A Most Sovereign Antidote
The special presence of God with His people is a sovereign antidote that turns troubles into calmness and afflictions into light burdens.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the profound significance of God's presence in the lives of His people, asserting that it serves as a sovereign antidote to life's troubles and challenges. He explains that the divine presence transforms afflictions, making them bearable and even light, while providing strength against sin and temptation. Brooks illustrates that with God's presence, even the most daunting circumstances become manageable, turning storms into calm and poverty into plenty. He concludes that a sincere Christian, enveloped in God's presence, experiences a taste of heaven on earth, regardless of their trials.
Text
God is with His people to counsel them in all doubtful
and difficult cases, and to defend and secure them
against all their enemies and opposers. God's presence
is infinitely better than the presence of all outward comforts.
A sound sincere Christian can . . .
never have enough power against sin,
nor ever enough strength against temptation,
nor ever enough weanedness from this world,
nor ever enough ripeness for heaven,
nor ever enough of the presence of the Lord.
The special presence of God with His people
is a most sovereign antidote.
Troubles will be no troubles,
distresses will be no distresses,
dangers will be no dangers,
--if the divine presence is with you.
Mountains will be molehills, stabs at the heart
will be but as scratches upon the hand--if the
divine presence is with you.
God's special presence will turn . . .
storms into calms,
winter nights into summer days,
prisons into palaces,
banishments into enlargements,
weakness into strength,
poverty into plenty,
death into life.
Just so, while a Christian enjoys the singular
presence of God with him, he will make nothing
of this affliction and that affliction, of this trouble
and that trouble, of this loss and that loss. God's
presence makes . . .
heavy afflictions light, and
long afflictions short, and
bitter afflictions sweet.
A man in misery, without this gracious presence
of God, is in a very hell on this side of hell. God's
gracious presence makes every condition to be
a little heaven to the believing soul. There is
nothing, there can be nothing, but heaven--
where God is specially present.
"The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob
is our fortress!" Psalm 46:7
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present
help in trouble." Psalm 46:1
Sermon Outline
- God's Presence with His People
- The Special Presence of God
- The Effects of God's Presence
- Heavy afflictions become light
- Long afflictions become short
- Bitter afflictions become sweet
Key Quotes
“The special presence of God with His people is a most sovereign antidote.” — Thomas Brooks
“God's special presence will turn storms into calms, winter nights into summer days, prisons into palaces, banishments into enlargements, weakness into strength, poverty into plenty, death into life.” — Thomas Brooks
“God's gracious presence makes every condition to be a little heaven to the believing soul.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- We should seek to experience the special presence of God in our lives to overcome troubles and afflictions.
- God's presence with us makes every condition a little heaven to the believing soul.
- We should not make light of our afflictions, but rather seek to find comfort in God's presence.