Are you sad?

I was looking at a slideshow of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen when someone came into the room and I offered to share it with them. To my surprise this person folded their arms and said they didn’t enjoy looking at beautiful pictures. Thinking I had misunderstood I asked them to repeat that, they obliged with hardly any expression. I just looked at them trying to figure what to say next when he said, “Actually, I am tired of life.” I replied “I’m sorry to hear you say that” and while I was trying to think of some encouraging words I realized that I had experienced that same feeling several different times in my life. There are times we take too many chores, burdens and other folks troubles on our own two shoulders, and how tired and weary it makes us feel. It seems that feeling comes around when we feel hopeless about situations in our life, things we feel we have no control over.

Psalm 34:6 When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot. Psalm 86:1-7 Bend an ear, God; answer me. I’m one miserable wretch! Keep me safe—haven’t I lived a good life? Help your servant—I’m depending on you! You’re my God; have mercy on me. I count on you from morning to night. Give your servant a happy life; I put myself in your hands! You’re well-known as good and forgiving, bighearted to all who ask for help. Pay attention, God, to my prayer; bend down and listen to my cry for help. Every time I’m in trouble I call on you, confident that you’ll answer. The affirmation of Psalm 34, the prayer of Psalm 86, were written by David a man after God’s own heart, and yet he felt desolate, alone and in trouble a lot of times. He did things that he knew weren’t right in the eyes of God, maybe his guilty conscience was bothering him, whatever it was, he certainly knew how to pray! If hope isn’t alive in our heart we soon say as my friend did, “I am tired of life.”

Life is a precious gift, and we get tired of it in much the same way a child opens a Christmas gift then puts it aside to see what else is under the tree. If you are healthy, if you have food in your pantry and clothes on your back you are blessed by God. I heard someone explain why he didn’t want to ask a certain person for a date, he said, “As long as I don’t ask, I have hope that if I did they would say ‘yes’, but if I asked and got turned down, then I would be crushed! I am happy to hope.” I gave that some thought, Proverbs 13:12 Unrelenting disappointment (or hope deferred) leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around. One definition of the word, hope, is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. We let ourselves get so swamped by worry that it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, then our physical body and mental capacities begin to fail us. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” Proverbs 31:24 So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! 

Don’t let Satan steal your joy of living, John 10:10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. Don’t give up, your hope and joy are in Him!