In times of stress and distress, I often reflect on God’s promise in Isaiah 26:3.
“You will keep them in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because they trust in You.”
Here’s how I translate the original Hebrew of this verse:
“You will keep them in peace, peace, whose imagination (yeser/yetzer) is laser focused on You, because they entrust themselves to You.”
A Biblical Imagination
Years ago I was introduced to the biblical concept of the imagination (yeser/yetzer) by Tim Keller’s Journal of Biblical Counseling article, “Puritan Resources for Biblical Counseling.”
We not only think in words; God also designed us to think in pictures. We have a God-designed imagination (yeser/yetzer) which is our capacity to view our world in images and pictures.
The Biblical Path to Peace in the Middle of Chronic Suffering
This is where Isaiah 26:3 comes into play. God’s people in Isaiah had been enduring persecution that seemed unending—chronic suffering.
With such external turmoil, how could they—and how could we—experienced inner peace?
God explains that our imaginations need to be focused on Him. Our minds need to cling to biblical images of who God is.
In our suffering, here are core questions we must ask ourselves:
- What is my image of God?
- How do I view God?
- In my suffering, do I view God through the lens of my circumstances or through the lens of the cross of Christ?
- Do I view the cross through the lens of my circumstances; or do I view my circumstances through the lens of the cross?
Biblical Show-and-Tell: Isaiah’s Image of God
What image of God does Isaiah suggest we have in the midst of suffering?
In the midst of Israel’s suffering, Isaiah proclaims God’s comfort, and he shares the image of God that brings us comfort. Isaiah starts with a mutual admonition that we “show and tell” each other biblical images of God.
You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!” (Isaiah 40:9)
Don’t be afraid to shout,
“Here is your God! This is Who He is! This is what He looks like! This is Who He is to you!”
Then Isaiah provides perhaps the Old Testament’s most concise and yet comprehensive portrait of God, beginning with the phrase, “see” or “behold.”
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
Think about these two verses. Or, better, picture or image/imagine these two verses. In this how we see God in our suffering?
God is Sovereign; He’s in control; He is all-powerful; He rules; He rewards; He’s holy; He’s above us—transcendent; He is great; He is King (40:10).
But Isaiah’s portrait of God does not stop there.
God is affectionate; He is caring; He is tender; He is affectionate; He is gentle; He is loving; He is near us—immanent; He is good; He is our Shepherd (40:11).
In these two verses we see and behold, we show and tell:
- God’s Holy (40:10) Love (40:11).
- God’s Affectionate (40:11) Sovereignty (40:10).
- God our Shepherd (40:11) King (40:10).
- God’s Transcendence/Above-ness (40:10) and Immanence/Nearness (40:11)
- God’s Control (40:10) and Care (40:11).
Satan’s Temptation: A Caricature of God’s Character
In our suffering, Satan tempts us to skew our image of God.
In our suffering, Satan tempts us to see a caricature of God instead of seeing the true character of God.
Satan tempts us to see God as only holy, sovereign, above us.
“Oh, your god is big, but he is not good! He’s strong; but he is not kind! He’s in control; but he is not caring! He’s too big to truly, really care about little ole’ you!”
Or, Satan tempts us to see God as only loving, shepherding, near us.
“Oh, your god is nice, but he is not strong enough to protect you! He’s caring; but he is not in control! He’s too small to take care of the really big stuff in your life!
Gospel Show-and-Tell: Christ As Our Yeser of God—Our Image of God
Hebrews 1:3, shows us that Christ is God’s “show-and-tell.”
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
Christ is our Sustainer-Shepherd, our Savior-Shepherd, our Sovereign-Shepherd.
Christ is our Sustainer-Shepherd. Christ did not just wind up the world like a clock, and then leave us like the false god of the deists. Christ continually, nano-second by nano-second sustains all things by His powerful word. He is our Shepherd King, our Affectionate Sovereign.
Christ is our Savior-Shepherd. He is here, and He is not silent. He is active on our behalf. He has provided purification for our sins—by the sacrifice of His sinless life. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. Our circumstances may scream, “God, where were you in my suffering!?” The cross shouts eternally louder, “I was on the cross suffering for you!”
Christ is our Sovereign-Shepherd. He is seated at the right hand of God. Ruling. Reigning. And…praying…for you, interceding for us. He cares; and He is in control. In the midst of our casket experiences, He reminds us of His resurrection. Death and suffering do not have the final say. Life and victory have the final word.
Martin Luther: Looking Into the Gospel Mirror
Luther understood the ways of Satan. A cornerstone of Luther’s comforting counsel was to remind believers of the lie of Satan and of the holy love and Affectionate Sovereignty of God.
Luther exposes the lie of Satan about the character of God.
“When God sends us tribulation, it is not as reason and Satan argue: ‘See there God flings you into prison, endangers your life. Surely He hates you. He is angry with you; for if He did not hate you, He would not allow this thing to happen.’ In this way Satan turns the rod of a Father into the rope of a hangman and the most salutary remedy into the deadliest poison. He is an incredible master at devising thoughts of this nature. Therefore, it is very difficult to differentiate in tribulations between him who kills and Him who chastises in a friendly way.”[i]
Luther exposes the truth of the character of God.
“The highest of all God’s commands is this, that we ever hold up before our eyes the image of his dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He must daily be to our hearts the perfect mirror, in which we behold how much God loves us and how well, in his infinite goodness, as a faithful God, he has grandly cared for us in that he gave his dear Son for us. Do not let this mirror and throne of grace be torn away from before your eyes.”[ii]
“If only a man could see his God in such a light of love . . . how happy, how calm, how safe he would be! He would then truly have a God from whom he would know with certainty that all his fortunes—whatever they might be—had come to him and were still coming to him under the guidance of God’s most gracious will.”[iii]
What gospel mirror must we look into when circumstances tempt us to doubt the goodness and greatness of God? The mirror of the Father sacrificing His own son for us. The mirror of the Son sacrificing His own life for us.
We must look at our painful circumstances through the lens of the cross of Christ.
We face our suffering, face-to-face with our Suffering Savior.
This Too Shall Last; This Too Shall Pass Away
God never asks us to deny our suffering and sorrow. In this life, some times “this too shall last.” Our suffering may not end this side of heaven.
God knows. He cares. The whole Trinity cares.
God the Father is our Father of compassion and the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
God the Son is our Sympathetic High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16).
God the Spirit is our groaning Comforter (Romans 8:26-27).
While God never asks us to deny or minimize our suffering, He does call us to see our suffering and sorrow in light of our Sovereign Shepherd; in light of our Sustaining, Suffering Savior; in light of eternity; in light of that coming day when there will be no more suffering, sorrow, or crying, or tears.
God comforts us in our sorrows by enlightening the eyes of our hearts to see Him as our Shepherd King, our Affectionate Sovereign, our Sustaining, Suffering, Sovereign, Savior, Shepherd.
I’ve often summarized these concepts like this:
Satan tempts us to crop Christ out of our picture. The Spirit enlightens us to crop Christ into our picture.
Notes
[i]Luther, Luther’s Words, Vol. 16, p. 214.
[ii]Tappert, Luther: Letters of Spiritual Counsel, p. 116.
[iii]Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 42, p. 154.
I am a person who has suffered all my life more than most. I have begun to think god hated me and this was a reminder that isn’t true. The last thing i suffered was total betrayal and lying from my pastor and elder causing me to leave church. I had told them about a man they put in charge of a ministry I was in screaming at me and spreading untrue rumors . They chose to believe the guilty person and made promises to me to work to get me certified asa biblical counselor – For more than 4 years. My pastor told our church pianist “I will never allow her to council here”. That is how I found out that he never believed me and were stringing me along with promises they never intended to keep . I was being lied to.
I have both experience and a god given talent in counseling but they wasted 4 years of my life when I could have gone elsewhere. It’s painful and I struggle why god allowed it. Our entire church was told false information about this ministry but I was the only one who spoke up and then suffered humiliating treatment. I was actually told this about the man who was continually verbally abusing me: “it is incomprehensible to believe he has the compensity to lie” so therefore we don’t believe you.”
You don’t want to believe the suffering can come from a trusted pastor and elder, but it did. Remembering god allowed it but loves me still was a wonderful reminder because I had allowed satan to make me believe god hated me.