When My Heart Is Broken

Psalm 34:17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a

contrite spirit.
Psalm 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

When I Have Sinned

Psalm 37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

Micah 7:8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.

9 I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.

18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

When I Am Afraid

Psalm 56:1 Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.

3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

Isaiah 43:1 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

2 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.

Isaiah 51:12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass.

When Others Say There Is No Hope For Me

Psalm 3:1 Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me.

2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God.

3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

When I Am Tempted to Take My Life

Isaiah 50:10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.

Psalm 18:28 For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

Psalm 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

Lamentations 3:21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

MEMORY VERSE: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength. —Isaiah 26:3-4

CENTRAL THOUGHT: Although we may be in a time of darkness, there will be light— we just can’t see it yet. It is through believing God’s Word and trusting in His grace and love that we can have peace and hope in seemingly hopeless times.

LESSON BACKGROUND

Today’s lesson is a continuation of precious promises for when we go through seasons of heaviness. Many of our verses come from David’s times of despair, when he was pursued by outward enemies and tormented by inward ones. David despaired of his life at times, but he talked himself out of it by reminding himself of all of God’s mercies. Every time he ended up praising God. There is a great secret here for all of us in times of trouble.

Isaiah also wrote many encouraging promises to God’s people who were going through “rivers” of afflictions and times of great darkness. Jeremiah, “the weeping prophet,” found his comfort in the little scroll—God’s law—he found hidden in the temple. God’s Word brought him hope. Micah also ministered to God’s people who felt hopeless after their sins. His promise of forgiveness and hope after transgression give light and comfort to us today.

There are many false teachings promising peace for those who take their own lives. God’s Word teaches differently. In life there is mercy and hope; in God there is help. Suicide is the ultimate expression of unbelief. If we perish at our own hand in desperate unbelief, we choose to separate ourselves from God eternally. This is a hard saying, as this situation touches our lives closely. Let us stay close to God’s Word and trust His Wisdom.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

I look not back; God knows the fruitless efforts, The wasted hours, the sinning, the regrets.

I leave them all with Him who blots the record, And graciously forgives, and then forgets.

I look not forward; God sees all the future, The road that, short or long, will lead me home,

And He will face with me its ev’ry trial, And bear for me the burdens that may come.

I look not round me; then would fears assail me. So wild the tumult of earth’s restless seas,

So dark the world, so filled with woe and evil, So vain the hope of comfort and of ease.

I look not inward; that would make me wretched; For I have naught on which to stay my trust.

Nothing I see save failures and shortcomings, And weak endeavors, crumbling into dust.

But I look up—into the face of Jesus,  For there my heart can rest, my fears are stilled;

And there is joy, and love, and light for darkness, And perfect peace, and ev’ry hope fulfilled.

This poem was written by Annie J. Flint, who, beginning in her twenties, was crippled and bedfast from arthritis until her death at age 66. (Poem could be sung to the tune of “He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need,” with the last verse being the chorus after each of the other four verses.)

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

REFLECTIONS

There are many things that can cause depression and I don’t pretend to understand all of them. I have had my own battles with this darkness from my teenage years. Back then my walk with the Lord was not steady and I can only say that He showed great mercy to me in that I was not consumed by the darkness at that time. I believe depression can stem from a broken relationship with God, but what if you are walking closely with the Savior and still this darkness obliterates your joy and hope? This is my personal testimony of how the Lord delivered me from a time of deep depression. I don’t recall now how long I was in this place. Depression creeps in unannounced and then silently drains every drop of life out of you. I know that it had gone on long enough that others were aware that something was wrong, though I don’t think I said anything. I couldn’t smile or laugh. The only thing that gave life meaning was my relationship with the Lord and yet I felt hopeless and helpless in the grip of this darkness. I couldn’t understand how it could happen when I was earnestly seeking Him daily.

I will never forget the day that the Lord delivered me from this darkness. I remember where I was when I cried out to the Lord silently, “I’m sick and tired of being this way! I’m going to fight it.” At that moment I felt something break loose, like a chain had suddenly snapped. Hope began to rise, but I knew I had to have some weapon against this spirit of darkness. So I asked the Lord, “What do I fight with?” The answer came swiftly, “Praise.” I recognized immediately the truth of this as I obeyed and the darkness retreated.

From that time I have had much greater victory over a spirit of depression. I constantly look to the Lord to be “the lifter up of my head” whenever discouraging thoughts try to infiltrate. Maintaining a heart that is full of praise for our wonderful Lord and Savior makes it very difficult for the darkness to creep in. May The Lord bless each one struggling today and give you your own testimony of deliverance.

—Sis. Sarah L. Herron, Shawnee, OK