Victory Can Be Yours!
Article # 11 – “Overcoming Despair”
Often we feel depressed and that things have really
fallen in on us. This is not an uncommon
situation. There is job pressures,
financial pressures, family pressures, and just general social pressures. It is easy to experience this kind of
pressure with the world being as it is.
It can result from either a mental or physical condition. The challenge is, how do we pick ourselves up
from those feelings of despair?
To avoid this or to overcome it, we must become aware of
the continual presence of God. The
author of Hebrews wrote, “Let your
conduct be without covetousness: and be content with such things as you
have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will
never leave you nor forsake you.’ So
that we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my
helper; I will not fear. What can man do
to me?’” (Heb. 13: 5, 6) Psalms 139 speaks
also of the presence of God where ever we are. Knowing this, we should be able to gain
victory over any depression we may experience.
The victory we experience may not be one of overcoming a
physical problem or a problem of another nature. Our victory is an inner peace and fellowship
with our Lord. God allows suffering to
come into our lives that we might become stronger through them. He uses these trials to test our faith (1
Pet. 1:6-9).
In
reading the account of Job in the Old Testament, we see that Job experienced
the loss of family, the loss of material things, his friends accused him, and
he suffered from physical problems. All
these things but, in the midst of all his suffering he continued to trust God,
knowing He would not depart from him.
We, like Job, must remember that the Lord is always with us and in
complete control of all things. “Trust in the Lord with all you heart and do
not lean on your own understanding. In
all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
(Prov. 3: 5, 6)
There
are many other examples in the Bible we should look to and follow. While ministering in Lystra, the Apostle Paul
was stoned, dragged out of town and left for dead. What did Paul do? He got up, walked back into Lystra, and
continued to bring glory to God. (Acts 14: 19, 20)
When
we find ourselves in the pits of despair and there seems to be no way out,
remember the suffering that Jesus went through for our sakes that we might have
eternal life through Him. Jesus, through
His suffering, brought glory to God the Father.
We, with a proper attitude, can also bring glory to God in our
suffering.
If
you are a Christian and are currently suffering, read 2 Corinthians 4:
6-18. God loves you and will never
forsake you! Let us follow Paul’s
example; get up and get going, so that we may become an example someone else would
want to follow.
Lowell Parrish
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