Tragedy comes in unexpected to us, leaving us feeling helpless and hopeless which can lead to despair. The trick is not to get to the point where you start to despair, it is not really a trick but a very serious coping mechanism that our minds and souls tap into, because despair is really hard to get out from. What I want to do is quote the bible, I am a Christian and I feel the bible helps me get out from under that rock of hopelessness. Psalm 43:5 WEB "Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him: my Savior, my helper, and my God." There are many verses in the bible about being in despair. I'll list a few below for future reference:
1. Psalm 34:17-20 ESV When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
2. Psalm 91:1-16 ESV He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day.
3. Psalm 23:1-6 ESV A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Trials can feel like heavy burdens that are placed on our back usually it feels like we are carrying the other persons pain, when in fact it is our own grief we are feeling. The reason why I quoted the bible is because sometimes I find for me that scripture has a way of speaking to my soul, and when my soul gets spoken to in a time of despair, I can come right out of it. I don't have to be in that much pain, I find there are times when I need to hear from the Lord, and the bible is my way of doing that. Here are some more bible verses:
4. 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 ESV For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
5. 3 John 1:9-10 ESV I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.
I find this last verse amusing and depressing. The apostle John is writing to the church and he mentions this man Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first. He goes on to mention that he is even putting people out of the church, people who are welcoming others into the church. It sounds a lot like the modern church, and how the ugliness of some of our church practices keep people from experiencing a deeper relationship with God. Human pride is one of the causes of our suffering, and the suffering of others. In our pride, we hurt those who are created in the image of God.
When our hope is failing, we need to take hope. You alone knows what gives you hope and what gave you hope in the past. Do that thing, that no one else knows and take courage. This is Mike.
1. Psalm 34:17-20 ESV When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
2. Psalm 91:1-16 ESV He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day.
3. Psalm 23:1-6 ESV A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Trials can feel like heavy burdens that are placed on our back usually it feels like we are carrying the other persons pain, when in fact it is our own grief we are feeling. The reason why I quoted the bible is because sometimes I find for me that scripture has a way of speaking to my soul, and when my soul gets spoken to in a time of despair, I can come right out of it. I don't have to be in that much pain, I find there are times when I need to hear from the Lord, and the bible is my way of doing that. Here are some more bible verses:
4. 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 ESV For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
5. 3 John 1:9-10 ESV I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.
I find this last verse amusing and depressing. The apostle John is writing to the church and he mentions this man Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first. He goes on to mention that he is even putting people out of the church, people who are welcoming others into the church. It sounds a lot like the modern church, and how the ugliness of some of our church practices keep people from experiencing a deeper relationship with God. Human pride is one of the causes of our suffering, and the suffering of others. In our pride, we hurt those who are created in the image of God.
When our hope is failing, we need to take hope. You alone knows what gives you hope and what gave you hope in the past. Do that thing, that no one else knows and take courage. This is Mike.
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