In the Slough of Despond - Selected Scriptures

When he asks how long the Lord that's a recognition that God not only determines the depths of your trials.

God determines the links of your trial. So even in his despair. David is implying here in this text that he knows God is still in control. God knows how deep this is. Knows how long this can last. So even though David here is that what we would call his worst is still clinging to what he knows and he made a desperate appeal to God while working through the emotional turmoil. His despair caused looking at what David said about despair teaches us in valuable lessons about both the crippling effects of despair and the comforting effects of devotion to God.

John Bunyan wrote a book entitled Pilgrim's progress in which he likened despair to a muddy swampy slew using that imagery Stevens calling today's lesson in the slough of despond.

This is wisdom for the heart and today are Bible teacher Stephen Devi looks at this issue that plagues so many and offers help and hope from the word of God. Let's get started.

I think I mentioned to you that I recently reread John Bunyan's classic work Pilgrim's progress in you may know little bit of this, but he wrote this while in prison he would refuse to stop preaching without a license and spend about 12 years in prison. Over the course of totaled 12 years while in prison he dreamed of one night. Perhaps a series of dreams, but they vividly played out of this vast storehouse of biblical knowledge that he hadn't this metaphor. This allegory evolved, and he wrote out his thoughts in the form of an allegory of Pilgrim's progress was a result the basic idea is that Christian this man leaves the city of destruction believing the prophecy that it will be destroyed begins a journey toward the celestial city. Bunyan writes this he says no I saw in my dream that they drew near to a very miry slough SL OU GH that was in the midst of the plane and they heedless did fall suddenly into the blog, the name of the slough was despond, or despair. Christian launches into a rather panic. He ran for lack of better word. He wonders why the slough despond is even allowed to exist. In fact, he says, why doesn't the king, the Emperor of the celestial city covered over for the pilgrims to come this way, what is he allowed to remain.

Why hasn't Bunyan writes why hasn't it been mended and help responds by saying it cannot be mended. It must be traveled through slough despond is an ever present danger that discouragement is one of the chief tools of the enemy. The enemy of pilgrims as they journey through deep and chartered valleys. Discouragement can lead to all sorts of biblical conclusions and spiritually discouraging misconceptions that hardened the soil of the heart and dry up anticipation and joy. So let's address it in the series I want to show you a couple of men who battled this enemy in their walk with God turn first in your Old Testament to the book of Psalms where David is mired down in the slough despond. In chapter 13.

The context here is David is running for his life from Saul. He's he's misunderstood by his side nation his family. He's hiding out in order to stay alive.

What a pit this would be in fact he's he's going to make it is going to write with total transparency, which is one of the reasons you're so glad as well as I am that the Psalms exist, aren't you putting the words you put in the words we feel is going to make the same for conclusions that every believer makes if instead of traveling through it.

We miss the steppingstones and we get mired down and caught up in it. Instead, conclusion number one argument to get into the text. I have been forgotten by God.

I have been forgotten by God's first one how long the Lord will you forget me forever.

A great way to start a song I want you to forget me I guess is going to be forever got so busy with people he so busy with world events, major stuff. He's evidently apparently forgotten about little old me that David sort of throws in his his somewhat hardhearted editorial comment even know he's just beginning the Psalm he's arrived at the conclusion forget me and I know the last forever. Why write anything further.

Frankly, that's how long it feels doesn't it when you're stuck in the mire of despond when you're afraid or confused time to sort stretches out doesn't fear and panic. Make things a last an eternity. David is waist deep. He's hiding out. He's hungry.

His life is at risk. He's in the slough despond. When you're in the slough despond days seem like years, months seem like an eternity. He writes your forget May and and it seems like you're forgetting me forever along appeals he's reached the conclusion the gods forgotten.

He's even around.

Secondly, it's actually worse than that. David reaches the conclusion that God has intentionally abandoned him.

It's a short step, but it's a long leap here deeper into the slough despond. He believes that God is actually intentionally abandoned how long that his next phrase will you hide your face from me as I know you're out there. I know you can see me but I guess you don't care you have abandoned me. You are hiding from. That's worse is it's one thing to forget your child at church or restaurant.

So one thing to be forgotten. It's another thing to believe you have been purposefully abandoned. That hurts.

Did you know that a baby or young child is abandoned in the United States, the tune of about 100 a day left in a public space in a mall in the hospital not by accident but on purpose.

That's the conclusion David is it has reached here in verse one. How long will you hide from me and others I know your out there. I know you can see me. How long are you going to abandon me in this slough despond. David concludes that he's been forgotten by God he's made a second run conclusion that he's been abandoned by God. Thirdly, would you notice his despair leads him to make another run conclusion and that is this that wisdom is no longer available from God. Look at verse two.

How long must I take counsel in my soul is all by myself and have sorrow in my heart all the day. How long shall my enemy be exalted over me. In other words, life gone from bad to worse, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do to get over to get past this always hunting me down. I think I got a crevice in this cave or cleft in this rock or or or some stomp or rocker trees some forest. We don't know but maybe I can survive but but how will I get out of this. I'm surrounded by people.

You notice he implies this, who do not love me do not want to help me, if anything, they they will long to be able to point out the fact that my life is a mess. They can't wait. Maybe you're there right now might be related to family relationship or relationships. It might just be the challenge of family, the carefree days. Perhaps early in your marriage where there was little stressful. You didn't realize until you now are older. Look back at it just enough money to spare to maybe buy another bundle of diapers. I can remember as a seminary student when her twins were born, we would literally scrape together some change to we could come up with enough and I go downstairs in our apartment complex and by diet Dr. Pepper. Marcy and I would split it at once so good. We thought those were the expensive pressure at a stage where you're struggling with conflict or difficulty may be good times of change to rebellion nor antagonism.

Everybody suffers through it and nobody has any fun anymore. What you do now maybe maybe your work nearly days of your business. Perhaps things went along well and successfully. Maybe things have leveled off.

Frankly be right now, your business or your job is in jeopardy your plan now you can have it in our spiritual lives as well were days in the past, perhaps where you could sort chart your growth in a one victory after another and that seemed to taper off to into a slump and when you're in that slough. Here's how it feels.

David is expressing it it it's God's will that interested in me. Evidently he's hiding from me. He's abandoned me. Maybe he's cut off wisdom from me to.

Maybe I'm not worthy or maybe he's gone looking for somebody a little more discipline or little more faithful or little more interesting when David right here in verse two. How long must I take counsel in my soul uses the Hebrew term, take counsel, which means to plan for yourself to adjust to life for yourself. So what David is saying is that I've come to a point gods forgotten me with words. He's abandoned me and now I got it would just to my life.

I have to make plans for myself to somehow get out of this and he is an offering of the wisdom he must've turned off the spec that's even more dangerous. By the way, believe this of God is, you tend to stop asking for wisdom is nothing more dangerous than discouragement. When you come to the conclusion that since you seem to be facing the tough stuff.

One author: of life you've got to be the one to figure out your next step.

The problem is the slough despond seems to have an undertone that meant and it pulls you deeper in and what you here while mired down in there are thoughts like that's right even God doesn't care about my plans. I got myself into this mess. Perhaps I'm gonna have to figure out how to get out of it all by myself and there's no one named help. It seems to extend the hand and you conclude, you must not deserve it.

God's wisdom is for someone better, more faithful William Carey the man we call the father of modern missions use wonderfully in India for decades. If all you knew about him were the things that might be in and sermon illustration are Sunday school lesson. I would encourage you and I due to so many people that I know to read their biography. It'll give you a realistic view of the Christian experience.

He wrote these words, Becky wrote often in his journal as he had bouts with despair and discouragement. He wrote this on one occasion, I am defective in all my duties in prayer. I wonder I am to formal and I soon tire devotion languishes, and I I do not walk with God in another entry. He writes I have reason to lament over a barrenness of my soul and that much discouraged, for I am so dead. How can I expect to be of any use among the lost, for God, wait, this is the father of modern mission again. He writes dated 1794 in his journal. My soul is a jungle when it ought to be a garden. I can scarcely tell if I have the grace of God or not.

I am perhaps the most inconsistent cold creature that ever possessed the grace of Christ. If God uses me none need despair because of the words of someone waist deep in the slough despond with Davis. I found the bottom yet.

By the way he makes 1/4 run conclusion. He concludes that a solution will never appear from God. Look at verse three. Consider and answer me oh Lord my God light up my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death and others on the thickness of the grave. I guess Les my enemy says I have prevailed over him, lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken and ours is my enemies are already planning a banquet to celebrate my demise and collapse that you haven't already, you want to get out a pencil or pen.

You'll notice that David says something for time that we just stated once more quickly see if there so far what we've read four times how long how long how long how long we get discouraged in life seems to turn out the lights and we groped around in the dark and what we say, Lord, how long is this going to last. How long Lord we point out something to take it one other text quickly. Even though David is caught in what we call the undertow of discouragement, even though he's implying some pretty harsh things about the character of God day at the same time, he still hinting at this ultimate trust in God where you see that what you notice he is saying in verse three indicates that consider an answer me oh Lord, what's the next word my God circle that he still saying, oh Lord my God, he's also implying something about the sovereignty of God see when he asks how long the Lord that's a recognition that God not only determines the depths of your trials.

God determines the links of your trials, so even in his despair. David is implying here in this text that he knows God is still in control, that God knows how deep this pit is, he knows how long this can last. So even though David here is that what we would call his worst, he still clinging to what he knows best for you. Let me encourage you when your waist deep and discouragement. The very fact that you complain and you will and demand, and you will and question and you will how long. Oh my God, oh Lord, is actually a declaration of faith in the glorious sovereignty of God, who not only determines the depths of your trial, but he determines the length of your trial and even in your anguish as you ask him how long you are demonstrating faith so if you remember John Bunyan's allegory that I quoted earlier wrote that there were steps through the slough despond, but they were difficult to see. There are three steps that will take us through the slough despond offered by David in his closing comments.

The first one was just engraved each stone with one word will engraved on the first steppingstone through the slough despond. The word recalling: I'm using the 10th because it's something we have to do over and over again. Look at verse five, but I have trusted in your steadfast love. My heart shall rejoice in your salvation. And now another word in spite of what it looks like in spite of the undertow by circumstances want to bury me your love of God, recalling it steadfast.

I've seen it at work in the past I've trusted. It's been steady for I have my salvation from you.

It's been years to give an you've given it to me by the way, would you notice the first word of verse five. It begins with that little word but in others. Nothing around. David is changed so still hunting for his life. He still on the run, but you know what you know as I as I sit here and think God's love for me it's been steadfast to write that in my problem even when God seems invisible God is still involved. He steadfast even when he seems absent.

He is aware he is still God. The first step out of the mire is recalling recalling the second step is recommitting verse six the first phrase if you can believe it. David writes I will and will sing to the Lord. Nothing's changed, so you're supposed to start singing well. Even though David circumstances didn't change his attitude did in fact what David is revealing for us is that stepping steppingstone doesn't avoid the slough despond. Remember the steppingstones don't take you around. They take you through it but on firm ground when David writes I will sing to the Lord. It's the stunning truth, even if outward circumstances don't change my inward attitude can the God is telling the truth when he says my grace is sufficient for the for my strength God says is made perfect, that is, it makes progress through your weakness. Second Corinthians 12 not take the step of recalling it related to the step of recommitting as you rehearse the truth of God's nature.

Thirdly, take the steppingstone marked recalculating notice. David ends by writing he has dealt bountifully bountifully with me. I've overlooked present blessing, but you know as I stop and think about it and look around.

There are blessings I love the blinders of discouragement to obscure them from my site. I recall your your glory in your your steadfast love.

I recommit to this and then recalculate my life and I have to say is I recalculated you have dealt bountifully with me so recalculate something your GPS doesn't. But it is a good illustration you get off the wrong path and you might need to stop and make legal what you turn recalculating is a part of getting back on the right path and you notice now how differently. David summarizes his life no longer is he saying you forgot me forever to you know you have you have dealt bountifully with me. What's changed in his life circumstances. Nothing is attitude has what your mind and heart retrace God's goodness, and you make a recommitment you will recalculate God's ministry to you and and through you. Several years ago Max locator wrote about a young man he knew who at the age of 32 was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and over the 16 years after his diagnosis, which would cost him his career.

It would cost him his mobility and eventually his life because of MS he couldn't feed himself or walk. Eventually he he transparently battled depression and fear through it all. His church, the assembly is believing friends watched him as he walked through that so to speak, never losing the sense of ultimate gratitude. On one occasion his friend saw his health failing. They asked him to compile a list of requests so they could intercede for him more and more specifically in his response was to compile a list of six concern for which they were to be prayerful, but then he added 18 blessings for which he wanted them to join him in praising God's blessings outweighed his concerns 3 to 1 might not be a bad exercise to get a sheet of paper. This recalculation he referred to in that same context to a leper on the island of Tobago short-term missionary met her.

This leper woman while on a mission trip. He writes on the final day he was leading music in the service there in the leper colony and he asked if anyone had a favorite him. They wanted to sing when he did a woman turned around to face him and he saw all the most disfigured face he'd ever seen. She had no ears, nothing for the nose. Her lips were gone and her hands were stopped without fingers but she raised her fingerless hand and asked can we sing Count your many blessings name them one by one short-term missionary start of the song, but locator wrote. He couldn't finish it without tears streaming down his face and someone later commented to him will I suppose you'll never be able to sing that song again, to which he responded. Oh yes, sing it again just never say when your waist deep in the slough despond. Look for the steppingstone calling recommitting recalculating and you end up trusting with David singing with just another measure of fresh faith comes from obedience that is encouraged by a grant begins you forgot it ends with you are credible, less to me. We all face times of discouragement in one form or another, God wants to help us reshape our perspective toward him which results in renewed faith, gratitude and joy. I hope this time in God's word has encouraged you today this is wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi. It might be that this is a lesson you want to listen to again or it might be that you want to share it with someone who's struggling right now with discouragement. In either case. Call us today at 86 648 Bible, we can give you information on how anyone can get a copy of this CD. It simply our way of thanking you for taking the time to introduce yourself to us once again that phone number is 866-482-4253 and I hope we hear from you. Have a great weekend. Join us at this same time Monday right here on wisdom for the hearts