Whether short or tall, fat or thin, rich or poor; we will all eventually find ourselves at the crossroads of despair.
What is despair?
Despair is best defined as “senseless suffering.”
In other words, we feel so low, so worthless, so defeated that even pitch black doesn’t come close to truly describing our deep, dark physiological abyss of overwhelming emotional pain and inner suffering.
- Have you ever cried so long and so hard that your tear-ducks have stopped producing tears?
- Have you ever felt so abandoned and alone? Feeling like no one understood, no one cared?
- Have you ever felt so ashamed of your past mistakes that your future seemed meaningless?
- Have you ever reached a place, time, or circumstance where you believed your life was beyond redemption?
- Have you ever sunk so low that you really thought you’d be better off dead?
If you have answered “yes” to any or even all of these conditions, you have experienced despair. Did you know that you are not alone? Oh, you may have thought you were alone, but believe it or not, your suffering, your despair has been shared by many before you. You will be surprised to know that biblical legends such as Adam and Eve, Cain, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, his son Joseph, Moses, David, his son Solomon, Naomi, Ruth, the apostle John, the apostle Paul, the apostle Peter, the apostle Mark , Jesus’ brother James, Jesus’ mother Mary, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ not only experienced the great darkness and loneliness of despair, but were ultimately lifted up and released from that blackest-than-black pit of despair.
Do you know why we are still here; even though we have suffered such great physical and emotional despair? In a word, “hope!” Even the smallest mustard seed of hope produces enough meaning to keep us playing another day. I remember a true story about a young American military intelligence officer who was captured and imprisoned by our enemy. He watched and listened as most of his comrades were brutally tortured and killed around him. In his dark, cold, and dank four-by-eight-foot cell, he had no family, no friends, no church, and no hope; or did he? He felt the despair (senseless suffering) of knowing that he was next to die a gruesome death at the hands of his captors. He thought that he could simply take his own life, instead of being tortured, shamed and killed by those who had already exterminated the life of his best friends. He felt alone, abandoned, and overwhelmingly scared. So how was this brave soldier able to find and hold on to a single thin slice of hope? His hope was in God. His faith kept him going. He had nothing, but he had everything; he had God.
On the floor of his tiny cell was a drainage grate. One day, desperate to find a way out, he was able to loosen the cover on this 12-inch drain. Once removed, he stuck his head into the weep hole and noted that a thin ray of sunlight had somehow bounced below his cell and shone on a single blade of green grass. For the first time in three years he saw color. He saw life. He saw light. He saw the color green. From that moment until the day he was finally rescued (four years later), that blade of green grass along with God’s unfailing love became his life-sustaining hope.
You see, even though the enemy’s walls, bars, and chains prevented his physical escape from freedom, they couldn’t keep God out!
Nothing Can Separate Us From God’s Love
Romans 8:31-39: 31 What shall we say of things as wonderful as these? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 Since he did not spare his own Son, but he gave him up for us all, will he not also give us everything else? 33 Who dares to accuse us of those whom God has chosen as his own? No one, because God himself has given us a fair position with him. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one, because Christ Jesus died for us and rose again for us, and he is seated in the place of honor at the right hand of God, interceding for us.
35 Can anything ever separate us from the love of Christ? Does it mean that he no longer loves us if we have problems or calamities, if we are persecuted, if we are hungry, if we are destitute, if we are in danger or if we are threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say: “For your sake we are slain every day; we are slaughtered like sheep.” 37 No, despite all these things, the overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God. Neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, nor our fears of today nor our worries for tomorrow, not even the powers of hell will be able to separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in heaven above or on earth below; in fact, nothing in all of creation can ever separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In the book of Joshua, chapter 10, with God’s help, Israel won the battle against five Amorite armies (10:1-14). Joshua told his men never to be afraid, because God would give them similar victories over his enemies. The same God who empowered Joshua and his troops and guided us in the past will help us with our present and future needs. Reminding ourselves of God’s faithfulness will give us hope for the struggles ahead.
Read: Psalm 42:5-11
Have you ever noticed that some of those who have become so used to fighting have given up hope of experiencing better days? In the book of John, chapter 5, verse 6, Jesus asks a sick man a question: “Would you like to get well?” At a glance, this question may seem strange. Of course he would want to recover… wouldn’t he? But after 38 years, this man’s problem had become a way of life. He had no hope of being healed and no desire to help himself. Have you ever felt lost like this? Many have Unfortunately, the loss of hope has led some people to abandon their faith. But God wants us to keep asking.
Read: Matthew 7:7
God wants us to be willing to stay with him.
Read: John 15:4-8
In closing, when we need hope and encouragement, Peter’s words offer joy and hope in times of anguish, in times of despair. He based his trust on what God has done for us through Jesus. We are called to a living hope of eternal life.
Read: 1 Peter 1:3-6: (The hope of eternal life)
Our hope is not just for the future; eternal life begins when you believe in God and join his family. The eternal life that we now have gives us hope and allows us to live with confidence in God.
You see, our hope is in our faith. Our faith is in God, the Holy Spirit, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God is always with us and for us. Jesus knows all about despair (His ultimate sacrifice of himself for us on the cross) and all about almighty victory; since he now he is seated at the right hand of God. We have hope when we have faith; when we believe
Jeremiah 29:11: Because I know the plans I have for you”, says the Lord. “They are good plans and not calamity, to give you a future and a hope.
As Christians of purpose, let us know that God will provide (Jehovah-jireh), let us stand firm in joy for the glorious name of Jesus Christ, and never again allow ourselves to lose hope. Because our hope is in our faith that we are eternally blessed and anointed by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who will never fail us or forsake us. The next time despair knocks, knock on the almighty power and perfect hope of God, and forever break the thrall of despair.