When You Sink Into Despair

I've lived with a difficult family situation for many years. Despite my fervent prayers and attempts to understand and resolve the problem, it has continued to grow worse.

It's one of those things in life that doesn't make sense and can easily lead me to despair if I'm not careful to do these things: 

1. Tell myself the truth. I remind myself that God's love and strength are enough to get me through any and all sickness, sadness, frustration, anger, bitterness, and hopelessness. I know from years of experience that when I start sinking into despair, I need to hold all the more tightly to Jesus.

2. Remind myself of the Great Cloud of Witnesses - (Hebrews 12:1). Saints from the past and present can be Our Cheerleaders when we're struggling because they've suffered great difficulties and faithfully persevered.  

If you are unfamiliar with the stories of Christians who've found peace and joy in life's challenges, I recommend you do some research. You can start by reading 1-minute glimpses of their lives in the Bible Love Notes Collection of Christians Who Inspire Us. 

You'll be encouraged by modern-day saints like Joni who faithfully perseveres despite daily physical pain and enormous limitations and Steve who was baptized by the man who killed his father. You'll find strength in saints of old like George Washington Carver who was born a slave but returned good for evil and Mary Slessor whose difficult childhood prepared her for ministry.

Even when our circumstances don't change, we can find comfort in the midst of them when we seek God's help and remember that others have persevered in His strength (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

Like Habakkuk, we can choose to sing no matter how bad our circumstances: "I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign LORD is my strength!" 

Note: It's also important to make sure you are getting enough rest and nutrition because physical weakness adds to stress. Read about Elijah's problem in this area in Eat, Rest, Cry. 

Find courage in these passages:

Hebrews 12:1-6: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, 'My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.'"

2 Corinthians 1:3-5: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ."

Habakkuk 3:17-19: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights."

If you'd like to do the Bite Size Bible Study that accompanies this devotion, click HERE.

Bible Love Notes