and cities that are at war against God today?  I certainly believe so.

What’s truly sad about this thought is that there are many who actually believe they are doing well against God.  There are many that boast about not having faith in God and being “more blessed” than those who pray, worship, and believe in God.  The common error of this mindset is to think such a war is physical.  

The parable of the rich ruler and Lazarus should be a warning sign for those who believe that their wealth is their blessing.  In Luke 16:19-31, the rich man, after his life ended, found himself being in torments in Hades.  When he looked across the gulf to the other side, he could see the beggar, Lazarus resting comfortably in Abraham’s bosom.  The lesson:  no matter what you gain down here, it will mean nothing if you have not made peace with God by turning away from sin.

There are many who need to check their pride and ego at the door.  In fact, they need to cast their pride and ego far behind.  In Isaiah 40:25-26, we will see where God calls on such humility.  The Lord calls on man to recognize who created all things and is able to call everything by name and all respond in obedience.  

We shouldn’t make war with God as war with God only hurts man, not Him.  When we choose to go our own way, rather than God’s way, disaster is inevitable.  However, when we choose God, we enter into harmony with Him and live in fellowship.

Strength in God’s Comfort

Living in fellowship with the Lord should not be taken lightly.  To live in fellowship with God means that you live in an intimate relationship with the Lord.  This means that God is always with you in good and in bad.  

To those that think that there shouldn’t be any bad for those that dwell with God, tribulation is a part of life after sin.  Trials and tribulation is how we grow to be ever better people that walk by faith.  Trials and tribulation is what helps to carry out our calling of uplifting others.

We find strength during those times by resting in our fellowship with the Lord.  Scripture tells us that God gives power to the weak, and to those that have no might, God strengthens (Is. 40:29).  Without God, the world would absolutely consume us.  Yet, though we will have tribulation, Christ promised that we will overcome because He has overcome all things (John 16:33).

So, rather than trying to depend on our own strength, we are encouraged to wait on the Lord who will renew our strength and lift us up to be able to move without growing weary (Is. 40:31).  Let us remember that we have a friend in Jesus.  Let us remember that God does not desire for us to be destroyed as this is why He made peace with us in the first place.

So, there are a couple of things that some of us need to do right now in this moment so that we can push forward.  First and foremost, we need to enter into fellowship with the Lord if we haven’t done so already.  Secondly, in our fellowship, we must learn to lean on God rather than trying to lean on our own strength and might.  The only thing we will end up doing is wearing ourselves out by doing that!

I feel I need to remind you that God is in control.  I feel I need to remind you that so long as you are living in harmony with the Lord, everything will be OK.  God will shield and protect you.  In your times of trouble, God will comfort you and He will lift you up.