Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1940-04-25


GOLDEN TEXT-God is our retus.
and strength. q very present helm T.
trouble.-Psalm 48:1.
Comfort We. comfort We NV
people. saith the Lord" knowing a,
He alone can the great heart sob
of sorrow. pain. and disappointment
which arises to Him from His
people everywhere. No study O,
Gods Word which omits His tender
word of comfort Is in any sense com.
plete. No teacher or preacher who
fails to bring that message to bis
people Is declaring the full counsel
Of God. No more appropriate pas.
sage could be chosen for presenting
that truth than Isaiah 40.
The prophet spoke to people who
were experiencing the bitter treat.
ment Of their enemies. They wers
facing the devastation of their coun.
try and the deportation Of its people
into captivity. In such a desperate
day one might say that there could
be no true word of comfort, but
there was. and that word may well
encourage US to look up in this our
confusing day. The Comforter Of
Israel is ready to be our comforter
I. The Source Of Comfort wv. IS.
God Is our refuge and strength"
Cps. 46:D. Behold your God" lisa.
40:9). Comfort We. saith your God"
". u. He Is ''the God of all com
FORT (H Cor. 1:3. The astonishing
thing is that mankind is so prom.
to seek comfort elsewhere, turning
to God only when everything els.
fails rather than going to Him first
Of all
His comfort Is abiding, for ii rests
on q removal Of the source of all
pain and sorrow. namely sin. Ths
day Of Judah's comfort is to come
when her ''iniquity Is pardoned"
". q. That is also the first step
for US to take in seeking comfort
to repent and forsake our sin, seek.
ing pardon in Christ.
The one who brings us Gods com.
fort Is Jesus Christ. Verses 8 to s
speak Of His coming. John the Bap.
fist was the voice and 1t was jesus
for whom the way was to be pre-.
pared (see Luke $40. Jesus Is
the Lord Jehovah. God Himself, the
Son Of God. and the bringer Of Gods
comfort to mems troubled hearts.
It is He who is revealed in this pas.
sage In all of His glory and grace
ii. The Need Of Comfort wv. $50.
Man thinks he is great. wise. pow.
erful and able to take care of him.
self. william Henley expressed it In
his 'Invictus.''
II am the master Of my fate,
lam the captain Of my soul"
But God says, MAN Is as grass"
and declares that when ''the spirit
Of the Lord bloweth'' on him he
fades and withers. We know that
Gods witness Is true. Boast as hs
will In the hour Of prosperity and
strength. man knows In his heart
that when he faces the real issues
Of life he is utterly impotent, NEEDY
and undone. Gerald Massey spoke
more truly than William Henley
when he said, t r.
surrounded by unnumbered foes
Against my soul the battle goesI"
The man who has come to the end
Of himself and who realizes that
there Is neither in him nor in hi,
fellow mortals the strength to meet
lfe's struggles is ready for the min
istry Of God in Christ, forgiving
cleansing, strengthening and com.
forting. He has come to realize that
the grass withereth, the flower fad.
eth, but the word Of our God shall
stand forever" ". 81.
III. The Way Of Comfort wv. Gid.
Good tidings were proclaimed
even in that dark hour of Judah's
history. We have good tidings for
our day as well. Let us declare
them from the mountainous. Lift
up your voice with strength and do
not be afraid Here Is something
to shout about, Behold your God"
The prophets holy enthusiasm had
two excellent grounds. First, he
tells US that God is strong. He will
come with strong hand, and his arm
shall rule for him." Here is com
fort with assurance because God Is
strong. He is also loving and ten
der. His strong arm is used to gath.
er the lambs to His bosom and to
tenderly lead His sheep. Gentleness
Is the attribute not of weakness but
OF strength. Gods strong men and
women are His gentlemen and gen
tlewomen. They. like their Lord, are
loving and kind, using their strength
not to destroy or to impress Others
but to help the weak, to bring COM
fort In the name of Christ.