CWW Week 22 – Day 6 – Breaking The Chain
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Today’s Devotion Spoken…
Todays theme is breaking the chain of despair.
Scripture.
Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV):
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
This verse encourages us not to be afraid or dismayed because God is present, ready to provide strength, help, and support.
I have seen more despair in the past three years in this country than I could ever have imagined in a lifetime. The level of gross indifference to the plight of others has been a clear indicator of a society in catastrophic decline.
What staggers me most is the different ways that people handle hardship and what they perceive hardship to be. We have already discussed the book Affluenza in which thousands of people were surveyed in a busy street in Melbourne. More than seventy percent of participants declared that they did not have enough money to meet the basic necessities of life. When asked what was most basic requirement they had to survive without, the top answer was a flat screen TV.
During the Global Financial Crisis the suffering of the affluent in this country was such that many took their own lives. As this despair was being felt in the western world those living in poor countries continued to live with smiles on their faces because for them nothing changed.
We have visited homeless communities in Australia as thousands see no other option than to live free in a tent on a reserve somewhere. All are destitute in goods, but not all in spirit, with the common theme of the resilient among the group being a faith in God.
And God delivers, as well meaning folk both Christian and non Christian, arrive regularly with the basic requirements to meet their needs. The people getting out there doing what government is too bogged down to do, as the homeless receive them with open arms.
When I was a pilot my mantra was “always think of the worst thing that can happen and don’t let it.”
There is no doubt that fear drives despair and a sense of hopelessness. But how much of the stuff that fear is made of actually has any substance? In Christ the answer is none of it.
Some have so much and yet still buy the narrative that life is a struggle. Cast down by their story they remain trapped in a glass half empty attitude that robs them of the good things that still abound. I have heard some people who feed the homeless, and return to their ample life saying that their own life is a struggle.
Todays’ scripture is profound in that it tells us to have faith, to hold the line in Jesus. To trust in Him to sustain us, removing despair commensurate with the faith we have in Him. The more faith the less despair.
Tragedy is hard to bare yes, but we need always to remember that this is a part of the journey of strength building and character development.
It may be time to revisit a favourite scripture once again.
Psalm 30:5 (NKJV):
“For His anger is but for a moment, His favour is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
My addiction was driven by a despair that I had no earthly value no matter how hard I tried. My despair took me to the edge.
When I made the decision to make some drastic changes to stop this despair, I had to walk away from everything.
As I took the leap of faith, I asked myself a number of questions.
What is the worst thing that could happen if I keep going down this new path?
Well I could lose everything and end up with nothing.
What do I need to be happy?
I need a warm dry place to sleep, one good meal a day and someone in my life who truly loves me. I also need to be a part of a community that accepts me warts and all.
At that stage God wasn’t fully on my radar.
I kept going, knowing that all I had to do to meet my basic requirements was to be a good person.
When I found God I received all that in abundance and more.
Will I fall into despair? I can think of several reasons that this might happen, but I pray that my faith remains strong to give me the best chance possible to avoid it.
I cannot ask anymore of God than that, given the sinful world that we live in.
Questions.
- Is your glass half full or half empty?
- What would it take to fill your glass?
- What are you prepared to do to fill it?
Prayer.
Dear Lord, Papa God.
Please fill me Lord with Your Holy spirit as we pray the prayer for those in despair.
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace,
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.”
Have a great day with Jesus.
Graham Hood.
