LifeLines #6

Feeling depressed, anxious or stressed?  

LifeLines offers biblical wisdom as a source of HOPE for today and tomorrow.

 

 

Jesus took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.  "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed... -  Mark 14:33-34

Facing the darkest hours of His life, Jesus experienced some of the most painful human emotions common to anybody who is familiar with the 'dark night of the soul'.  In His distress, Jesus took some of His closest friends with Him for support rather than journeying alone.  In His sorrow, Jesus cried out to His Father in heaven for strength rather than relying on His own resources.  Through the presence of people and the power of prayer Jesus found solace despite the darkness that surrounded Him.  Jesus was indeed "hard pressed on every side, but He was not crushed; He was perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).  Like Jesus, in your 'distress and trouble' you do not have to journey alone!  Surround yourself with trusted friends and seek God in prayer.

LifeLines #5

Feeling depressed, anxious or stressed?  

LifeLines offers biblical wisdom as a source of HOPE for today and tomorrow.

 

 

The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words.  I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.  Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:  The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.  I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” -  Lamentations 3:19-24

Suffering and grief have a way of overwhelming people with memories of painful experiences, both past and present, which can make any thought of the future seem unbearable.  This is how the prophet Jeremiah felt when he cried out to God.  Yet, even amidst the depth of his grief, Jeremiah clung tightly to a hope that could not be extinguished, despite the bitterness of his memories.  His hope was based on the faithfulness of God, not the futility of life.  His hope was not engulfed by the darkness of night, but enlivened by the dawn of a new morning.  We too can "dare to hope" because the inheritance Jeremiah spoke of is yours and mine through a relationship with Jesus Christ who identifies with us in our sufferings.  This truth is affirmed by the Apostle Paul - "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" (Romans 8:16-17).