Jeremiah: Recovering from Hopeless Despair

 Pastor’s Pen,

This Sunday: Jeremiah: Recovering from Hopeless Despair                                       Lamentations 3:17-25  

Have you ever felt yourself in a situation where you were overwhelmed with feelings of despair? You tried to figure out a solution, maybe even prayed about your circumstances. But they just seem to be no way out.

Over the years, many of my radio callers have expressed despair. I remember Stacy, who called him two weeks before Christmas, feeling suicidal because of marriage breakup, a lost job, and children who were rejecting her.

My friend Ron, after years of faithful service was fired from his pastoral position the same week he and his wife discovered their 10-year-old daughter had osteosarcoma. 

Despair touched our lives and our family the night we received a phone call telling us our grandson Albert had died at age 21. 

Despair is a feeling of utter hopelessness, and because of that the ultimate antidote for despair is hope. We learn from Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 4:14 that hope can be defined as an absolute certainty about the future, based on an absolute certainty from the past-- the resurrection of our Savior.

Centuries before the earthly life of Jesus Christ, Jeremiah felt despair over the dire circumstances in his country, Israel, and was led by God to write the book of Lamentations to help us identify with his feelings-- and the hope he regained.

*****

We appreciate those who help sanitize our facilities for services each Saturday morning in in in in in in in in in in in preparation for Sunday worship as well as those who make it possible for us to ‘live-stream’ on Facebook at 10:45 each Sunday morning, and to post each Sunday’s message on our website (www.fccwylie.org) on Sunday afternoons. 

When you enter the sanctuary Sunday, after you are given a bulletin, stop by the communion table where the offering plates are located in the rear of the worship center and pick up your disposable communion cup. Then following the service, please dispose of it in the trash can. (Mark 10:45) 

We continue to hold our Sunday services with all safety protocols and pre-service sanitizing in place. No Sunday school yet, and the nursery is not available.  We are now following the latest CDC guidelines which allow fully vaccinated individuals to go without masks. We use bulletins printed untouched by human hands, with songs, etc. printed therein, and pre-packaged communion elements. Offering plates are located at the rear, or giving can be done online at www.fccwylie.org.

If you still feel uncomfortable attending, feel free to join our live stream on Facebook, at 10:45 AM, which includes communion and the worship hymns. Or the message is available each Sunday afternoon on our website. (www.fccwylie.org)

Jeremiah: Recovering from Hopeless Despair                                       Lamentations 3:17-25                                                     

• Hope depleted (1-20)  
• Jeremiah feels like giving up  

• He thinks things are hopeless  

• He blames God 

• Hope renewed (21-23) 
• The Lord’s loyal love  

• The Lord’s tender compassions

• The Lord’s unchanging faithfulness 

• Hope re-focused (24, 25) 
• The Lord is my portion

• The Lord is good  

Concluding observations:

There will likely be times when we feel like we are “in the dust” of despair                                                                                                                                           The Lord will never cast off His children forever                                                                                                                                          Our response? Hope, quietly wait (v. A                                                                   

                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                          

PRAYER ITEMS: Please check the Prayer list on the Bulletin!

Believers and Americans/supporters in Afghanistan

Bruce Moilan—surgery recovery, continued progress 

John Royal’s father: parents relocated to Texas

Rbeda’s brother-in-law—spiritual 

Darla and other healthcare workers; Educators, students

Shirley-next eye surgery Thursday

Kaleiann Loughery, hospitalized  

William Martin-colon cancer

A.B. Simmons, health issues

RADIO THIS WEEKEND:   

The open enrollment period for Medicare is in full swing, and advertising is flooding the airwaves.  Medicare authority Toni King of tonisays.com joins host Don Hawkins with practical answers to Medicare questions, this weekend on Encouragement Live.

Encouragement Live can be heard Saturday at 7:05 PM central time on American Family Radio (www.afr.net) and on theworshipchannel.org.  Re-broadcast Sunday 9 pm on The Worship Channel.