Life is hard.
In some cases, one’s stressful circumstances can lead to severe depression which in turn can lead to wanting to take one’s own life.
Seemingly overwhelming financial pressures, a disappointing marriage, losing a business you worked on for many years, a debilitating health condition, death of family member(s), and the list goes on…
Some get to a breaking point where they want out of this life because they do not think life is worth living anymore.
If you are a Christian, would God, your heavenly Father, give you more than you can bear to the point where you want to commit suicide?
By desiring to take your life, you are in essence saying to God, “You cannot help and bring me through my situation and the despondent state I am in.”
That is contrary to what we read in the Bible – “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 124.8)
Isaiah 43:2 says, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”
Notice the word “When,” not “If.” All of us at one point or another has or will experience something that feels overwhelming. BUT, we must remember, we can cry out to God to help us. As we just read in Isaiah 43:2, He is with us. We will not be overcome and “drown” or be “burned.”
Speaking of being “burned,” that reminds us of the book of Daniel. In Chapter 3, we read these words, “…To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” (verses 4-6)
Remember Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. It was brought to Nebuchadnezzar’s attention that, “ …they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel 3:12). They were warned by Nebuchadnezzar that if they did not obey the decree, they would be cast into the burning fiery furnace. Daniel’s friends responded, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18)
You know the rest of the story. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego indeed were bound and cast into the fiery furnace. After a while, Nebuchadnezzar said, “…Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (verse 25).
We read further, “…[we] saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. (verses 27-28)
The point of all this is that God was with them. He delivered them out of this terrible situation that they were thrust into. Their faith was tested in a big way. They obeyed God, rather than men.
Keep in mind, beloved, the experiences that come our way are allowed by God. He is sovereign. What does that mean? It means that in some situations, God allows things that He did not cause.
In “What does it mean that God is Sovereign,” we read, “The fact that God is sovereign essentially means that He has the power, wisdom, and authority to do anything He chooses within His creation.” Later it says, “God’s “sovereignty” means that He is absolute in authority and unrestricted in His supremacy. Everything that happens is, at the very least, the result of God’s permissive will.”
None of us is exempt from experiencing problems, struggles and hardships. The Bible says, “…he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)
Remember Job. His wealth and his sons were taken away from him. How did he react? He said these words – “…Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21)
Shortly after that he was stricken with boils from head to toe.
He was at a very low point of his life.
Job suffered a great deal for God’s purposes to be accomplished. He ultimately saw the greatness of God and his own self as being “vile,” (40:4). He abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes (42:6).
Through it all, Job sinned not (1:22). In the end, God restored his health and his family. His sheep, camels, oxen and livestock were restored two-fold.
And so, we must accept that we will experience times of despair and stressful situations in this life. However, we must remember that we have a God who loves us and cares deeply about us so much that he sent his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for us.
He is with us. He will see us through whatever struggles and burdens we are experiencing.
Talk with a friend. Seek out godly counsel. Share your burden with other Christians so they can help encourage you and pray with you.
The Christian has hope with a bright future ahead. We are “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:17). We are destined for heaven to be with our Lord Jesus Christ for eternity!
Do not give in or give up, dear child of God. Taking one’s own life is not of God.
Recall Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Keep looking up! Our help cometh from the Lord…