The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. – Psalm 34:18-19

Sometimes the trials of life consume us with fear, guilt, heartache, stress, illness, and hopelessness, pain even to the point where we feel like dying to escape it all. Approximately one person attempts to take their own life every 31 seconds. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds. Statistics tell us that by the end of this devotion, possibly 5 or more people in our nation will have at least attempted suicide, and 1 may have succeeded. One of the greatest tragedies known and experienced by those today. And it’s preventable.

There are many stories in the Bible about people committing suicide. Saul did to escape the abuse of his captures. His assistant did as well. After betraying an innocent man, Judas ended his life due to the burden of his sin. And there are several more. But story after story, God reminds us in His word that His plans are for our good, and He uses our trials to strengthen us and to help others.

Some have said that suicide is an unforgivable sin, baring one from the gates of Heaven. But it is not an unforgivable sin according to Scripture. We read in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.”

The focus, of course, is not the debate over sin, but rather giving our attention to those who are struggling. Greater than any struggle we may face is the truth and hope of Jesus Christ. In the face of life’s challenges and uncertainty we have hope through faith in Jesus and His work on the cross. His resurrection provides hope for the future. Not just wishful thought, but a confident expectation of what God will do. Belief in His goodness, love, and sovereignty, inspires optimism and assurance.

“So do not fear for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

I myself have wrestled with suicidal thoughts. In 2006, after the untimely death of my younger brother, I attempted suicide. As I lay in the hospital bed, a woman whom I did not know approached me and asked me why I was there. Embarrassed, I explained and she told me something I have never forgotten: “God has a plan for you.” She said it with such conviction that it stuck me deep. In a time where I was overcome with depression and resentment toward God, He never forsake me.

And just last year, in February, after working every single day for more than 6 weeks, more than 60 hours a week, I reached a breaking point. I was the only one in my office that had the knowledge and experience to assist my boss with a huge project. And time was of the essence. After a few weeks, my boss admitted that he was not putting in the same amount of time as I was, and would not work Sunday’s because of Sabbath. I told my boss in a candid and desperate conversation that I was suicidal. He responded unsympathetically and we resumed working. I felt like I was screaming for help and the words were not coming out. I promptly called my doctor and she gave me a note to take a leave of absence for 3 weeks. At that moment I thought to myself, “No, there is no way I can do that. Everyone is counting on me.” But I prayed, and God heard me and guided me. In the morning, I gave the note to my boss who didn’t know what to say. I took 4 weeks off to recover and returned with my mental health restored. Three months later when they asked me to help with another big project that would require quite a bit of overtime, I politely declined. Even when offered a sizable bonus for my work, I made the decision that my mental health was more important than anything money could buy.

By God’s healing and strength we are able to make it through to the other side of even our deepest struggles. But we often find ourselves talking about suicide after it happens. As believers we have the ability to start more discussions about Christ’s freeing power, to open the doors and get conversations going.

Some seasons of life are particularly difficult. One thing we can be certain of is that the enemy wants nothing more than to destroy our lives. We are fed lies like, “everyone is better off without me,” “The pain is too great, I can’t face it anymore,” “I’ve messed everything up and I’m too far gone.” We read in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly.” The enemy will make us feel as though we’ve sunken to the bottom, that we are alone. But we are never alone. God sees our pain and promises to be with us always. “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

Please pray with me:

Heavenly Father,
You see us even in our darkest times, You are the light. Your power can break through the toughest mess. You tell us that you have great plans for us, we have purpose and meaning. And we are loved beyond measure. Sometimes in the midst of suffering it can be hard to see these things, Father, but you bring us hope. We can always look to you for strength. You are our healer, our deliverer. We are never too far gone for your rescue. So when the circumstances around us dampen our spirits and we feel empty and have lost our way, let us walk in truth, living strongly, with courage. It is the grace of Christ that sets us free. He is holding us tight, and will never let go.

In Jesus’ name we pray.
AMEN.