Comforting Words

 

This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life. Psalm 119:50

 

Years ago we visited a church. It was early in my own Christianity and I had not studied Psalm 119.

The Pastor clearly compared the man who stands in the pulpit telling stories and jokes, rarely relating them to the Word of God, with the man who gives an exegetical or phrase by phrase (or word by word) teaching of a passage. He mocked the story teller and praised the preacher. He made it clear that the “Shepherd” who cares for his flock will do more than tell stories and pointed to Psalm 119 as the reason to listen to the man who exegetes the Word of God for the benefit of his congregation.

There are so many people in our churches who are hurting and need the truth of the scriptures. We also meet them in our offices, schools, grocery stores, etc. People all around us are suffering in one way or another.

Lately I have gotten into a couple of discussions about how to encourage or build up other believers who are going through difficult times. “Don’t spout scripture” is what we’re told. I am trying to  balance the difference between this advice, coming from people who have spouted scripture and, in doing so, added pain rather than comfort to a situation, and what Psalm 119 says about all that the Word of God will do for us.

Why is it so painful to hear the word of God? I am seeing at least my own problem with it in spite of my love for doing it! Speaking for myself, pride and pain are the answers I come up with.

Pride because believers who have studied the Bible at all or who listen to good sermons, know the truths of the scriptures. When another believer reminds us of those verses with the intention of comforting or guiding our thinking we feel like she has missed the point, she thinks we need to know a basic truth.

In my pain I am looking for some sympathy or empathy. “There, there, dear, it’ll be okay.” Or, “I know this is hard.” Though I know everything will be fine in the end, it doesn’t feel good right now and I need someone to acknowledge that things can be hard and God has not abandoned me.

The Bible tells us that Jesus showed compassion on the crowds. He recognized they were sheep without a Shepherd. I guess the point of those who feel we should never “spout scripture” to someone in pain is that we should try to express compassion for the pain first. Though we may not give chapter and verse, when we are compassionate we are giving Biblical help.

The Word of God does offer the greatest help we can offer anyone. Timing is everything and attitude is important. Maybe, what we are really saying is that it is not a great idea to “spout” scripture to someone in pain for the same reason that we can’t reason with an alcoholic when they are drunk. The pain keeps them from hearing the intent of the words, they hear what they believe is the judgment of the words.

God gave me that sermon on Psalm 119 as we were moving from a story-telling church to a Bible preaching church, just when I needed to hear it. “Spouting” scripture isn’t a bad thing, the Word of God IS good for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. Compassion and sympathy may be the very things that create the path for the Words that will bring the most comfort.