The Blessing of His Presence
By Anthony Casperson
10-3-26

Times of stress, anxiety, and depression seem to be magnets for trite words and empty slogans. “Things will get better. I promise.” “Just hang in there.” “Fake it til you make it.”

Part of this magnetic quality, I believe, is because most people don’t really want to think about the difficult and troublesome times. Whether their own or others’. So, they just parrot the things everyone else has said, and hope that we let them get back to their happiness. (Even sometimes abandoning us because they’d rather stay away than actually help.)

Most would rather think about the good times and excellent things. “After all,” some might claim, “doesn’t Philippians 4:8 tell us to only think about the things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise? Why should we waste our time thinking about those negative times and experiences?”

And while true that the bible does call us to think about those good things, I believe that acting like we should forget or never think about the times of difficulty causes us to miss out on some of those very things that Philippians 4:8 actually wants us to consider. I mean just two verses earlier, Paul speaks to us about letting our requests be made known to God. And part of those requests are about the things that build anxiety in us.

In another vein, consider a number of the psalms—especially the psalms of David. How many of them start with the negative experiences of life? Enemies surrounding. Wasting bones. Sleepless nights. Eyes that have run dry of tears.

So many have the man after God’s own heart consider the trials and troubles and difficulties of his life. But, it’s not the problems that gain the glory or the primary spotlight. It is the salvation and rescue that God provides which takes that place.

Thoughts of the negative experiences of life lead to glory and praise of God because of what he does. And what he is able to do.

If we were to take the time to look, we’d find that some of those Davidic psalms crying out to God are while he’s in the midst of trouble. And he remembers what God had done in his life before. The moments of previous difficulties where some aspect of rescue or salvation occurred. A few are times where God helped David just live through the problem, rather than come out fully victorious.

Yeah, David looked at negative times while in the midst of difficulties. But all for the praise and glory of who his God is.

So, when we consider the true, honorable, just, and the rest of those things, it can include the trials of life, because God was with us through them. Our considerations really should keep the very presence of God in the midst of life’s pains. Because God’s presence is among the greatest blessings he can bestow onto us.

But we can only really remember the beauty of that presence amidst the difficulties, if we let the negative experiences come along for the ride. In order for us to bring to mind the good of the rescue, we must consider that from which we’d been rescued.

My thoughts about this issue began a handful of days ago when I heard a verse that is often used as one of those trite sayings that followers of Jesus give in order to sound a little more spiritual than “just hang in there.” And that saying is from Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

The person quoting it was trying to be helpful. “You’re mourning now, but things will get better.” But the saying felt trite, not because of the words themselves, but because of the emphasis that we so often put on the verse.

See, when the person joined many others who quote this verse into the lives of those dealing with difficulties, their emphasis is on the comfort. A promise that comfort will come.

But no one can really promise that for every situation.

There are some difficulties that will continue on for the rest of a person’s life. Losses that can never be regained or replaced. Tragedies that shape our lives in such a way that we’ll never be the same because of it. Finite resources like time and energy lost or wasted.

And so, statements about looking toward some far off, distant future day in this life when everything will be sunshine, butterflies, and rainbows fall flat. Nothing but emphasizing an empty promise.

Instead, the emphasis should be on the One who can bring comfort. Those who mourn are the recipients of divine favor, because the One who brings all comfort is with them. God himself is the gift, the favor, and the comfort for those who belong to him. His presence is the blessing to those of his who mourn.

And that’s a promise that truly can be given for every trial of life. Followers of Jesus don’t walk through the difficulties alone. Ever.

That’s not a promise that no troubles will ever come. Nor is it a promise that everything will turn out better afterward. As a matter of fact, a few verses later in Matthew 5, Jesus speaks blessing to those who are reviled, persecuted, and have all kinds of evil things falsely claimed against us.

Jesus never promises an easy life for those who follow him. Yes, his burden is easy and his yoke is light, but Jesus explicitly says that in this life we will have trouble.

And the amazing thing about the difficulties is not that they exist, because we’re not masochists. Nor is it because God will always bring happy endings out of it, because that’s not 100% true all of the time. Rather, the amazing thing is that God remains with us through them. Side by side. And sometimes carrying us when we’re too weak to continue on through it.

But regardless, the Comforter is with us through it. Now and into eternity.

So, when we’re trying to consider the true, honorable, just, and other similar things, let’s not abandon the goodness of the Comforter who blesses us with his presence. Let’s not forget it merely because that truth reminds us of the negative experiences of life. He’s the only reason those trials were worth experiencing.

The blessing of his presence is beauty that is most easily seen in the darkness of difficulties.

And so, let’s keep that in mind when we’re suffering and when we see others suffering. Rather than provide trite sayings or quote bible verses with incorrect emphases, let’s speak the truth of God’s presence. Our Shepherd who guides through the dark valleys and calls that path righteous.

He’s with us through it all. And that’s the best blessing we can have.