Do you experience times when you feel all alone? I do. What do you do when you feel that way? Is there a way you can know that you are not alone? I believe there is a way for you to know like me, that we are not alone – ever. Would you like to gain that same knowledge?
During the many years that my wife Laura suffered from mental illness, attempted suicide multiple times, then was finally successful in August of 2010, there were many times I felt like I was alone. I felt like I was fighting the battle all by myself. It was those times when God, through His Holy Word and by the direction of the Holy Spirit, revealed to me that I was not alone. God was always there for me and most importantly, He understood me.
My journey with God went like this. God’s answer to my dilemma was Him. God showed me that if I would seek Him and humble myself that He would dwell with me. God spoke to me in Isaiah 57:15.
“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (ESV)
God was always there for me. He was there to help me. He was there to take away my fear. Can I say that I felt Him working in me all of the time? I must answer no, but not because God was not there, but because I did not accept His help. There were many times, I sought to do it on my own.
Most importantly since God was with me, He wanted me to understand that He knew what I was going through and He was there for me. Hebrews 4:14-16 says, “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (ESV)
Since Jesus was fully man and fully God, He could understand what I was going through. He could understand my fear, my worry, my helpless feeling, and my need for help. Not only is Jesus is my intermediary between God and me, He is sitting at the right hand of God the Father interceding for me. He is pleading my case.
As I continued to struggle, doubt, fear, and wonder, Jesus was right there for me. His Holy Spirit was dwelling within me. He was helping me to pray. Even when I did not know how or what to pray the Holy Spirit did. As Romans 8:26-27 says, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
I have come to the conclusion in my life that it does not really matter what I feel about my situation or what I perceive to be true, which is not relative, but what matters is what God shows me through the Holy Bible. I am who I am today because of what I went through. However, I am nothing without my God who is always with me. I can go through anything because the Holy Spirit dwells within me. I can do nothing on my own. This is the realization that gives me hope all of the time.
So, join me in placing your hope in the hands of the only One who is always present and can make can make all things right. Have hope for yourself and give hope to others. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross satisfied the penalty for my sins and yours as well. It satisfied all my sins from the past, in the present and in the future, even my itching ears, and yours too. My penalty and yours was satisfied on the cross by the death of Jesus, God’s greatest act of love and wrath, who became sin for me and you. Because of that we ought to believe in Jesus. I hope that you join me in choosing Jesus.
If you have not read my previous blogs, you can find them here.
You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here.
eBook or Audiobook versions can be found at Westbow Press or Christianbook.com at Amazon or Google
