Discovering Hope With James W. GollSample

Internalizing God’s Comfort

Our sacrifices are evidence that God’s fire has burned within us. I want you to know that your sacrifice smells really good to God. Yes, I know you might be thinking it stinks to high heaven, and yes, that’s exactly what it does. It stinks to the highest heaven. The aroma rises, God breathes it in, and says, “Oh my, what you have gone through, and you’ve kept your hand on the plow!” Or maybe you didn’t keep your hand on the plow, but by God’s grace you put it back on, so God says, “That’s a sacrifice so well-pleasing to me.”

Take a moment right now to let God’s pleasure over your sacrifice sink in. Let it settle over your spirit. Allow that comfort to begin to seep into your heart and mind. Yes, you can say with a sigh of deep relief, “Somehow my sacrifice is really pleasing to God.”

If you will grab hold of that hope—that eternal reality—it’ll make all the difference. Then you won’t be living life looking in the rearview mirror of what has passed you by or what you have passed by, longing to go back there. But you will fix your gaze straight ahead on the future God has for you.

You need to know that God’s comfort is there for you, not just for those other people but also for you! He has not forgotten you. He knows you by name. He even takes the time to count and number every hair on your head. I like to playfully think that my lack of hair gives him less to do for me, giving him more time to spend counting yours.