고난 중의 위로라 ㅣ 시편 119:49-50 ㅣ The Comfort In My Affliction l 2026.9.27 l 주은혜교회 ㅣ 최호년 목사

Last week's message was from Psalm 119, the first message titled "I have hidden your word in my heart." The psalmist continually longs for the Word, and as mentioned last week, what does 'lev' mean? Yes, it means heart in Hebrew. What is the heart? It is the deepest part of human existence, the center. It is the core of humanity, where our personality, intellect, spirit, and being reside. The psalmist wanted to store God's Word there, to hide it, to receive it, and to hold onto it. There were three reasons for this, and I wonder if you remember them. [Laughter] Oh, you were prepared for me to ask that? [Laughter] The first reason for wanting to hide the Word in the heart is holiness; spiritually, it is about wanting to become beautiful. It is about wanting to be spiritually beautiful. That is holiness. It is the dislike of sin. But I cannot overcome sin by my own strength. I need to sow the imperishable, unwithering, and unfailing Word of God in the soil of my heart to become holy. So, I want to be holy. The second reason is joy; it is simply because it brings joy. The third reason is love; it is because I love. Now, today, I have included the remaining three titles under the theme of suffering. In fact, as you know, Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible among the 66 books. But openly, the theme is the Word, and it is suffering. There is significance in that, right? The longest chapter is about the Word, yet the theme is human suffering. We may not know all the details of the suffering, but there were those who committed injustices. Yet they live well. That is the problem. They say they have forsaken God's Word. Yet they live well. These people are proud. They slander and mock the righteous. That is their life. That is the reason they live. They gain pleasure from persecuting, mocking, and slandering the righteous. They hate without cause. They also suffer persecution without reason. In such suffering, the first reason for wanting to hide the Word in the heart is that the Word brings comfort. In verse 49, it says, "Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope." This is a precious verse. When suffering is too hard, I truly want to die. But faith exists, and God gives hope at every moment. Even when I want to end it all, God gives me vision and grace at every moment. He gives me hope. I live through the Word. In verse 50, which is the theme of today's sermon, it says, "This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life." Those who long for the Word, do you know why you long for it? Of course, it is for the glory of God. But those who have been revived by the Word must listen carefully. Those who live by the Word in suffering cannot let go of it. But those who have not experienced this find the Word to be just okay. It can be there or not. However, among the 150 psalms, many of the lament psalms express heartfelt cries before God, and when we read these lament psalms, we find various themes. One of them is that God does not take away suffering. God does not remove the wicked. This verse is not about praising God after all suffering has ended. It is about praising God in the midst of suffering, where suffering still exists, where the wicked still exist, and where persecution still exists. In that context, they praise God. They do not receive answers from God and proclaim the Word. Suffering still exists. They do not live because suffering has disappeared. They are not revived because of that. You must meditate on the Word carefully. [Gasp] If only this suffering would go away, I think I could live. No, suffering will come again, and the mountains of suffering will overflow. [Snort] What revives me is that the Word has revived me. Suffering still exists. Look at verse 25: "My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word." Do you know what it means for the soul to cling to the dust? How can the soul cling to the earth? This is a situation. This is extreme pain and suffering. It means I have reached the point of death. My soul clings to the dust and cannot be released. It is death. This is a very poetic expression, but the earth represents death. Death goes to the ground. It is not just that. Look at verse 28: "My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word." Have you ever seen a soul melt? In Korean, we say "my insides are burning." Yes, it feels like my soul is melting because it is so hard. But in the midst of this, it is the Word that has revived me. Look at verse 71: "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes." Here is my question. I want to learn God's Word without suffering. I want to learn God's Word without suffering. But that does not happen. I really like the verse from Philippians 1:29. Let's read it out loud together: "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake." This is a prison epistle. The Apostle Paul wrote this while in prison. But the grace that God has given you is a gift. He has given you two gifts. The first is the gift of faith, which is to believe in Jesus. We wish we could just have that. God, just give me faith. If you give me faith, I think everything will go well. No. The other gift He has given you is that you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake. This is the same message as in the psalm. It is good for me that I was afflicted. Why? Because through suffering, I cling to God's Word, and through that Word, I come to life. Ah, I need to hold onto God's Word. The Word gives me life. God gives me life. Our church, 주은혜 (Grace of the Lord), is now celebrating its 10th anniversary. [Snort] But the congregation has never asked me, "Pastor, how did you come up with the name 주은혜?" You haven't asked, right? I still remember 10 years ago, when Elder Bae and the congregation were gathered in an apartment with a whiteboard, listing down the names suggested by the members. I remember there were about five or six names. Thankfully, the name I suggested was chosen. Where did that name come from? As we started the church, I wanted to know what kind of church it would become. One day, God made me curious about how the last chapter of Revelation ends. So, I wondered how the Bible ends. In Revelation 22:21, Jesus says, "Surely I am coming soon. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" And the last verse is the final verse of the Bible. Here, I received grace: "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all." This is for the churches. This is for the congregation. At that time, I received this Word: "God, we are just starting, and I do not know what kind of suffering will come to our church in the future, but Revelation is about suffering. Because of faith in Jesus, people are losing their heads, being burned, and thrown to beasts." In that situation, God gave grace and allowed the Apostle John to see the living Jesus. He showed him the heavenly church and the last days. He was comforting him. He was comforting the saints in suffering through the Word. So, at that time, I felt, "Lord, may our 주은혜 church truly be a church that prepares the way for the coming of Jesus, a church that can comfort those who are suffering, a church that can bring life through the Word, a church filled with Jesus." With that heart, I suggested the name, and as a pastor, I was heard, and thus, 주은혜 church was established. I thank God for that. Look again at Philippians 1:29: "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake." Here, a question must arise. You may have certain characteristics, titles, and reasons for the sufferings you are currently facing. But you must examine whether the nature of that suffering is truly for the sake of Christ. This Word: "For the sake of Christ." For the sake of Christ, I will give you, you, and I will give you a gift. It is not first for you. It is not for us. "For the sake of Christ, I will give you a gift, the first is faith. For the sake of Christ, I will also give you the gift of suffering." That is it. So, we must think about whether the nature of our suffering is truly suffering we encounter for the sake of Christ. Is there a trace of Jesus in my suffering, or is it suffering that I have gained from my greed and desires, simply living for myself? Think about it. It is different. Verse 50: "This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life." God does not immediately take away suffering. He does not take away the wicked. He does not take them away immediately. In the midst of suffering, the Word that gives me life becomes my comfort. That is why I wanted to hide the Word in my heart. The second reason is that the Word guides me in suffering. It leads me. Verse 18 says, "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." You see, [clears throat] my eyesight is not good. But I find that I need to take off my glasses to see things up close. If I take off my glasses, I can see the shape of Deacon Yoo Young-kyu, but I cannot see him well. This is physical sight. But there is also spiritual sight. It certainly exists. However, there is no test for spiritual sight. There is no test that says your vision is 2.0, 1.5, or very poor. I apologize. You need surgery. I apologize. You will go blind in a few years. There is no such spiritual test. But when the Word is opened, one thing is certain: the eyes are opened. That is why missionaries go. They come to the beautiful land, to the ends of the earth, to a country called Korea, and they die there. They may not even have the chance to share the gospel of Jesus. Why? Because their spiritual eyes are opened. In the midst of suffering, what must we open? Of course, we ask God to make us prosperous. We ask Him to grant us success. We ask Him to open doors for our businesses. We ask Him to bless our children. Yes. But truly, we must know God, understand His will, and ask, "Lord, what is your will? Please let me see the wondrous things of God." Verse 19: "I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me." What does a sojourner truly need? A guide. A place to stay. A place to live. Where should I go? Where should I stay? I asked my son, who had been away for three months, "What did you like?" When he came home, he said, "Dad, I don’t have to worry about where I will sleep tomorrow, and that is so nice." What do sojourners truly need? What do pilgrims truly need? They need a home. They need food. But today, the Word says that I will follow the Word. Verse 32: "I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart." This time, I do not just ask for my eyes to be opened. I ask for my heart to be opened. Please enlarge my heart. Truly, please enlarge my heart. Can a person's heart be enlarged? Yes. A person's heart can become a highway. Conversely, a person's heart can also become very narrow. Look at Psalm 84:5: "Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage." In America, one of the good things is that you can drive freely. I find that I enjoy driving more than I expected. But when you have to stop and go, it becomes annoying. However, in America, the land is so vast that if you set your mind to it, you can drive continuously without stopping. Sometimes, I think about that. There are times when I think, "How nice it would be to just drive alone and go to Ni." I haven’t done that yet. But there are times when I feel that way. There are times when I just want to drive freely. It feels good, right? For those who choose to follow God's Word, God opens the way for them. He opens their eyes, ears, hearts, mouths, and opens the way through His Word. Verse 10 is a verse you know very well: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." At that time, there was no electricity. Imagine going into a completely dark mountain. Imagine it being completely dark without even a moon. Imagine it being completely dark without even starlight. It is truly dark. Think about it. God's Word guides you step by step. But sometimes, we say, "God, I want to see far." Yes. If you want to see far, there is only the cross. But sometimes, God hides it. Why? Because it is better not to see. Sometimes He shows it, but sometimes He does not. Step by step, how do we go? We go by the Word. What is the destination? It is the cross and resurrection. This is the life of faith for sojourners and pilgrims. But how do we get there? How do we arrive? It is through the Word. Verse 130: "The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple." You know what is difficult as we live through the week? It is so hard to open the Word. Amen. You say amen, right? We can open many other things easily, but when it comes to the Word, it takes a lot of effort to enter and open it. And when we do open the Word, suddenly we become busier. When we listen to the Word and meditate before God, more work comes. When the Word is opened, God truly gives grace. "When your Word is opened, light shines, and it gives understanding to the simple." It is guidance. Verse 176: "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments." We do not have time to go through the entire Old Testament. But remember one thing: Why did they wander for 40 years in the wilderness? It was because of the Word. You must remember this. Why did they wander for 40 years? It was because they did not listen to the Word. God humbles His children and sometimes lowers them until they obey the Word, until they recognize that they are servants and not masters. What is the phrase the psalmist often uses to express his identity? He often says, "I am your servant." It is life when the master speaks. This is being a servant of the Lord. He turns them until they obey the Lord's Word. Recently, I had a prayer time with a family, and when I shared this, please do not think, "Who is it?" and try to find out. There are people like that. "Who is it? Tell me." Please do not do that. Recently, I had a prayer time with a family. They said, "Pastor, if I had not had the Word during my suffering and tribulation, I would not have survived." They shared that with me. [Snort] And in the past, when they fought, they would say, "I am not going to church." [Laughter] But now, even if they fight, they still come to church. They shared that with the pastor. And another change is that they discuss the Word on their way home. Hallelujah. They share the Word they received as a couple. Oh, the number has decreased, but they are a couple. Dear ones, do you have time to share the Word with your children? [Snort] In the midst of suffering, the Word brings comfort, which is why we hold onto it. The second reason is that the Word guides me in suffering. It continually guides me step by step. The third reason is truly important. You must not miss this. Why do I want to hide the Word in my heart? Because I want to keep it. You must not miss this. It is essential to want to be joyful, loving, and holy. Yes, that is very fundamental. Why do we receive the Word? It is to keep it. We must receive the Word to keep it. Look at verses 1-2: "Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart." We must reach this point. If you received the Word this week, you should say, "Lord, I will do at least one thing. I will share the Word with my wife. I will share the Word with the congregation. There are members who do not come to church, and there are members who have left the Lord; I will reach out to them." We must reach this point. Verse 33: "Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end." What do I say? I will keep it to the end. [Snort] This is such a precious verse. How should I keep the Word? The sermon outline is all laid out here. I will keep it to the end. Verse 34: "Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart." I will keep it to the end. I will keep it with my whole heart. Verse 44: "I will keep your law continually, forever and ever." When I hear such words, I think, "This is crazy." How can a person keep it? But still, we must. We cannot say such things out of fear. When we get married, we say, "I will love you to death." Why can’t we say that? We say it when we get married. I received immense grace from verse 56. My eyes were opened. [Snort] "This is my possession, that I keep your precepts." I was surprised. When we live, we often ask, "How much wealth do you have? How much have you saved?" Son, daughter, look how much I have saved. That is important. But when I received this Word, I was shocked. The concept of possession changed. In God's eyes, the wealth we have is not just the material wealth we possess, but there is another wealth: "My possession is keeping God's Word." That is the essence of 1 Corinthians 10:13. I hesitated for a long time about whether to include this verse. But I decided to include it. Why? [Snort] Many people misunderstand this verse. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, it says, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." The misunderstanding here is that when we face suffering, we question God. [Snort] "God, you said you would not give me more than I can bear, but I cannot bear this." We approach God like that. "God, what is this? I cannot bear this." That is a misunderstanding. It does not mean that we have the ability to bear it. It means that in Christ, through the Word, in faith, I can endure it. "I cannot bear this." "You cannot bear it if you only look at yourself." That is what it means. The second misunderstanding is about the way of escape. [Snort] "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape." What is the way of escape? According to today's Word, it is the Word. We escape through the Word. We are revived through the Word. We receive comfort through the Word. We gain hope through the Word. We are guided through the Word. That is the way of escape. But God, I really cannot bear it. There is really no way of escape. He tells you to escape. Where? To the cross. He tells you to escape to the cross. That is the way of escape. I will conclude with this. [Snort] Psalm 119 has many meanings. It is the longest chapter in the Bible. And in Korean, we say 119. What does 911 mean? It means an emergency situation. I see it this way: when we are truly in an emergency situation in suffering, what should we hold onto? We should hold onto the Word. And as believers in this age, what is the most urgent emergency situation? It is the restoration of the Word. You must listen carefully. Right now, more than any other time, we are in an age of a flood of the Word. If you just turn it on, the Word pours out. But do you know? It is a time of famine. Why? Because even if it is not stored in our hearts, dear beloved congregation, the first thing we need to restore is the Word. It is the blessing of the Word. We want to be holy, [snort] we want to be joyful, we want to love, we want to comfort and revive, we want to guide. That is why God continues to revive us and guide us through the Word, and ultimately, where does He lead us? He leads us to Jesus. Dear beloved congregation, are you in suffering? [Snort] I pray for the grace that brings life through the Word. Amen. Even when it is hard and difficult, hold onto the Word. Hallelujah. Amen. Amen. Let us pray. [Snort] Father God, help us to hide your Word in our hearts and to live as rich people of the Word, storing it in the treasure of our hearts. Are we truly those who have been born again by the Word? If the Word has given us life, we believe that we will be born again and revived through the Word once more. Lord, when we open the Word, let our eyes be opened, our hearts be opened, so that the way toward you may be widened even more. We thank you and pray in Jesus' name. Amen.