[Darris McNeely] We just did a Beyond Today program on the subject of “Suicide: Is There Hope?” We had an interview with a colleague who had had an experience of a family member committing suicide, and it made a very dramatic and a very poignant, and hopefully a very helpful program for our audience.

Suicide is a growing problem in the United States and many other countries and the rates are going up, unfortunately, rather than declining, because of so many different problems and situations. It’s a very complex matter, suicide. One of the takeaways that I had from working on this program was the critical issue of the importance of a person choosing life when it comes to this question. If I can, just for a minute, talk to someone listening to this who may be struggling with depression and discouragement and has contemplated suicide – if you’re one of those in that category, I urge you and I encourage you to choose life. Choose life for one more day.

This is a phrase from the book of Deuteronomy chapter 30 and verse 19, where in the context of choosing a way of life, God admonishes us to always choose obedience to Him, and a relationship with Him, and the phrase to “choose life” is so critical and so important (Deuteronomy 30:19). It means that we elect to live one more day, to make the effort to overcome a problem that is discouraging us, to get help. If you’re in a situation where you have contemplated suicide, call a local prevention center or suicide hotline and get some help. If you need further spiritual help or spiritual counsel, we here on Beyond Today are always ready to talk with someone – we have a ministry around the world who can help, who can talk to you and help you, explain spiritual principles and counsel you in such a way that we hope that will bring you to a point, again, where you choose life.

God has given us that precious gift and that opportunity. There is hope beyond the dilemma, the discouragement, the depression that you might have, but the choice is yours. We encourage you to look to God, to look to His word, choose life – life is worth living.

That’s BT Daily. Join us next time.