Christmas Comfort for the Discouraged
Isaiah 51.1-8
1Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD:
look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. 2Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you:
for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
3For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places;
and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. 4Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me,
O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me,
and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.
5My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth,
and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me,
and on mine arm shall they trust.
6Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath:
for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
7Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law;
fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
8For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.
Woody Allen has made one of the most profound, discouraging, and sacrilegious statements ever --
"More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness; the other to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly."
If that isn’t pessimism defined, I have missed it entirely.
You know that a pessimist is one who feels bad when he feels good for fear he will feel worse when he feels better.
Many people are discouraged today. It is especially conspicuous during the holidays. Discouragement leads to pessimism, despair and cynicism.
This cycle of discouragement, depression, cynicism, despair needs to be broken. There has to be a place to go when we’ve reached the bottom.
The question is, How do you do it? How do you have a breakthrough, when the whole world seems rotten? How do you break through to the joy-filled life in Christ you hear "other" people talking about? Is there such a thing? Is there life after Christmas?
If you will pardon what seems to be an over-simplification, I want to say to you that Christmas itself is the answer. I do not refer to tinsel, presents and a mountain of credit-card carbons.
Rather, it is the reality of Christmas, without those "trappings," which gives us the answer to the problem of being discouraged. The good news is that it is for all year long -- not just December!
You have considered other ways to break the depression; now consider the LORD...
Christmas is a call to
Consider God’s Character
Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness,
ye that seek the LORD:
look unto the rock whence ye are hewn,
and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
-- Isaiah 51:1
Isaiah writes to the family of God -- to those who seek after righteousness, and the LORD. He says, "hearken." This means pay attention and do something about what I’m going to say.
What is Isaiah’s advice to broken and discouraged people? He says, Look to the rock you’ve been cut from, the hole of the pit from which you’re drawn. This is like saying, look at the mold of that Christmas cookie cutter -- see it’s shape -- do you know what it represents?
Christmas is a time when we recall God’s character, and that we are formed from that mold, by the hands of the Potter, Himself. This is a time when we should be seeking to look into the face of the One who loved us and came for us. David said it:
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee:
my soul thirsteth for thee,my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
-- Psalms 63:1
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies,
and that seek him with the whole heart.
-- Psalms 119:2
My mother said it to me often, and I have said it to my children when they go off into the world -- Remember who you are. Remember whose you are!
If you’re discouraged, depressed, bordering on cynicism or despair -- rejoice! This is not only the day the LORD has made -- He made you too!
Christmas is a call to
Consider God’s Promises
Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. For the LORD shall comfort Zion:
he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
-- Isaiah 51:2-3
Sometimes we forget that the promises made to Abraham were before the Bible was written. Abraham had no King James Version with a topical cross-reference and index to chart out the promises of God. He simply had to take God at His word. Abraham believed God, and he found that God does not renege on His promises.
I heard about an army recruit who had the reputation of being a pessimist. His platoon was being taught how to parachute and the drill sergeant instructed: Now men, when you jump out of the plane, pull the ripcord. If your chute fails to open, pull the second cord for the safety chute. After it opens, a truck will pick you up on the ground & bring you back to base.
The GI jumped from the airplane, pulled the ripcord, and it failed to open. He pulled the second rip cord and it failed too. As he hurtled downward past another soldier he was heard to say, "I bet there won’t be no dog-gone trucks down there either!"
Are the promises of God certain?
Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? -- Psalms 77:8
Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised:
there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
ƒÞ 1 Kings 8:56
It was a dark day for Mary when, after the angel had given her once-in-history type news that the Messiah would be born of her, a virgin. It was great news, but this was a severe problem. She was unmarried. In those days the elders of the city could have had her stoned to death. Somehow the message got through like the song --
Mary, did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will someday rule all nations?
Did you know that your baby boy was Heaven’s perfect Lamb?
And this sleeping child you’re holding, is the Great I AM?
Oh, Mary, did you know?
Well, of course Mary didn’t really know. She just considered God’s promises as true before they ever arrived. Consider the promises of God. There is no discouragement in them for you.
Christmas is a call to
Consider God’s Judgment
Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me,
O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me,
and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.
My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth,
and mine arms shall judge the people;
the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.
-- Isaiah 51.4-5
The word "hearken" is a different word than verse 1. Here it means to broaden the ear.
We used to have a cat with an attitude; finally gave her to Jennifer our daughter. This beast is always on the lookout for a scuffle. She especially likes to fight with my arm. (I have the scars to prove it.)
When we are "doing battle" Gizmo the attack cat will watch my hands. She knows that’s the enemy.
However, I put one hand on one side of her, and the other is directly opposite. She cannot see both at once.
Now, I feel safe, supposing she can’t grab what she can’t see. Ah, but Gizmo knows how to broaden the ear! She will turn that ear towards the "enemy hand" that she can’t see, and pretend that side is unguarded. She can sense it move.
This is what God expects from us. He wants us to be sensitive to His overall plan. He wants us to know more than we can see.
ƒæ Many people have trouble serving God faithfully because we don’t see Him punishing the wicked, or the unfaithful.
ľ It depresses or discourages us to see the wicked prospering, while we suffer, or just get by.
ľ At such times, consider the judgment of God. If His promises are all true, then so is the promise to balance all the scales of righteousness.
God promises to balance the scales as a light before all the people. His assurance of that was Jesus hanging on a cross.
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
-- John 12:32
Jesus today is drawing all men into either salvation or judgment. Discouragement or depression is an expression of unbelief that God will do what He has promised.
A man wrote of an inscription he discovered on a small new gravestone after a devastating air raid on Britain in World War II:
There is not enough darkness in all the world
to put out the light of one small candle.
He wrote:
In moments of discouragement, defeat or even despair,
there are always certain things to cling to.
Little things, usually;
remembered laughter,
the face of a sleeping child,
a tree in the wind ¡V
in fact, any reminder of something deeply felt or dearly loved." (1)
Beloved, we have something deeply felt -- the forgiveness of our sins in Jesus Christ. We have the remembrance of judgment passing away in grace. We have the call of Christmas, the coming of a Savior to take away the judgment of God for all who will receive him -- and the promise that the scales will indeed be balanced.
ľ We consider His character -- we are molded in it...
ľ We consider His promises -- we are held by them...
ľ We consider His judgment -- we are saved from it...
...and we, if we will be comforted, must remember,
Christmas is a call to
Consider God’s Strength
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment,
and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner:
but my salvation shall be for ever,
and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness,
the people in whose heart is my law;
fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
For the moth shall eat them up like a garment,
and the worm shall eat them like wool:
but my righteousness shall be for ever,
and my salvation from generation to generation.
-- Isaiah 51:6-8
Lifting our eyes to the heavens means getting them off ourselves, and looking to the Author and finisher of our faith. Isaiah tells us that strength is not to be found on earth. Strength comes from God.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
-- Proverbs 3:5-6
If you attempt to walk out of your depression and discouragement all alone, or with manmade techniques, you will find them only mildly successful, and not long term. What you need is God’s strength.
Christmas is a call to consider His strength. Christmas is our evidence that the God who created this universe also loves it, and does not leave us alone to find our way in the dark. He is a strong God who is able. There is a wonderful song that speaks of the love and strength of God:
God is too wise to be mistaken.
God is too good to be unkind.
So when you don’t understand,
When you don’t see His plan,
When you can’t trace His hand, Trust His heart. (2)
This is trusting the Lord. This is what the Psalmist meant:
O taste and see that the LORD is good:
blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
-- Psalms 34:8
Applying the Christmas Comfort:
How do you trust this cure for depression? Three doses of spiritual prescription:
MAKE A DECISION TO TRUST
Get on the Lord’s side, and stay there!
Following Christ is a decision. Eventually you must make a leap of faith about what you’ll trust in life. And it is for the long haul. It is a lifetime decision.
KEEP YOUR EYES ON CHRIST Start looking forward to His judgment
Many people are afraid of the judgment, and the end of the world. The Bible promises a blessing, happiness for those who look forward and love his coming. Start looking forward to each new day with Christ, and the day when He comes back for His family.
HELP SOME ONE Lead others to this faith
If current statistics are correct, 90% of Americans have sought help for depression or despair. There are many people you know who need Jesus and His strength. Deliver good news -- it never goes out of date.
Steve McQueen was the consummate 50’s individualist. He was a good- looking successful movie star. He was known by everyone, rich, talented, and the life of the party.
Until he got cancer. When, because of this dreaded disease, he finally had to get off Hollywood’s merry-go-round, he began to see how really depressing and empty his life was. His "religion" had been motorcycles, the outdoors, and money. His mind was depressed -- his soul in despair. He had nothing with which to fight. Life wasn’t worth fighting for.
A friend introduced him to Jesus, and McQueen wrestled with the decision for a long time, until one day, he quietly yielded his life to Christ. He found a peace and a lifting from the burdens. He didn’t win the fight against cancer, but he consummated his life with confidence in the LORD.
Discouragement is almost expected in the hard circumstances of life. But that is not so! The character of God, His promises, His judgment, and His strength break the chains of depression and anything else Satan’s got! Christmas tells me so!
How about it? Get on the LORD’s side & stay there.
Start looking forward to His coming.
Lead someone else to this faith.
Get rid of that discouragement.
Get in the Christmas spirit!
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FOOTNOTES:
1. Arthur Gordon, A Touch of Wonder, (NY, Revell)
2. Eddie Carswell and Babbie Mason, Trust His Heart
