This is the Truth Network. This is the Truth Network. Welcome to Truth Talk Live. All right, let's talk the truth news. I can't hide it, I can't hold it.
A daily program powered by the Truth Network. This is kind of a great thing, and I'll tell you what. Where pop culture, current events, and theology all come together. Speak your mind. And now, here's today's Truth Talk Live host.
You know, some of the hardest questions about God don't come from the people who reject him. Have you noticed that? They come from people who are trying to hold on while everything in their life feels like it's Falling apart. I'm Peter Rosenberger. Welcome to Truth Talk Live.
Glad to be with you today. 866-34-TRUTH 866-348 seventy eight eighty four. This is a tough topic.
Some of the hardest questions don't necessarily come from Atheist. Have you noticed this? You know, they come up with a lot of the same Hypothetical stuff, or show me this, show me a sign, and things like that, but. But it's oftentimes those of us who are believers who ask very hard questions, particularly when suffering is coming, and I saw this. this weekend From Savannah Guthrie, and you've been following.
Her family story is this, they brought out this very, very tragic situation. We had She posts about it. She didn't try to Being A theologian. Uh she just she was just being a daughter. And she was struggling with it.
And she said some very honest things. She wondered if what she was feeling. might be something Jesus himself never felt. Does that surprise you? Does that trouble you to hear that?
And she was thinking, I'm not going to know. He said she said Jesus knew He was going to go to the cross. He knew he would be Resurrected. He knew the ending. She said, I don't.
I'm dealing with something that Jesus didn't know. Basically what she was saying. How do you feel about that? What are your thoughts on that? 866-34-TRUTH, 866-348-7884.
Let's just sit with that for a second. She was not trying to be edgy, by the way. She's just a daughter trying to Makes sense of grief. And How many of you all have been at that place? Maybe he didn't say it out loud.
Have you felt it? And you're in a moment And you're thinking, well. This is right here. This is right now. I don't think anybody gets this.
Maybe not your friends, maybe not your pastor. And if you're being really honest, You're even wondering if God understood. And people try to Make some kind of connection with you to say that they understand. I remember a guy came up to me at church, bless his heart. And we try to somehow connect to people's pain.
because of our own. And and he said you know, I heard about you and your wife's story and And I know exactly what you're going through.
Well Look, words matter. and when people use words I can only go by the words they're using. And so I was very surprised to hear this, because I didn't think there was anybody in the state, much less in that town. that in that church that knew exactly what we were going through. You got to remember, my wife's had 98 surgeries, both of her legs amputated.
Okay? We've been dealing with this since Ronald Reagan was president. And he said, I know exactly what you're going through.
Well, did he? I said, Man, I I'm sorry to hear that. He said, Yeah, my wife broke her foot last month. I didn't quite honestly know what to say back. I mean, he's coming up, and he's, and I know this was very real to him, and his pain was very real.
And I appreciate that he's wanting to sympathize with me, but to inject my. situation in his into the same blender It was a It was a bit odd. And we wonder: do people really do, do they understand? Does God understand? Does he really understand?
And I got to tell you, I have struggled with this. I have struggled with this mightily. People used to come up to me all the time. and say God understands. God knows.
He knows what you're going through. Trust Jesus. God knows what you're going through. And I looked through all of Scripture. Did you know that there is nowhere in Scripture?
Where there is a guy taking care of his wife for forty years through what I've done?
Nowhere. There's nowhere where a woman has gone through what my wife has gone through. Did you know that? I've looked. And so I kept thinking, how does God understand?
What are you saying to me, people, when you say this? What are you what are you trying to communicate to me?
Well, I don't know what they were trying to communicate to me. Their words were done.
Sometimes people will offer basically what they know and hope it'll feel better or whatever. But I took those words seriously, and I went and studied and looked and looked and looked and I pondered on this and pondered. One of the benefits I have of going through something like I've gone through is that it gives you time to ponder. what you're looking at because you're looking at it every single day for forty years. And here's what I came to understand.
Jesus really does understand. Because I looked at the entirety of Scripture, And did you know? That Jesus is referred to as the bridegroom? refers to himself that way. That means he has a brat.
That means What?
Well, that's the church. And we're a wounded bride, aren't we? And I realized that my Saviour is in love with a wounded bride. I have a Saviour who truly does understand. And so as I listened to that with Savannah.
and your heart can't help but break. And she's she's honestly processing what is going on in her heart. It is not our job to jump in with apologetics. But do you know what to say to her? Do you know what to do?
Maybe we don't need to say anything. Maybe sometimes the best thing is to say nothing, is just to be there. And just to be. But the point of it is, she's struggling with a real issue. And I bet you a lot of people listen to this program.
have struggled in those dark, quiet places wondering how how can God what's going on here, God? and we ask hard questions. Let me see if I can squeeze this in before we go to the break. Larry in Ohio. Larry, good afternoon.
Welcome to the program, but what do you think about this? Yeah. Larry, you with me? Yeah, this is Larry. Hey, Larry.
Welcome to the program. What do you think about this? What do you think guys?
Well, I think Jesus did. um suffer through our experiences. And on the cross, he said My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
So he did suffer And um like we do. And he did take on all that suffering. on himself And that's how come he can be our perfect sacrifice and our um mediator and our Comforter because he knows how the comfort says because he's experienced with it. That's my view on the situation. How would you express that to Savannah?
If you had the opportunity.
Well how would you couch that? How would you approach her? Um Uh How I how I would approach her is Uh Well, I would have to look at those scriptures that say that and then The scriptures that say, Peace be still and know that I'm God. And um The scriptures were the people who walked through the furnace, and there was the angel that walked with them, and God was with them. Just about everything we Through.
God is with us when we go through it, and He gives us the strength. And then his strength that gets us through these certain situations. Are you comfortable sharing, Larry? Are you comfortable sharing something that you've gone through that was that agonizing or so agonizing and what people said to you in that that was able to. Minister to you?
Are you comfortable saying something like that? There was there was a couple of things. My divorce since, um, twenty years was a hard thing and my ki being separated from my kids. And my wife, and then we were also group leaders in the uh uh church.
So And then there was another thing uh here originally where my father just passed away. And I I I if it wasn't for the grace of God, I don't know how I would go through it.
Well, I tell you what, hold that thought. We're up Larry. Larry, we're up against a hard break. Hold that thought. We'll come back to you after the break, okay?
We're up against the clock. Don't go away. This is Peter Rosenberger. This is Truth Talk Live, 866-34 Truth. What would you say?
866-34-TRUTH will be right back. You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com. Welcome back to Truth Talk Live. This is Peter Rosenberger. Glad to be with you today, 866-34-TRUTH, 866-348-7884.
The topic of this is how do we speak into the anguish and the heartache of people who are struggling with Just brutal realities. And this was prompted by this Easter uh video that Savannah Guthrie put out as they're wondering what happened to her mother. They don't know this has been played out in front of the whole world. And it's a just a heartbreaking thing. And we, as believers, are called upon to comfort one another with the same comfort that we ourselves have received from the God of all comfort.
And so I'm asking you, what has comforted you in this? When people come along and they give you a scripture, like they did with me, oh, just the trust of the Lord with all your heart, and all things work together for good. People have actually said that to me many times, very glibly, as a matter of fact. But they said it while we were in the ICU. On surgery number seventy, eighty, ninety, whatever.
And and D d does that comfort you when people do that to you? I call, sometimes I call that drive-by theologians. They'll just roll down the window and spout out a verse and. and then keep going. And And I'm like, is this what it looks like to comfort one another, to go into someone else's agony?
And I was, I'm sorry, we got cut off there a little bit with the break, but Larry in Ohio. Is with us. And Larry, you were telling us some things about when you were in.
Some Hard things and what people said to you, what they offered you, what did work, what didn't work, what. What meant something to you that stayed with you? And what kind of made you feel a bit uncomfortable. What are some of those things, Larry? If you're comfortable sharing, you don't have to, but if you're comfortable sharing.
sometimes it's not what people say. It's Um, you knowing where you are at with the Lord. And knowing the Lord Because there's nothing they can say to make you feel better. But when they When they, um, show love And they give you love and they give you hugs, they give you comfort. Um that means more than words.
And And then just knowing where I'm at. with the Lord and and um my scriptures and and knowing that God did suffer like I suffered and um He had to go through it as well. Yet he came through on the other side. Unpack that a little bit, Larry. When you say God suffered like you suffered, What do you mean by that?
Well, like for instance, when he is on the cross He says, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? That means, you know, even though he was God and he knew all this was coming and he knew he was going to do this, he knows the victory, he knows the story, but yet he still had to experience what it was like to be without the Father. And And then had that sin. Arsen on his all that weight on him. He experienced it.
And, um It's something he went through, and it's only the people that go do something that can really help you the best. And that's how I know that Jesus So what I'm understanding from you, it's it's From what I'm trying to understand for a little bit, is that so it's really about his sufferings. that we share in what his sufferings were And we have one who understands his sufferings. Not that he suffered like we do. It's this that we are suffering and he came into our suffering and bore this more.
Am I understanding you correctly? Yeah. His experiences, like when he experienced the Father leaving him on the cross. Jesus is one who has experienced everything that you've gone through. In order to be able to counsel you and be our great counselor, he's been through it, and that's where he comes in and comforts you with his Holy Spirit.
Well, and I think this is what Savannah Guthrie was talking about in her video that she put out. She said, maybe I found something that Jesus didn't experience. Because he knew, but I don't know. And I don't know what's going to happen, what's happened to my mother, and I have this taken away from me, and I don't know what's happened. And she's musing about this out loud.
And is the goal to correct her, is the goal to teach her. Or is the goal to what? I say the goal is just to reach out and Give her the verses of where God is with the people through their struggles. He was with them through the furrows when they walked through the furrows. He was with Daniel in the lion.
He was with. whoever during their time of struggle and gave them the strength they needed. And that's what God wants us to do, is to turn to him and let him have complete control over our thoughts and our mind and our hearts. And when we give it all to the Lord, He kind of takes over in the Holy Spirit. He gives you the Words to say the way that you need to feel.
He puts the love in your heart. He puts the strength in your heart to continue when you don't feel like continuing or when you don't understand. There's some questions that we'll never understand. But Through the grace of God, He gives us the power to accept it. And what does that look like in your life?
I'm sorry, Peter, but I'm at work and I'm going to be late if I don't walk in and go to work.
Well, then I better let you go to work, Larry. Thank you for calling very much. I appreciate that. I appreciate you guys so much. Thank you.
I love you guys. The the question I'm asking And I'm asking you all to weigh in on this. 866-34-TRUTH, 866-348. seventy eight eighty four. We could go through a litany of Scripture verses.
and stories in Scripture and so forth. And try to apply that to people's lives. Has that worked for you? Is that what we're called to do? I mean, I.
I go back to certain things that I some principles that I have looked at. pretty hard for a long time. And I I remember when Um Well, let me tell you this. When Gracie had her car wreck, She slammed to that concrete abutment. I didn't know her at the time.
Let's go back even further than than when I knew her. But uh we've pieced together the story. Uh we uh it's in her book. And um The paramedic stop. First off, the trucker stop.
Ten truckers stop. And that's why I love truckers. And they put the fire out. And it took 10 fire extinguishers at least to do that. And they called the paramedics and the paramedics showed up and it took a while to extract her out of the car.
It's a pretty dramatic story. A lot of the truckers were really struggling. I mean, some of them were getting sick. I mean, she was graphically hurt. And the paramatics got there, but did you know that not one trucker Not one trucker.
asked If she was Baptized? Ask if she understood the doctrine of justification by faith and faith alone. Not one of them quoted Romans 8:28. Not one paramedic. um mention any of the stories in the Bible or anything.
They worked hard to keep her heart beating. One of them climbed in and kept. uh resuscitating her. And they kept talking to her. And here's what they said.
Hang on. Hang on, we're here. We're here. We're going to get you to safety. What's your name?
What's your name? And somehow she was able to mumble out Gracie, Gracie, we're here, we're here. We're going to get you to safety. We're here. We're not going to abandon you.
We're right here. And they said that over and over and over again, until they were able to get her out. got her into the ambulance, got her to the hospital, and she was in surgery, but and th that's a longer story. What do you think about that? Do people approach your trauma?
With that Or do they approach it and try to somehow preach at you or put apologetics on you? while you're bleeding out. What has been your experience with this? It's a hard question. I understand it.
I understand that's a hard question. But, you know, like that guy I talked about in the last block who came up to me, I know exactly what you're going through. My wife broke her ankle last month. And I appreciate how difficult this must have been in his life and the pain that was up in close to his face. Yeah.
But that's a little bit jarring. to come up to somebody. Who's been dealing with the kind of trauma And then somehow try to compare apples, make it like it's apples to apples. and not recognizing someone else's trauma. Did somebody recognize your trauma in such a profound way that it changed you?
That it brought you to your knees. It brought you closer to Christ. We'll talk about that. 866-34-TRUTH, 866-348-3643. You're listening to The Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com.
Welcome back to Truth Talk Live. This is Peter Rosenberger 866. 34 TRUTH, 866, 34 TRUTH or 866-348-7884. Hey, uh, Programming note. I've got a, I did an interview.
I sat down, a really wonderful interview with Fox News' chief legal correspondent, Shannon Bream. You know, Shannon? Amazing lady, graduated magna cum laude from Liberty University. I graduated, thank you, Laudi, by the way. And she also went to law school, University of Florida, Tallahassee, and has had a career as a lawyer, then went to uh into the media and um she's been the Supreme Court A correspondent for Fox for many, many years, and then she hosts Fox News Sunday.
And a wonderful woman and a believer, strong believer. And you can see this interview if you want to watch the video of it, it's at my Substack. Caregiver dot substack Caregiver.substack.com. Write that down. I think you really would like this interview.
It's uh she gave uh we I love the long form. We're able to do this and I was able to ask her questions maybe that she wouldn't get. necessarily from others. And I've had a chance to be on her show. She's been on mine now twice and And so I really do appreciate the time that she gave me.
And I think you'll like the interview, Caregiver.substack. If you want to see that interview, and I would recommend it. I think you'll find it very meaningful. We're talking about. talking and min ministering and caring for and approaching people who are dealing with agonizing things.
And what prompted this was the video that Savannah Guthrie put out. And we've been watching this thing with her family, it's heartbreaking. It's truly heartbreaking. What what what do you say? What do you, how do we approach?
And as believers, I think it's incredibly important for us to have these. conversations before we Practice on somebody who is suffering. You know? That that that before we just Glibly say Romans 8:28 to somebody. Has anybody done that to you?
when you just feel like you're just bleeding out. And you're struggling, and then somebody comes along and says, Well, all things work together for good. Or, this is one people said to me over the years: well, God obviously has a plan. How would you respond to that? How would you respond to that?
Think about for a moment the the scenario of my life. You just heard Johnny Erickson Tata's commercial. God obviously has a plan, Johnny.
Sorry, you have to be in a wheelchair for almost 60 years, but God obviously has a plan. Is that effective Christian ministry? into people's lives. Is this this is this what our Saviour did? I see scripture where God went into suffering.
I see not only in the New Testament where Jesus did it in the flesh, I see it in the Old Testament where God. Expressed his own heart over how he was rejected by Israel. His prophets, what he called them to do. Go back and look at the story of Hosea. I mean, I don't raise a few eyebrows.
And these are things that That I feel, not that I feel, these are things that I'm seeing that scripture would have us explore. And and wrestle with. And go into these things with humility. Not go into it with just this glimness or go into it with this, you know, amateur apologetics. Go back to those guys that were rescuing my wife by the side of the road.
They weren't giving her apologetics, they were saving her life. She was bleeding out. And some of you listening today are bleeding out, maybe not in the same way Gracie was by the side of the road. But, you know, your marriage is falling apart. Your kids are messed up.
You've got a situation with this, or whatever. Maybe you're in a sin that you've got and just made a mess of things. And you're bleeding out. What does it look like to minister to you? When has someone done that to you in your circumstance?
And it was so life-changing. And it just r it it's like it Everything, I mean, just it was an amazing moment. Spotlight moment, a flashball moment where you realize, oh, I've never saw it this way before. Stephen in Florida. Stephen, welcome to the program.
What do you think about this? Thank you very much. I'm in the car. Is my audio coming through okay? You sound just fine.
Just keep both hands on the wheel and. And go the go the speed. That would be helpful. don't think we sh you know Can barely quote any scriptures or anything to somebody who is suffering. to the extent such as yourself in your situation I think uh it's more important that we be that we you know come around people and that we give them whatever they need.
if that's sitting with them, if that's providing food for them. if that's just being there and knowing that they've got somebody to lean on and taking some of the other burdens of the this world But we know that this world is cursed and uh that was one of the things that really was heartening to me I was in the New Age movement and traveled around the world and uh lived amongst uh the great religions, et cetera, and um You know, the thing that really resonated in one of my favorite scriptures is John 16, 33, in this world you'll have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I will overcome the world. You know, Jesus isn't painting the rosy picture. He's saying this is, you know, it's horror here. And the God of this world is can create a lot of havoc here.
And That just is an anchor to my soul that that we're here for a temporary period of time and like in Hebrews, it says that here we have no continuing city, that we seek wanted You know, a better place and uh You know, just helping each other getting through whatever that may be. And that's the reason I'm at the particular church that I'm at is You know, there's other churches that have other things that might be better than our church, but I've had a few things happen to me. In my life, crucial things in my life, deaths and sickness and different things. these people don't ask any questions. They come around and just uh carry me through the whole process.
And it's just uh You know, hard to even say thank you to them because I just break down crying. And, you know, that's. That's true body ministry that seems to be so lacking in American Christianity, you know, of coming alongside you know, and encouraging people and being there for people in a real intangible way. I'm going to start a verse, and I want you to finish it for me. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
Thou art with me. Thou art with me. It's his presence. And that's what you just finished saying: being present in someone's suffering. Ultimately, this is what God did.
That's why we call him Emmanuel, because he is with us. And and The the fact that our God came into our suffering. And he is with us in this. Will not abandon us. And this is what you've hinted on here, Stephen: is that that's the key, is that we go and we sit.
You know, he touched the leper. Exactly. He wasn't supposed to do that. He wasn't supposed to touch a leopard. He touched the leper.
And this is what he has done for us. We don't. It's hard for us to wrap our mind around it, but if we're going to emulate his ministry, you don't have to go and argue with people in suffering. You meet them in it, just like he did with. Us as a species with all of human beings, that he came into our suffering But also, how he's done it for us individually as well.
What he's done for you, Stephen, what he's done for me. And we'll give you one more scripture. Um If somebody Yeah.
Well I Twit, I'll just summarize it. If someone is in need and you say, go in peace and be warmed and filled, but you do not give them what the body actually needs. Do you remember what James said about that? In the Epistle of James? He said, What good is that?
Yeah, what good is that? You know, you're not you're not doing it. You are bloviating to people and saying, you know, well, God obviously has a reason. You know, and I can't tell you how many times people have told me that. And I'm like, thank you, kept it obvious.
You know. And and Yeah, but but I c the ones that come and just sit. and weep with us. We mourn with those who mourn. We weep with those who weep.
You've had people weep with you, haven't you? Yes.
Well I think it's so disingenuine when you uh When you shoot from the hip hip with your, you know, your Uh Your dictionary in your head of scriptures that, okay, this person's problem now, I'll just pull out my six gun and shoot him with that scripture. I mean, it's just so shallow, and they don't try to even enter into The pain to any degree or walk a mile with you at all. I've got a theory, Stephen. I'm going to run it by you. See what you think.
I've got a theory. Pastors like politicians, quite frankly. The further you're away from the challenges of the people you serve. The weaker you become, In your theology, or even in your politics. The further you're away from suffering, Let's just put it in the Christian world for a little bit.
the the further you're away from suffering, either yours or some one else's. The more your doctrine, your theology, suffers. I've got a theory on that because I've watched people who are distant. from suffering. And they they shout out these glib phrases.
They try to button it all up, and they, you know, I knew this one pastor who didn't want to do hospital visits, it made him feel uncomfortable. He was a really great preacher, but he didn't go to the hospital to visit people. He didn't like to do it. And I'm like, well, I don't particularly like being there, but we sure do appreciate. When someone comes.
And what are your thoughts on that? Am I sniffing around the wrong. Uh place there or or am I onto something?
Well, I think you're totally on to something. You know, the human experience, you know, in reality is filled with so much struggle and pain. And um No matter what we look like on the outside, what we have or what we don't have, whether Skid Row or we're a millionaire with all kinds of toys, the same fallen nature and the same sinfulness that when we go to bed at night in the dark, and we see the horror of our own sin and how No matter how good we look on the outside or how bad we look. And when we come to that reality, um We need to love each other. It's a game changer, isn't it?
It's a game changer to have that reality. Stephen, that's beautifully put.
Well put. Thank you so much for taking the time to call. Drive safe. This is Truth Thorpe Lab. We'll be right back.
You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com. Welcome back to Truth Talk Live. This is Peter Rosenberger, 866. 34 TRUTH 866. three four eight seventy eight 84.
If you want to be a part of the program, we're talking about. approaching people who are in agony. As Christians, as ministers of the gospel, what does that look like? I'll give you a great story that I. heard not too terribly long ago.
And early 1800s, there's this woman, and she had. a child that was born and the child Um Okay. maybe about one o'clock one or maybe two. Um that. got very sick and died.
And it just was Could you just agony for. And there was a very famous composer that lived in her town there. And He came over. knocked on the door. She Let him in.
He didn't say a word. He went to the piano. And he sat down and he played extemporaneously for Forty five minutes. Not he didn't play his big hits that everybody knew. He just played for her.
Then he got up. And he took her hand. Squeezed it. looked at her in the eye and nodded. And then left, walked out, never said a word.
Not one word. You know who that was? Beethoven. That was Beethoven. And he offered what he had.
without trying to somehow Button it all up. He just comforted her. Huh. In her distress. And Scripture says, Comfort one another.
In the same manner that you yourself have been comforted by the God of all comfort, with the same comfort you've received. And so I think as I look at this thing with Savannah Guthrie, I see this woman who is in absolute agony. of watching what has happened in in front of the whole world and and not knowing what's going on and just just the the the the anguish that these people are are going through. And we If we want to comfort them, in order to do that, we have to be... keenly aware of what comforts us.
And it's important that we have these conversations as believers because we've, I think. There's enough the callers that have come in and the tone that I've gotten from so many, we've had it with people who give glitter. platitudes.
Some of you have walked through some very painful, painful things. And Church folk have either ignored you or said something basically so trite that it was almost insulting. And how many of us have been there? May we not repeat that. May we not do it to someone else.
And in order for that to happen we have got to go back. to our own life well, what does comfort us? What does comfort us? What comforts you? In Uh your your journey.
Uh what i in in your Anguish that you've had, and think about the worst things that you've gone through in your life. What comforts you? What has strengthened you? What has meant something to you? And that's where we live because once we understand that.
Then we can offer it. And most of the time, you're going to find. That It comes with a lot of tears. It comes with a lot of heartache. And I go back to the Heidelberg Catechism.
What is your only comfort in life and death?
Now think about that. Not your only explanation, not your only answer, but your only Comfort. In life and death. That's what the Heidelberg Catechism asks of us. And we can talk about that in a minute.
But I'm going to squeeze Mike in here from Ohio. Mike? I got just a little bit of time here. What do you think about this? I I I I always think about how Christians comfort me.
And um I had a roof that I needed to put on my house. And I had I had a couple of Christians I'll never forget their name. I never forget it. They came on over and helped me tear off my rough. on a hot summer day.
and they tore the roof off and they helped me put put the shingles on. And 'cause I just didn't have the money to do that. at the time. I this was about twenty years ago. And uh Man, they comfort me.
you know, on that time. And um I've always I've always thought that, um Oh. The help ministry, you know, just going out and just helping someone. was so It's so vital in our in our Christian walk, and my dad was that way. Um he cleaned a church.
And that's what he did. He cleaned the toilets and cl mopped the floors and straightened out the chairs. But he I I'll never forget how many people has come up to me and said, your dad was an awesome person. And I think that's kind of why. Because he comforts people and he is.
loved on people. And and I really do. You're right, Peter. We're missing that. And thank you for talking about this.
Well, you're quite welcome. But these guys that did your roof. First they had to see the need. And then they approached you in your need. and offer tangible Help.
They didn't say, let's just pray that the Lord provides that roof for you. Right. They picked up a hammer. They picked up shingles. And they did what was necessary, as James said.
On a hot summer day. But it starts with seeing the need. Being aware. And the only place in Scripture where God is referred to as the God who sees, El Roy. was with whom?
You remember that? Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't I wasn't following you there. I was thinking about the guy on the roof. I'm sorry.
Well, that's okay. The the only place in Scripture where God is referred to by the name El Roy, which is the God who sees. was what? It was the story of Hagar. And remember, Sarah banished her out there to the wilderness and she was just going to go out there and die.
And then the angel of the Lord ministered to her and sent her back to Abraham's camp and told her about the baby she was carrying and so forth. But she referred to him as Elroy, the God who sees, because he does see us in our distress. And that is comforting to me to know that God sees. everything that Gracie and I have gone through. that he sees the trauma.
And he s and these men saw your roof. Situation And if we don't see one another and see the magnitude of what they carry. And then step in with that kind of intent to comfort, to strengthen. And the word comfort is the old English word, but actually it means to come with strength. To come with strength, to to bolster.
We think of it as just wrapping a big blanket around us. But that's not really what the word means when he says the comforter, he referred to the Holy Spirit as the comforter. But the one who's going to enable, equip, and sustain us in this.
Well, what has sustained us in this? And these are the questions we have to ask. Privately, before we can go out and start exporting it publicly.
So we have no. business going to somebody like Savannah Guthrie who is really struggling. Unless we have wrestled with this issue. ourselves and can do it with humility. and often with tears.
Because if we go in there and start wielding Romans 8:28 to her. Right. That that's that's that's almost insulting to her grief. And that comes from people who have not really spent some time in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, or as Watchman Nee calls it, the Dark Knight of the Soul. Right.
Um my my friend Robbie Gilmore, your friend too, just got in a car accident. And uh was hurt and everything. And you know, the first thing that came to my mind. It's like, oh my gosh, she's gonna need a car. He doesn't have a car.
And he's the Christian car guy. Yeah, he's the Christian car guy and doesn't have a car. And if anybody out there needs, you know, can go to him, give him a car. I I I'll be I'll be grateful and thankful. because I've been praying for someone that to give him a car.
I wish I had I wish I had the the uh the finances to do that, and I would. But um I don't. But if someone does, please give him a car. 'Cause that's what that's what he needs right now. He needs a car.
Well, I thank you for that message for Robbie on there. Mike, that means a lot. And thank you for seeing that need and for bringing it to our attention. And, Mikey, thank you so much for calling today. I really do appreciate it.
Okay. Yeah, take care, buddy. Yeah, buddy. But this is where it starts, is seeing the need. Seeing what's going on and not exporting Well we haven't worked out at home.
And it's okay to not know what to say. It's not okay. to turn away. It's not okay to turn away. We are commanded by Scripture to go into this because he came into ours.
And you don't have to. Be a theologian. You don't have to go with all this great prose.
Sometimes you just go. You know, I I I watched every Easter, I watch or try to The Passion of the Christ. And there's a scene at the after Jesus has been scourged. We're Um Pilate's wife, who had obviously had very troubling dreams about this. And I don't know how much of this is fact or fiction that she did this.
But She went and she held clean cloth. to marry. To offer to clean that up. You may remember that scene, but she just kind of put her head down. She was almost shy.
She just wanted to give what she had. because she saw the grief was so great. May we offer the same comfort that we ourselves have received from the God of all comfort. But we gotta know what that comfort is. We gotta know it down into our DNA.
And that is Truth Talk Live. This is Peter Rosenberger. Thanks so much for the time today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Okay.
