Despair Leads to Hopelessness:But That’s Not the End

My days fly faster than a weaver’s shuttle. They end without hope. O God, remember that my life is but a breath, and I will never again feel happiness. Job 7: 6-7, NLT

Despair Leads to HOPELESSNESS

HOPE is one of the most powerful forces in the world. I think the only thing that eclipses the power of HOPE is the power of LOVE. If there is a lack of either of these, it is easy for a person to simply give up.

In the midst of lingering grief that leads to despair, it is easy to lose hope.

We’ve already looked at the true source of HOPE in this series, so that isn’t what this post is about. Instead, I want this post to make you aware. As HOPE dwindles and despair sets in, a person can easily fall in to the trap of believing that they will never be happy again. This can lead to very dark and fatalistic thoughts!

If you continue reading in Job 7, you see where Job actually wants to die because he is so hopeless.

I think ‘My bed will comfort me, and sleep will ease my misery,’ but then you shatter me with dreams and terrify me with visions. I would rather be strangled–rather die than suffer like this. I hate my life and don’t want to go on living. Oh leave me alone for my few remaining days. Job 7: 13-16, NLT

Grief can do that to a person. The key is to know and trust that this is a season that has an end and God’s restoration will come–you have to hang in there and keep trusting.

Restoration Comes

So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. Job 42:12, NLT

Job went from the deepest pits of hopelessness and despair to a man God restored to a better position than what he was prior to his losses. It wasn’t just a physical (health) or financial (material) restoration. It was complete restoration with family as well as with his relationship with God. He still missed the children he lost, but God brought him to a place where he had hope and could enjoy the life that was restored to him as well as honor the life he had prior to his loss.

It wasn’t an easy journey for Job. It was full of pain, sorrow, hopelessness, and despair. He wanted to die long before he was ready to embrace life again–but the God changed those things and he had a beautiful life after an excruciatingly painful season of loss.

Sometimes we want to die long before we are ready to embrace life again–But GOD will restore.

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Where Are You?

Are you at the beginning of your loss where you are still assessing what life will be like?

Has despair and hopelessness become your focal point?

Are you at such a dark place that death would be a welcomed event?

Have you begun to see God intersect with your loss and begin a restoring process?

Has hope and restoration happened and you can look back honoring what life used to be as well as celebrate and look forward to what lies ahead?

Where ever you are in this process, you are not alone. God is with you and there are others available to support and love on you. Call someone–reach out.

Call upon God–reach out to Him. If you don’t know how to do that contact me and I’ll help. It all starts with, “God help!”

This post is part of a 31 day series on Hope for Grieving Hearts. To see all of the posts in this series, click the button below. Thank you for reading. I hope you are blessed and encouraged.