Door of Hope (for Suicide Prevention Month)

There is one ray of hope: His compassion never ends. It is only the Lord's mercies that have kept us from complete destruction. Great is His faithfulness; His loving-kindness begins afresh each day. My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance; therefore I will hope in Him. The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for Him, to those who seek for Him. Lamentations 3:21-25

Have you lost your hope? Are you feeling hopeless? Some feel hopeless about specific areas such as their marriage, children, parents, school, significant other, health, finances, or job. But for others, this emotion permeates their entire lives. They exist but have no hopes, dreams, or goals. This is not the way God intends for us to live. He created us to live with purpose, working toward goals with a sense of anticipation for things to come.

This month is Suicide Prevention Month. There needs to be awareness, to bring it out in the open, to let others know that they don't have to be ashamed, to let others know that we all struggle at times, and even more so, that they are loved and valued and that there IS hope ... one day at a time ... so DON'T do it ... is part of what it's all about.

Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish. Proverbs 29:18

Hope is a word of optimism, and it defines what we are living for. Jesus can change our hopeless perspective into joy we can only imagine. There is no such thing as 'beyond repair' for God. He has a purpose for each of us, and there is a reason for the trials we face. Sometimes only God can see a way out, but there is ... and Jesus is the way-maker because He is the way.

Why are you discouraged and depressed, O my soul? And why are you disturbed and in turmoil within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 42:11

God HAS NOT forgotten you. He HAS NOT overlooked you. He DOES see you. He DOES hear you. He DOES long for you to draw close to Him and to sit at His feet, just basking in His presence.

Our spiritual lives are full of highs and lows, valleys and mountaintops. But some people panic, or grow bitter and angry, when they face a disappointing situation. They ask, Where is God? Why hasn’t He answered my prayer? Why is He silent while I’m hurting? Many become disillusioned and hopeless. And instead of seeing a valley, they see an endless tunnel with no light at the end.

If you are at a low point and feeling hopeless, be encouraged. The Good Shepherd, who is the Sovereign of this universe, IS with you. You may not always sense His presence or see how He is working, but He IS there. The Lord DOES love you unconditionally and IS ready and willing to help. All you need to do is turn to Him.

God does not send anyone into a valley, but He may allow us to enter one to teach dependence upon Him. One day, perhaps you’ll look back and think, Thank you, God, for never leaving me, and for carrying me through the low place. You’ll never be able to thank Him enough.

TRUST GOD. Even in the low points in your life. Especially in the low points of your life. YOUR HOPE LIES IN GOD. Cast your cases on Him; lay your burdens at His feet. In His great compassion and love, He will sustain you.

If you haven’t discovered who God is and how He operates, then start now. Spend time reading the Bible each day, learning His promises and committing them to memory. Remember to trust Him with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understandings—or emotions.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Follow Jesus, and He will walk with you—and you will never be alone again.

LIVE and have HOPE, for JESUS is the DOOR OF HOPE.

Father, no matter what problems those who are depressed/discouraged are dealing with, I pray that you help them to find reasons to keep living. Give them hope. Encourage them. Be the lifter of their head/countenance. As they reach out to You for help, minister to them. Love on them. Show them who they can go to that can be trusted with their heart to talk things through, such as a friend, teacher, family member, church member, counselor, a help line. Whatever they need Lord, give it to them I pray. In Jesus' name, amen.

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By calling or texting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline '988' you’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area - anytime 24/7 or go to their website at http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

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associated AFTA blogs: Don't Self-Harm  You're Worth More  Do You Hate Yourself?



 

God's Rest ... Got It?

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Matthew 11:28

God is already working IN You, THROUGH You, and FOR You, to bring you to a place where everything is provided for. You responsibility is to rest and receive it. God’s rest isn’t sitting in a chair or lying down on your couch - it’s a matter of the heart and a way of life, given to us because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

TRUE REST is believing that God is always working on your behalf. TRUE REST is believing that God will never leave, forsake or fail you. TRUE REST is believing that God delights in promoting, blessing and favoring you.

When you believe that God is doing all these things for you and so much more, then you can stop ‘doing’ things in your own strength and you can live with ongoing peace, knowing He will freely give you all things.

That doesn’t mean you need to stop going to work or stop taking care of your family (though yes, we ALL need breaks and time away). What it means is there can be rest IN work, not necessarily rest FROM work. When we walk in the rest of God, it means that we are continually committing our burdens, responsibilities, workflows, schedules, relationships, family needs, problems … everything in our lives to the Lord.

When you do this, it allows you to experience genuine peace in whatever you are involved in. You are continually trusting and believing that God will always give you a better outcome in your circumstances than you can do on your own.

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:9-11

Those who rest … are trusting and believing.

Father, I pray that you help us to walk in Your rest and to continually commit our burdens, responsibilities, schedules, relationships, problems, family needs … everything in our lives to You. Thank You that we will find peace and rest in doing so. In Jesus’ name, amen.




Related AFTA Blogs:

Got Rest? 
The Enemy of Busyness
You Deserve a Break Today

Note to Encouragers - Are You Feeling the Weight?

Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10






Know that if you're an encourager, the enemy will attack you with the opposite of that gifting ... discouragement. If you're gettin' hit with depression, in part it's because the enemy is scared of you and the damage you're doing to his kingdom.

If you're feeling discouraged, get in the Word and read until you get your peace back. Being an encourager can drain your strength, so continual feeding on God's Word and spending time in His presence is essential. Are you feeling the weight? When you help someone through something, be sure to ask the Lord to fill you back up and cast that persons cares on Him instead of walking around trying to hold yourself up under the weight of everyone's burdens. If you can, pray with the person you're helping right then and there, so ya'll can lift the burden to the Lord together. Burdens are too heavy for our shoulders and we weren't designed to carry them.

Cast your cares on the Lord, for He cares for you and HE WILL SUSTAIN YOU; He will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 55:22

God's placed a beautiful gift within you. Don't let it be trampled on and smothered, lift your head high knowing that your heavenly Father is with you and is carrying you and rooting you on.

At night we may cry, but when morning comes we will celebrate. You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy. Psalm 30:5,11

Be encouraged all you encouragers ... YOU ARE GONNA MAKE IT. You're gonna make it, after all.

You CAN do it.

Father, I pray that You encourage us, give us joy, and give us words in due season for Your people and speak them through us. Be in agreement with me, Lord as I speak LIFE and HOPE to all those who just don't think they can take it anymore ... you WILL go thru, in Jesus' name.