Where Hope is Found

Introduction

Nothing in this world can remind you of what sin does to the human race more than just simple reading or watching the news. Whether that all of the lack of civility in politics, the decline of morality in our society, or the ever shrinking dependency on God. But its what sin is doing to people individually that is most disheartening.

It wasn't long ago we talked about how depression, a disease (like all diseases) which came into the world because of sin, has lead to many taking there own lives. A Mega Church pastor named Jarrid Wilson, committed suicide on the eve of World Suicide prevention Day. Wilson was a strong advocate for mental health, yet openly struggled with it for years. His death, is particularly tragic because of his passion to help others impacted by depression.

Scripture makes it clear that we do not have the right to take any right, even our own. We also do not know what state of mind someone like Wilson is going through when they decide to take their own life. Like all things we acknowledge God is our Judge and knows our struggles and our heart and he will judge accordingly.

With that said, there are two things I can encourage you today to do if you are struggling with depression, anxiety or anything that is causing you lose hope. First, medical help. There is no shame in seeking council from a professional, or brother and sister in Christ who can guide you.

Second and most importantly is to lay all your burdens on God trusting Him to deliver you from you trials and temptations. For that lesson we turn to Jeremiah today.

Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet. He got that name because of the sorrow he felt for the Kingdom of Judah's constant refusal to repent and turn back to God alone. I can think of no one better to teach us where to find hope in a dark world world. tells us this,

(NIV)

5 This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man

6That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

and makes flesh his strength,

7“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

whose heart turns away from the LORD.

6  He is like a shrub in the desert,

and shall not see any good come.

He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,

in an uninhabited salt land.

Depending on where you place your trust will determine whether you can face the challenges of life with or without hope! One way is. . .

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Hoping to find Joy or meaning in this world will always lead to despair and hopelessness.

Jeremiah in his time had to deal with a Kingdom of people who tended to place their trust in political allies rather than their servitude to God. They forgot that their ancestors were freed from Egypt with the power of God. they forgat that it was God who gave them victory after victory when taking the promise land and it was God who allowed them to survive up to that point! Nevertheless their trust was in other human beings.

The Kingdom of Judah tended to place there trust in political allies than their servitude to God. This led to their destruction carried out by Babylon.

When we put our trust in man to bring hope, they will always fail us. Every human is sinful and falls short often glory of God (). Trust in man means your falling short every time.

Consider this, if you think human philosophy can find you the answers to a happy life consider what human philosophy gives us. At some point humans believed that there was indeed a God but he was a distant and impersonal, leaving His creation totally on its own - that's deism. From there someone said there is no God , only nature, which created itself and is rule by itself - that's naturalism. Then someone said, wait, if there no God, and all that is, is a cold dark and uncaring universe - that all life is meaningless - that nihilism! The more we subtract God the less Hope we have, until eventfully there is no hope at all, only misery and despair.

Without trust in God we are cursed to endure in our hopelessness, and like a shrub in the dessert we are barley surviving, bearing no fruit or shade. Depression can sometimes be made worse by mental disease, but certainly all the time when we trust in this world alone to solve it becomes deadly. For Judah its was deadly, they never repented and they were destroyed and exiled by Babylon.

That’s what it looks like when our trust is elsewhere, we must avoid that, instead we need to understand that,

Hope and joy will only come by trusting God which leads to everlasting fulfillment

Jeremiah preached that only repentance and trust in God’s saving power would save The Kingdom of Judah from destruction. The same is true for us, only repentance and total trust in the saving power of God’s Son, Jesus will save us

When we search for meaning or joy in our life its about trusting in God’s wisdom instead of man’s. James in the New Testament echoes Jeremiah in chapter 3 of his book saying,

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Trust in the wisdom that is from Heaven , not from earth is key. God’s wisdom says to place your hope and your trust in Him for salvation and He tells us to lean on Him for comfort. The Prophet Isaiah, who preached to Judah right before Jeremiah reassured Israel of God’s comfort,

who takes hold of your right hand

13 For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

and says to you, Do not fear;

I will help you.

Relief from depression, give it to God, relief from anxiety, give it to God, relief from anger, give it to God, relief from temptation, give it to God! He will guide you and help you!

When we lean of God, Trust God we are like a full and beautiful tree who has a never ending supply of refreshing water. In God we bear fruit and give plenty of shade. A dramatic contrast to the shrub of those who don't place there trust in God.

Jesus is that living water that will refresh us always, only when we decide to not trust in its refreshing power do we thirst again.

Conclusion

Hoping to find Joy or meaning in this world will always lead to despair and hopelessness.

Instead,

Hope and joy will only come by trusting God which leads to everlasting fulfillment.

Jeremiah’s ministry ended in with the fall of Jerusalem, and although not taken to Babylon he would eventually be forced to flee to Egypt, where his story in the bible ends.

But before that, in the middle all of the devastation and ruble of what was left of Jerusalem he found hope. What most certainly is his words in the book of Lamentations he said,

(NIV)

21Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

22Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

23They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

24I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

25The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;

26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

In our darkest hours we can find hope like Jeremiah, but it is only through trusting God to get us through it. No matter what tools God gives us to overcome here on earth, it must start with Him!