I understand how some people become depressed and feel they are all alone. If I am honest, there have been times in my own life when I felt much like Elijah sitting beneath the juniper tree. I have looked around and wondered where the seven thousand were who had not bowed their knee to Baal.
Elijah cried out to the Lord:
"I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." (1 Kings 19:10 KJV)
There have been moments in my ministry when I understood exactly how Elijah felt. There have been days when the burden seemed heavy, the battle seemed fierce, and the road seemed lonely. There have been times when I wondered where the burden-bearers were in the Church. There have been seasons when I felt as though I was standing alone on the battlefield while others watched from a distance.
I can understand why some people become discouraged. I can understand why some become overwhelmed by loneliness. I can understand why some reach the point where they feel like giving up. When a person begins to believe that nobody cares, the darkness can become very deep.
Yet when I look back over the years, I realize something important.
I was never alone.
Not once.
Not for a single moment.
The Lord was there all the time.
The Psalmist wrote:
"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." (Psalm 37:25 KJV)
As I look back over nearly eight decades of life and many years of ministry, I can testify that God has never forsaken me. There were times when I could not see His hand, but His hand was still guiding me. There were nights when I could not feel His presence, but His presence never left me.
The Lord has carried me through sickness, disappointment, discouragement, financial struggles, family burdens, and ministry battles. He has been faithful every step of the way.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us of God's promise:
"I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5 KJV)
What a comfort that is to the weary child of God!
When we feel abandoned, He is there.
When we feel forgotten, He remembers.
When we feel weak, His strength is sufficient.
When we feel alone, He walks beside us.
As I have reflected upon my own life, however, the Lord has shown me something else.
There have been times when I have not been the burden-bearer I should have been.
While I was looking for someone to encourage me, some brothers and sisters needed encouragement themselves. While I was wondering who would help carry my burden, there were others carrying burdens far heavier than my own.
The Apostle Paul commanded the Church:
"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2 KJV)
That verse is not a suggestion. It is a command.
Some of God's people are walking through the fires of tribulation. Some are carrying burdens that no one knows about. Some are fighting battles behind closed doors. Some are struggling with grief, sickness, loneliness, depression, and discouragement.
Yet too often we pass by without noticing their tears.
Too often, we become so focused on our own troubles that we fail to hear their cries for help.
The Lord has been speaking to my heart about this matter. I have been asking Him to open my eyes to the needs of those around me. I want to see people the way Jesus sees them. I want to hear the silent cries that others cannot hear.
When Jesus looked upon the multitude, the Bible says:
"But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." (Matthew 9:36 KJV)
That is the heart I want.
A heart that sees.
A heart that cares.
A heart that prays.
A heart that helps carry the burdens of others.
People are sitting in our churches every Sunday who are hurting. They sing hymns, shake hands, and smile, but inside they carry a heavy load. They need someone to remind them that God still loves them. They need someone to remind them that the Lord has not forgotten them.
Perhaps the greatest ministry any of us can have is to come alongside a struggling believer and remind them that God is still holding their hand.
Isaiah gave us this precious promise:
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee." (Isaiah 41:10 KJV)
What a message for a discouraged soul!
You are not alone.
You are not forgotten.
You are not abandoned.
The same God who walked with Daniel in Babylon, who stood with Elijah under the juniper tree, and who strengthened Paul in prison is still walking with His people today.
My prayer is simple:
Lord, help me see the spiritual needs of those around me. Help me become a burden-bearer in the household of faith. Help me encourage the weary, strengthen the weak, and comfort the discouraged. Help me remind those who are struggling that You are still holding their hand through every trial of life.
And may we never forget that while others may fail us, the Lord never will.
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." (1 Peter 5:7 KJV)
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