The Lord is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope.
-- Psalm 34:18 CEV
Reflection:
My recent fall 2012 book tour took me to the four beautiful states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana, where I was honored to meet many reader-friends. What struck me especially hard this tour was the vast amount of brokenhearted people I encountered—college grads unable to find work, new widows with tears glistening, older women with frightening new diagnoses, and young wives whose husbands had abandoned them...and, oh, the dear children without fathers.
Never before have I heard from so many sorrowful hearts in the space of a few days. I began to wonder if it is just that my readers feel they know me so well (many say they’ve “read my heart” on the pages of my books) that they’re comfortable sharing openly. Whatever the reason, I promised to pray daily for God’s comfort where needed, and His grace and mercy, too.
Without Christ, wouldn’t all of us be heartbroken? Over the course of our lives, every single one of us needs to be divinely rescued. From sin and shame, from our own guilt, from affliction, joblessness, emotional distress—the list goes on and on. Discouragement is a fragile place to be, yet we experience it repeatedly.
When we hit bottom, where do we turn? To whom can we cling?
Jesus came to give us hope during this life and for the next. His peace and joy are gifts there for the receiving. Without Him, where would any of us be?