FROM CHAOS TO COMFORT 

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:12)

It is inevitable that storms will stir up chaos in our lives. As I often say from the pulpit, each one of us is either in the middle of a storm, coming out of a storm, or on the verge of going back into another storm. Chaos is simply a part of life on this side of the grave. Yet we can find great comfort in our seasons of chaos because of the One who is with us in every storm we face.

Our passage today comes from David’s prayer of repentance after having been confronted by the prophet Nathan for his dreadful sins. You will remember that David seduced another man’s wife, got her pregnant, and schemed to cover it up. When that plot failed, David arranged for her husband to be killed on the battlefield. This was a storm that stirred up chaos in David’s life and in the lives of many others, and David was solely responsible for all of it.

This is not always the case, of course. Some storms are a result of our rebellion, but others are simply a result of the brokenness in our world and in each other. But either way, chaos will come, and the only way through it is to cry out to Christ for the comfort only He can bring.

David’s plea for forgiveness was a plea for comfort. David’s plea for mercy was a plea for comfort. David’s plea for cleansing was a plea for comfort. And what was “comfort” for David? It was a restoration of the joy of his salvation. Do you remember when you were first saved? Do you remember the overwhelming joy you experienced? If you were saved as a child and cannot remember a particular experience, surely you can remember a time when you experienced the joy of salvation—the joy of walking closely with God through the details of life.

If you find yourself in a storm of your own making, do as David did and confess your sins. You will be on your way to restoring the joy of your salvation. And if you find yourself in a storm that God has sent for your good and His glory, do as David did and ask that God would grant you a willing spirit to rise above the waves of challenge. No matter the circumstances, Christian, know that your father in heaven delights in giving good gifts to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:11). He will sustain you from chaos to comfort.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!