Sunday, January 18, 1998 This Week’s Lesson:
In this week's lesson, which came from I Samuel 31:1-6, Psalms 139:15-16, Jeremiah 10:23, James 5:10-11, and Psalms 94:17-19, the focus was on finding an alternative to suicide. Many people are very discouraged, and many of those who are are discouraged to the point that they just want to end it all. Our lesson pointed out that desperate people do desperate things, and the opening part of this week's lesson showed King Saul at just such a point of desperation. In the midst of a losing battle with the Philistines and also faced with his enemy closing in on him, he chose to take his own life rather than to fall into the hands of those who might abuse and disgrace him. After Saul took his life, his armor bearer did the same, accounting for only two of the six instances of suicide in the Bible. The other four suicides can be found in Judges 9:54, II Samuel 17:23, I Kings 16:18, and Matthew 27:5.
A person might ask why God would ever allow someone to fall so low if He truly considers human life to be valuable. Wouldn't a loving God keep us from all difficulties and let us always be happy? The answer, obviously, is no! In Psalms 139:15-16 and Jeremiah 10:23, the Bible tells us that our life is not our own. These verses also say that the Lord gives us whatever we need to meet our needs. We are not able to understand all the whys of what happens to us, yet David and Jeremiah both knew the importance of letting God direct their paths. When we try to take matters into our own hands, much as Saul had done throughout his reign, then we sometimes back ourselves into our own corner of discomfort. Even when that happens though, we can still turn to the Lord and seek the best remedy for our predicament.
Many times, we cause our own problems. Sometimes, we do not. Our lesson also spoke about the Old Testament prophets, specifically Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, and indicated how these men of God had simply been called to persevere through their difficulties. Our difficulties make us grow. They also make us rely on the Lord and ultimately to be better vessels for Him. Job persevered and was better off in the end than before his ordeal had begun. Even though we may be going through a very difficult situation, James 5:11 tells us that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. He will see us through all of our problems no matter how difficult. Trust in Him, and be willing to wait on Him. In the meantime, do your best to encourage those around you, especially those who may be experiencing their own hard time.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
Send email to: tlee6040@aol.com