How can the Bible bring comfort during a difficult time?

What a comfort lies here for all about whom the storms of trouble sweep! The Lord is with them, and every sorrow may be laid at His feet and every difficulty told to Him. That life which appears to have the least sorrow has its difficulties and burdens, and none of us have sufficient wisdom or strength to deal with these. But He is sufficient for little trials and for big, and so precious are we to Him that He will never abandon us. Only let it be realized that the grace of God brought Him down to us, not only to save us, but to abide with us, and that He is ever by our side to support and succour us and to sympathize with us, and it will change the aspect of every sorrow and produce the song where the sigh has been. It is the realization of His presence that can lead the saint of God to say, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for THOU ART WITH ME; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me" (Ps. 23). And if "He has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me" (Heb. 13:5-6).

What a comfort lies here for all about whom the storms of trouble sweep! The Lord is with them, and every sorrow may be laid at His feet and every difficulty told to Him. That life which appears to have the least sorrow has its difficulties and burdens, and none of us have sufficient wisdom or strength to deal with these. But He is sufficient for little trials and for big, and so precious are we to Him that He will never abandon us. Only let it be realized that the grace of God brought Him down to us, not only to save us, but to abide with us , and that He is ever by our side to support and succour us and to sympathize with us, and it will change the aspect of every sorrow and produce the song where the sigh has been. It is the realization of His presence that can lead the saint of God to say, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for THOU ART WITH ME; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me” (Ps. 23). And if “He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” we may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Heb. 13:5-6).

What a comfort lies here for all about whom the storms of trouble sweep! The Lord is with them, and every sorrow may be laid at His feet and every difficulty told to Him. That life which appears to have the least sorrow has its difficulties and burdens, and none of us have sufficient wisdom or strength to deal with these. But He is sufficient for little trials and for big, and so precious are we to Him that He will never abandon us. Only let it be realized that the grace of God brought Him down to us, not only to save us, but to abide with us, and that He is ever by our side to support and succour us and to sympathize with us, and it will change the aspect of every sorrow and produce the song where the sigh has been. It is the realization of His presence that can lead the saint of God to say, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for THOU ART WITH ME: Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me" (Ps. 23). And if "He has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me" (Heb. 13:5-6).

Reader, art thou in any difficulty? Is there any pressure upon thee? Art thou anticipating, with nervous apprehension, some formidable evil? Is thine heart trembling at the very thought of it? It may be thou art like one who has come to the far end, like the apostle Paul in Asia, "Pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life." If so, beloved friend, accept a word of encouragement. It is our deep desire to strengthen your hands in God, and to encourage your heart to trust Him for all that is before you. "Fear not;" only believe. He never fails a trusting heart — no, never. Make use of the resources which are treasured up for you in Him. Just put yourself, your surroundings, your fears, your anxieties, all into His hands, and leave them there.

Well, we would not compare one text with another where all are from God’s Word, and the expression of His people’s confidence in Him, and as such comforting. There is the infirmity of human nature, and in this our great High Priest has sympathy, and no one need chide himself or herself if a certain amount of fear and apprehension possess the heart during those times of stress, if only in the fear there is a turning to the Lord to find a refuge in Him. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” Happy man, happy woman, who has this experience; happier still if this leads to a deeper acquaintance with God so that in quiet confidence in Him they can really say, “I will trust and not be afraid.” For let us remember that it is also written, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusts in Thee.” And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will surely garrison that heart and mind that is careful for nothing, but which in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving makes its requests known to God (Phil. 4:6-7).

But it is just here that our grand substantial fact presents itself to the vision of faith, and flings a mantle of light over the whole scene. Things looked gloomy, no doubt; but God was to be counted upon by faith, and faith could count upon Him. God is a never failing resource — a great reality, at all times, and under all circumstances. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. There is a river, the stream whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." (Ps. 46:1-7)

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." A refuge is a place to flee to from impending and known danger. A sinner's fleeing for refuge to Christ implies a sense of imminent danger: He is everlasting security from impending judgment; He is the true city of refuge from the avenger of blood (Num. 35:13, etc.). He is also the strength of His people in their conscious weakness. He does not always deliver us out of our troubles, but sustains us in them, and carries us through them, which is far better, and enables us to say in our feeble measure, "Even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight" (Matt. 11:26). Mary and Martha could never have known the present sympathy and resurrection power of the Lord Jesus Christ if they had not experienced the death of their brother. It was when sickness, death, the grave, and corruption, had each done its worst and seemed to have robbed them for ever of their beloved one, that the Lord stepped in, and showed them Himself as they had never before known Him. The sisters had sought the Lord in their trouble, and such is always its effect where there is real faith. Blessings tend, because of what we are, to elate us; and we run off with them to enjoy them, and forget God. Trouble brings us to our knees. It is good when our blessings also have this effect. See the beautiful example of this in Gideon (Judges 7:15). He did not rush off elated to tell the hosts of Israel the cheering tidings he had heard, but first worshipped, ere returning to the host. God was a very present help to him in his trouble; and such was the effect. But the Psalmist goes on to say "Therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea" etc.

If bereavement enters the home, the God of all comfort is near with everlasting consolation. If difficulties beset our path, want stares us in the face, we know not which way to turn, then our resource is in God, that God of whom Paul speaks, “who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver; in whom we trust that He will yet deliver.” Hitherto God had cared for him, Paul found Him all-sufficient, a very present help in time of trouble; “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee” was his confidence for the future. Paul’s God is ours. He is the unchanging One, His mercies are inexhaustible: “My God shall supply all your need.”

We may feel how dependent we have been on a human presence and an earthly voice — but God, even our God, shall bless us and give us to feel that the "everlasting arms" are around us, and that "in His presence there is fulness of joy." Waves of sorrow and a sense of loss may beat upon our hearts in almost overwhelming power, but He still treads the waters of affliction, and beneath His feet the storm is stayed, and furious winds of trouble and raging waves of fear all sink to rest when He says "Peace, be still." He comes in the watches of the night, and we hear Him say "It is I, be not afraid." We sorrow, but "not as others that have no hope," for the foundation of our hope is in Him Who has said, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." The future we can and must leave with Him.

Having considered that chapter and learnt the lesson of subjection to the will of God in the midst of these trials, let us go on to chapter 23, for in it there shines the light of a sure and wonderful word. “He will swallow up death in victory: and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces … for the Lord has spoken it” (v. 8). Here is the second lesson. It is the lesson of HOPE. The Christian’s career does not end in disappointment and gloom, but in triumph and glory. “Our light affliction which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” What a prospect! What a hope! Our great and glorious God will celebrate His triumph over death, and we shall have our part in that triumph. Death—dark king of terrors—will be swallowed up, will utterly disappear in God’s victory. In that the power of God, His greatness and glory will be demonstrated, but what of His tenderness of heart? Could any words more beautifully describe this? “The Lord God will wipe away all tears from all faces.” It is a wonderful word, a consoling word, for what our God will be then He is now, and in lowly subjection to His will we may learn the tenderness of His heart. Like a mother when she gathers her weeping child to her bosom and gently wipes his tears away, so is our God, and though our brightest earthly hopes have crashed about us, and “the earth is empty and waste,” we have this “God of all comfort” as our God and the sure and certain hope of the fulfilment of this great word.