Comforting Messages From God

And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Exodus 33:14

When we think of God’s voice, we often assume that it is telling us something negative. We sometimes shrink from hearing from Him because we think He will rebuke us or judge us and we know that we deserve it. We struggle to see Him as anything but stern and ready to punish us for our wrongdoing. Comforting messages from Him are something we seldom expect.

The people of Israel must have felt that way at times. Their prophets were their main means of hearing from God and they frequently bore messages of judgment and doom upon the land for the sins of the people. God was being fair in warning the people to turn from their wicked ways before He punished them but in their attempts to silence His voice, many of His prophets died violent martyrs’ deaths. That’s the catch with sin that is treasured: It blinds its victims to their true spiritual state and closes their ears to hear the warnings to turn from their ways. In that context, God’s voice is unwanted and unpleasant because those He is speaking to don’t want to change their ways or acknowledge Him as God over their lives.

Unwanted Messages

When we read the Old Testament, we often see a stern or angry God, rebuking His people with negative words and sending harsh judgments upon them. His voice coming through the pages of scripture sounds judgmental and doesn’t invite intimacy with Him. When we understand it this way, it’s because we are hearing it through the filters of our own experiences. But when we look deeper, we see that the warnings of judgment are actually a plea from the heart of a loving Father to turn around before it is too late. He longs to send comforting messages instead of warnings of judgment, but His people won’t listen.

Rebuke or Encouragement?

When we hear something that is accusing or judgmental, we can be sure that it is not the voice of the Father. Satan delights in accusing us and leading us to believe that it is God who is judgmental and negative. Yes, God will rebuke us at times to correct our course, but His rebukes come with tears in His voice. They are never harsh, angry accusations.

When our filters pick up on rebuke rather than encouragement, we tend not to see the short-term ways that God lifts us up. We fail to see the comforting messages that He sends. We can see that “one day in heaven, everything will be ok” or that “we should be grateful because we have been saved from our sins and we will have eternal life.” There is nothing wrong with this big-picture view, but this kind of thinking leaves us bereft in the meantime. The idea of heaven is great – but what about the here and now? What about the small daily life events that get us down and wear us out? What about the affirmation we crave for doing well? Does God have any words for us about those things?

When God Sends Comforting Messages

Take a look at what God said to Moses in the verse above. Moses desperately needed to hear from God about the next step in the journey towards Canaan. He was frustrated because he had not received any word from God about what to do next and frightened because he knew that he couldn’t do it alone (Exodus 33:13). He needed the assurance of God’s presence to go with him. And God sent comforting messages that promised His presence and rest. His voice to Moses was calming and soothing and was just what Moses needed to hear.

God’s comforting messages to Moses were, “I’m here, I’m with you, and everything will be fine.” And it’s His message to us today, too. When we feel anxious or worried or something has upset us, He tells us that He is there and it will be ok. His voice is the soothing sound of a loving Father bringing comfort to His distressed or anxious child. Hold onto that thought and look for the ways He brings comfort when you need it.