March 31, 2020March 31, 2020
by in Focus on Christ E-Books

STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND

WRITTEN BY PRINCESS K

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In the name of Jesus, we give God all the glory, honour and praise.  Jesus is Lord and Jesus is life!  Amen!

When I look around me, I see so many people unhappy, negative and in despair.  When they start sharing about their lives, many are overwhelmed with life throwing so many things at them, and sometimes, all at once.  As I was searching the Internet, I found someone who was not afraid to express how they feel:

“I don’t want to wake up anymore.  I don’t want to get out of bed and I don’t want to keep trying and I don’t want to fail anymore.  I just want to give up.  I just want to go away or disappear and I want to stay like that for a while.  Yeah, I’d like that a whole lot.” – Anonymous (Google Images)

I also realised that when you ask people how they are doing, some openly say that they feel depressed.  Then, there are those who smile and say that things are fine, yet they are trapped inside their own minds.  In many instances, unless you are guided by the Holy Spirit, you might look pass the call for help which is saying that this is how they feel:

It is clear from the above picture why people feel overwhelmed, in despair and discouraged.  After speaking to some of the people around me, some other reasons were:

  • Feeling unloved, empty, not important, like a waste of breath, a mistake and not having a purpose, role or future.
  • Scarred for life due to physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
  • The family is cursed – it runs in the family (grandfather and dad was like that, so I am like that).
  • Continuously making the wrong choices, although knowing it is wrong.
  • What they did, is unforgiveable.

I looked at the definition of desperation in the online dictionary and it says it is “a state of despair, typically one which results in rash or extreme behavior” with synonyms such as, “hopelessness, anguish, pain, agony, misery,” etc.  This closely relates to the definition of feeling depressed, which refers to words such as “unhappy, downhearted, despondent, heavy-hearted, oppressed, discouraged,” etc.  Now, these things we know, but do we often enough reflect upon them?

I was again deeply touched by the Holy Spirit, because there are so many people who are faced with these emotions and feelings, trapped and not knowing how to get out.  Yes, we all go through tough times but some go through more and severe storms than others.  Does it make you a bad person to feel like you are overwhelmed and can’t go on anymore?  No!  We are only human and with satan and his evil spirits constantly going at us, it is normal to feel emotions like tiredness, despondency, discouragement, etc.  So yes, at some time of our lives, we are all hit in some way or another.  It often knocks us down and sometimes we end up in a pit, feeling like we are never going to get out, with constant ground and rubbish being poured on us.

Yes, life is cruel sometimes, but not because of God doing terrible things to us, but because of the people who have denied and lost God, and therefore lost love and respect for one another.  Others make bad choices and that too, affects lives.  This in turn, has given satan power to use people to hurt other people and it becomes a circle of hate, deceit, pain, unforgiveness etc.  Many times, we bring things upon ourselves, by making wrong choices, even when we know it is not the best option.  This could be wrong friends, lies and speaking destruction instead of life into all types of situations.  People, for instance, do not realise how many times it never was satan who put them in situations, but they themselves.  Let’s look at some examples:

  • People say things of themselves or others, like they are useless, idiots, stupid, ugly, fat etc.  We in fact curse people when we say those things.  We already read above, that part of despair and depression is that people say they feel stupid, not good enough and useless.  Why?  Sometimes they speak it over themselves and other times it was the curses of others.  God is clear in Proverbs 18:21 that “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”  So, if you speak it over yourself or over others, you in fact curse them.
  • People judge people, whether it is with sayings as above, or by judging the way they live their lives.  We need to remember that God also says, that what we sow we will reap (Galatians 6:7) and that with the same measure that we judge, we will be judged (Matthew 7:2).

How many times then, with God’s guidance on what we should or should not do, do we make the wrong choices, bringing destruction to others and our own lives?  Remember, if you give satan a foothold, he will come at you at full force, pushing you, until you end up in that pit.

There are those times, when people are in a state of mind because of the bad choices of others, which is often the case also because of physical, emotional and sexual abuse.  Not knowing what to do with these emotions and feelings, especially as children, people grab onto the wrong things, which again result in for example bullying, anger challenges, pushing God away, drug abuse and alcoholism.

What is clear, is that life has challenges, some caused by others and some caused by ourselves.  Whichever, storms will rage, stormy winds will blow and towering mountains will have to be climbed by all of us.  Many turn from God, blaming Him, whilst others continue to turn to God for help, strength and deliverance.  To turn from God, is not going to make it easier, in fact, it makes it worse.  God says as we come near to Him, He will come near to us (James 4:8).  God gave us the gift of free will and He will not force us to choose His way.  However, if we push Him away, we choose to walk a path that is not set out for us, which can be destructive.  Let us look at some of the people in the Bible and what they did?

  • Moses.  One of the cases mentioned with Moses is in Numbers 11:10 – 15, when he said to God: “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant?  What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.”  Moses acknowledged to God how he was feeling, but he did not turn from Him, instead He called on God for help and deliverance came.
  • David.  Psalms is full of praise, but it is also full of David’s call to God when he felt overwhelmed and in despair.  He used words such as his soul was downcast and in despair.  Although David was often in despair, he every time named it and then took it to God to resolve it for him, proclaiming and then receiving his deliverance in God.
  • Paul.  Paul writes in Romans 7:15 – 20: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do……For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing.”  Paul knew what it was to go through the most difficult and challenging times and yes, he made many wrong choices but He too acknowledged what the challenge was, trusted God and received his daily strength.
  • Jesus.  In the gospels of Matthew through to John, we read about the crucifixion of Jesus.  He was falsely accused, humiliated, tortured, and had to die the death of a murderer without ever committing any sin.  He knew what His Father expected of Him, but let us not for one moment think that because He was the son of God, he felt nothing.  He had to go through everything for His blood and life is what broke the chains of hell and death, giving us eternal life when we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour.  On the cross, Jesus felt alone and even He asked God why He had forsaken Him.  God did not answer; however, the resurrection came and with that Jesus holds the keys to hell and death.

Dear reader, in all our lives, storms will rage, fierce winds will blow, we will be challenged and we will fall, and yes, sometimes in a pit.  If you are not the one in the pit today, allow God to use you and stretch out your hand to the one in need.  That same hand must comfort, love, build up and care for others instead of cursing and breaking them down.  Give them Jesus and walk a path with them.  However, if you are in a pit today, I want to encourage you with the following:

  • Give your heart to Jesus.  Many people lose meaning of life, because they reject God.  Do not push God away and do not blame Him for the things that has not worked out in your life.  You need God, we all do!  Without Him, you can do nothing (John 15:5), but with Him, all things are possible (Mark 19:27).  Instead of blaming Him, spend time with Him and allow Him to reveal Himself to you through His Word.  Revelations 3:20 says “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me.”  Making Jesus your personal Saviour, is the beginning of life!
  • Like Moses, David, Paul and Jesus, stretch out your hand to God, call to Him and tell Him how you feel.  He will answer you (Jeremiah 29:12 – 14, Jeremiah 33:3).
  • Wait on the Lord.  When you call to God and you do not see immediate change, stand firm in your faith in Jesus, for He will come through for you.  Just wait on the Lord patiently (Isaiah 30:18, Psalm 27:14, Isaiah 41:31, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Ecclesiastes 3:1) and remember that even Jesus, the Son of God, had to wait on God.
  • Do not quit and don’t give up, for you surely have a purpose (Jeremiah 29:11).  Yes, you have a role to play in God’s Master Plan and it might not be easy, but if it was not important, then why is satan trying to tell you that the only way out is to give up and take your own life?  That is satan, talking out of desperation to get rid of you!
    Forgive those who hurt you, no matter what happened.  Unforgiveness brings destruction.  God says in Matthew 6:14 – 15 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”  We all sin daily and if we can’t receive God’s forgiveness because of your failure to forgive others, we are feeding satan with ammunition, to eat us alive.  He will then come and make you feel like you are worthless, useless and of no good to this world.  Also remember, the same apply for when you sinned against others.  You need to ask them and God for forgiveness, to live your freedom. (1 John 1:9, Romans 8:1).
    Do not fear, live your freedom and use your authority in Christ.  When the challenges come, making you feel overwhelming, remember who you are.  You are saved in Christ and therefore you are sons and daughters of the Highest God.  God says to you:
    • John 16:33 – “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.  In this world, you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
    • 1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
    • 1 John 4:4 – “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
    • Romans 8:37 – “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
    • Luke 10:19 – “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
    • James 4:7 – “Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Dear reader, can we help everyone around us?  Well, nothing is impossible with God, but let us start with the people that are around us every day, like our family, relatives, colleagues, neighbors and the people in line at the supermarket.  Be attentive and if you see someone unhappy, give them a smile and ask them how they are doing.  Let us stretch out our hand and give people love, give them Jesus!  If you need love, and deliverance, stretch out your hand and allow God to pull you out of the situation that you are in.  Yes, it will be a journey, but life is a journey and how we live it out, is really our choice.

Love in Christ

Princess K