DELIVERANCE FROM DESPAIR

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” – John 14:1

Humanity is passing through troubled times, but in Christ Jesus, there is DELIVERANCE from DESPAIR: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” (Jh.16:33). The disciples of the Lord Jesus were in a state of dilemma and despair when He began to speak about His impending death. But the Lord lifted their hearts with words of Faith and Hope. One of the crudest tools of the enemy is to deceive people, because of a temporary crisis, into thinking they are all alone in their distress – causing them to despair and be drawn into the pit of self-pity. They start to see themselves as abandoned, helpless and stranded victims of their circumstances. For people in the world, this may be true. However, for us who are in Christ, this is never true! We have no business wallowing in misery!

In John 14:16-18, the Lord further assures us: ^“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you ANOTHER HELPER, that He may abide with you forever. the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” So, according to God’s Word, we have a built-in-Helper – the Holy Spirit. When you accept Jesus as your Saviour, the Holy Spirit comes to live in you and to be with you: “But the HELPER, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (Jh.14:26).

It’s important that we know the truth about overcoming hopelessness, depression, despair, and misery, because the enemy has used such demonically-fuelled feelings to keep many people in bondage. Jesus says: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (Jh.10:10). The thief comes to steal RIGHTEOUSNESS, to kill PEACE, and to destroy JOY, the key constituents of the Kingdom within the believer: “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom.14:17). Christ came to give Life and to ensure that you and I do not give even an inch of His Kingdom to the enemy! Beloved, despair is not your portion. In Christ, there is deliverance from despair! Appropriate it!

The Lord ended His Farewell Discourse on the note of Triumph over Tribulation: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (Jh.16:33). Whenever feelings of despair try to seduce you into gloom and depression, the antidote is to affirm the truth of God’s Word: “I am not helpless because the Lord is with me as a Mighty Terrible One. I am not hopeless because the Lord is my Helper. I will not despair because I have been delivered from despair. In Christ, have Dominion of darkness and depression”!

Even David, in the Old Testament, affirmed his hope of deliverance from despair: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God (Psa.42:11).” God’s Word is the key! Therefore, let’s meditate further in Scriptures:

“He sent His Word and healed them, and DELIVERED them FROM THEIR DESTRUCTIONS” (Psa.107:20).

“But the LORD IS WITH ME as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten” (Jer.20:11).

“HE HASDELIVERED US from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col.1:13).

“So we may boldly say: “THE LORD IS MY HELPER; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Heb.13:6).