Pastor David Yearick became pastor of Hampton Park in January of 1964 when the church was located in downtown Greenville, South Carolina, and known as Hampton Avenue Baptist Church. Relocating to a larger campus in the suburbs in 1970, the church changed its name to Hampton Park Baptist Church. Under Pastor Yearick’s leadership, the church had experienced progressive growth in its membership, missions program, Christian day school, and other ministries.
Pastor Yearick and his wife Bobbie are both graduates of Bob Jones University. They are the parents of three adult children, two of whom serve the Lord in full-time Christian service, and eight grandchildren. Their ministry has enriched the lives of many.
Sorrows Not Wasted
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:3-5
Sometime ago my wife said to me, “We need to pray that our sorrows won’t be wasted.” I have contemplated her words much in recent days.
As we consider our circle of acquaintances or read the daily news, we see that sorrow is indeed a part of life. Sometimes, from our viewpoint, we may even think that some people have more than their share of sorrows. and we cannot help but wonder about its purpose.
God does not allow sorrow to come into our lives just for sorrow’s sake. Sorrow is not an end in itself. If it were, we could not bear it. We would become hopeless, broken, and bitter.
God alone determines what my “share” and your “share” of sorrow is and what forms it takes in our lives. Sometimes sorrow comes through loss – loss of loved one, loss of material possessions. Sometimes it comes through suffering, illness or broken relationships. His ultimate purpose of all sorrow is to draw us closer to Him, to conform us to His image, but it is possible that our sorrows could be wasted.
Our sorrow in any circumstance of life can be wasted . . .
If no souls are saved.
If no backslidden Christians are restored.
If no lives are dedicated or rededicated to Christ.
If no rebellious hearts are broken.
If no growth in grace is experienced.
If we are not found more diligent in serving the Lord.
If our love for the Lord and for one another does not become stronger.
If our love for the world does not lessen.
If our hold on the temporal does not loosen.
If our anticipation of Heaven is not greater.
If we are not determined that our sorrows will not be wasted.
God is better to me than all my hopes,
Better than all my fears,
For He makes a bridge of my broken dreams
And a rainbow of my tears.
- Unknown
When sorrow comes into our lives, our best source of help is Jesus Christ. He is the designer of sorrow and, as we read in Isaiah 55, he was a “man of sorrow and acquainted with grief.” He knows sorrow as none of us could ever know or experience it. Not only does He understand our sorrow, He also wants to bear our sorrow. In Hebrews 13:5, He reminds us, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” And in many other places throughout the Bible, He comforts us with reminders of His presence in times of sorrows.
Job 16:11 says, “I would harden myself in sorrow.” Proverbs 15:13 says that “by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.” Like the sun, sorrow either softens or hardens. If you are experiencing a time of sorrow in your life, look to God for help and comfort. Your sorrow will not be wasted as it accomplishes His purposes in drawing you closer to Him, conforming you to His image.
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