By John Thiel

Are you weary? When we are encompassed with doubt. Perplexed by circumstances or afflicted by poverty or distress. Have you had to make a sacrifice to get here? When we are encompassed with doubt and afflicted by poverty.

It is at the time of greatest weakness that Satan assails the soul with the fiercest temptations. It was thus that he hoped to prevail over the Son of God; for by this policy he had gained many victories over man. When the will power weakened and faith failed, then those who had stood long and valiantly for the right yielded to temptation. Moses, wearied with forty years of wandering and unbelief, lost for a moment his hold on Infinite Power. He failed just on the borders of the Promised Land. So with Elijah. He who had maintained his trust in Jehovah during the years of drought and famine, he who had stood undaunted before Ahab, he who throughout that trying day on Carmel had stood before the whole nation of Israel the sole witness to the true God, in a moment of weariness allowed the fear of death to overcome his faith in God. {PK 174.1}

And so it is today. When we are encompassed with doubt, perplexed by circumstances, or afflicted by poverty or distress, Satan seeks to shake our confidence in God. It is then that he arrays before us our mistakes and tempts us to distrust God, to question his love. He hopes to discourage the soul, and break our hold on God; for he knows that once he succeeds in separating us from the source of our strength, he is sure of his prey. {RH, October 30, 1913 par. 9}

We are all involved in a terrible conflict. We get very tired from the battle and we get very tired and despondent. But God understands and he pities. God understands. When I grew up and I had a problem and my parents said take it to Jesus, he understands. Is that enough to cure, to bring us out of our despondency? God understands what it is like. The battle with depression, despondency.

Psalms 69:1-3. To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, [A Psalm] of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto [my] soul.

69:2 I sink in deep mire, where [there is] no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

69:3 I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

Have you ever considered your circumstances, what is your future? And cried and cried. Dealing with the same despondency that you and I deal with. When you feel despondent and discouraged, do you think that God has forsaken you? If God is really love, then why has he left me in this predicament.

Psalms 22:1-2 To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [why art thou so] far from helping me, [and from] the words of my roaring? 22:2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

Where is help? I’m crying unto God and crying and crying, when will you release me from this? When will you show me a way out of this predicament? Out of this mentality? We lock ourselves into a particular way of thinking and we can’t see the way out. Did Christ really have to deal with depression and discouragement?

Christ’s agony did not cease, but His depression and discouragement left Him. The storm had in nowise abated, but He who was its object was strengthened to meet its fury. He came forth calm and serene. A heavenly peace rested upon His bloodstained face. He had borne that which no human being could ever bear; for He had tasted the sufferings of death for every man. {DA 694.1}

We want that experience. We don’t want for God to change my circumstances. There is a precious lesson for me to learn. I need for God to change my mind, for me to cope. Here we find a remedy. Save me O God for waters are come into my soul. Here is Jesus suffering depression and despondency. Why didn’t God just cast him off and say no I don’t care.

Psalm 40:1. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

What did Jesus do? He waited. Patiently. He didn’t fret, he didn’t panic, he just resigned himself to his current circumstances and waited for the Lord to raise him up.

Psalm 22:24. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

God understands the affliction. He realises that those people who he loves are being afflicted and he cares for them in that affliction. In all their afflictions, he was afflicted. Neither hid his face from him. Where was the father when Christ was in darkness? The father was with his son in the darkness. When he cried unto him, he heard. Was his father’s ear shut to the cry of his son? Many shall see it and be glad and shall trust in the lord. When we go through our despondency’s, when we feel that we have been forsaken of God, when we feel like Elijah where we just want out.

But it was when hope was gone and his lifework seemed threatened with defeat, that he learned one of the most precious lessons of his life. In the hour of his greatest weakness he learned the need and the possibility of trusting God under circumstances the most forbidding. {PK 173.1}

Those who, standing in the forefront of the conflict, are impelled by the Holy Spirit to do a special work, will frequently feel a reaction when the pressure is removed. Despondency may shake the most heroic faith and weaken the most steadfast will. But God understands, and He still pities and loves. He reads the motives and the purposes of the heart. To wait patiently, to trust when everything looks dark, is the lesson that the leaders in God’s work need to learn. Heaven will not fail them in their day of adversity. Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness and relies wholly on God. {PK 174.3}

He still pities, he reads the motives and purposes of the heart. Jesus waited patiently. To wait patiently, to trust when everything looks dark, is a lesson we need to learn. Heaven will not fail us in our day… nothing is apparently more helpless yet really more invincible than the soul that feels its hopelessness and has a hold on God. Fellow Christian Satan knows your weakness, therefore cling to Jesus. Abiding in Gods love, you may stand every test. The righteousness of Christ alone can stem the tide that is sweeping over the world. Bring faith into your experience.

To know that God himself is passing through the same experience that you are. Faith lightens every burden. It relieves every weariness. Providences that are now mysterious you may solve by continued trust in God. Walk by faith in the path he marks out. Trials will come, but go forward, this will strengthen your faith. The sacred records of history are written that we may wonder.

Was not Christ himself a servant? Did he not have to exercise faith in the darkness? Christ was there in the darkness, where are you? Why has Thou forsaken me? Father into thy hands I commend my spirit. The Father was right there beside him. When it dawned on him, even though He felt such a separation, He realised, He’s with Me in this darkness.