The Pit and Battle of Despair

Hello All,

A deep, dark pit is a dreadful place to be in.

In this pit, we are engulfed by the darkness of uncertainty and the depth of despair.

There are some who may feel this darkness and despair in greater depth than others.

But I believe that everyone has felt a certain measure of darkness and despair in their lives.

Many try to deny and ignore such feelings. They perceive such feelings as negative and inappropriate for expression. Thus, they repress such feelings and contrive to displace them with what they would consider as positive feelings.

But God has created us as creatures of emotions.

In the Bible, the book of Psalms, in particular, we find much honesty and freedom of expression of the darkness, pain, sadness and despair experienced by the psalmists themselves.

The Pit and Battle of Despair

By Joanne Liaw Sook Ling (30 June 2016)

I'm plunging into a pit of despair

The burden of despair I cannot bear

I see no light in this bottomless pit

Down I go, nearer to where darkness sits

I am tired of fighting this battle

The fight to live is just unbearable

I'm failing; I'm falling; I'm faltering

God knows I've tried to fight, but I'm losing

My knowledge of God feels unreal to me

I know He's good; His goodness I can't see

His love, grace, and mercy I cannot find

For hopelessness engulfs my feeble mind

Points for Reflection:

You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep.

(Psalm 88:6 ESV)

·         There are times in our lives when our feelings contradict our knowledge of God. We know in our minds that God is good and loving but our feelings tell us otherwise.

·         Instead of ignoring such feelings, we should bring them to God in prayer and be honest with Him about our struggles.

·         It is important to remember that such darkness and despair will not last forever. But it is in this time of darkness that God’s comfort and love are most evident.

·         Jesus is the Light of the world who has redeemed us from the darkness of our sins. He experienced darkness, despair, and pain as he hung on the cross. For those who trust in Him, the greatest darkness of mankind has been lifted from us and we stand comforted, secured and redeemed.

·         Although we may be unable to see the light in the darkness of our current situation, we have hope in Christ, the Light, who experienced darkness in our place. Cling to Him. Hope in Him. Trust Him.