[Mr. Peter Eddington] Let me jump straight into my introduction here, this afternoon. It's a letter we received a month ago. "I am screwed. I am stressed. I'm done worrying. I do not know love. I do not know Jesus. I hate my life. Absolutely hate it. There is no joy, there is no happiness. There is no hope. There is no peace. Just misery. I'm losing it all, and people who don't deserve to suffer are suffering because of it. I want to know from God what His plans are for me. I want to know, so I'm asking." He's asking UCG."Because I'm walking in these shoes and I'm tired of this. I'm not one to give up, but life has found a way to beat me down to the core. If this is what life is about, I no longer want a part of it. Are we born to die unhappy?" So that's the end of the message that we received last month. This person was asking for help, reaching out for help. And the subject I have here today is actually of a very serious nature. It's something I feel would be good to talk about. We don't often give sermons about giving up on life or PTSD or depression or especially suicide. I actually don't remember hearing one myself. But as you know, many trends we see in society occur to some extent in our church as well. Of course, we pray that it be to a lesser extent in the church with the hope we have of God's kingdom.

If there are alcoholics in our city, then you know that someone at church is struggling with alcoholism. If there are people living in poverty in our town, then you know some in our congregation are having financial difficulties. If marriage problems plague our country, then you know some in our fellowship are working on their relationship with their spouse. And if there's depression in our world, then you know some in the church are facing various levels of anxiety, broken hearts, and depression. And at the Home Office, we've actually been receiving a lot of pleas like this for help, from people even wishing to end their life. Scores of them, filled with depression, hopelessness, and pain. These people are reaching out to us for answers, reaching out to us for hope because they are broken-hearted. And depression, anxiety, and PTSD are very real. And this time of year and the darker winter months often heighten cases of depression. Thankfully, the word of God does give us guidance and help in facing depression and anxiety. Let me read a few more letters that we received lately that deal with depression and even suicide. I want to read these just to make the point that it is a real issue that people are facing. So I'm going to read a few more to make the point part as with the introduction here as we go on.

Firstly, “If God gave me life and God also gave me the ability to take it away, and I decide to take my life in the hopes of finding happiness and relief, would it be a sin? Can it be forgiven? What would happen to my soul?" Another one, "My boyfriend told me a week before his death that he was in a very dark place. I was over the next day and prayed for him. He knew everything about Jesus. He believed in Him. He was on the altar of the church every Sunday singing praises to the Most High, but in May he passed, suicide. Some Christian websites say it's ungodly to pray for mercy for the dead. I've been struggling with this loss. More importantly, most of this struggle is stemming from the fact that I want him to make it to heaven. What is his faith? He only wanted peace." Here's another one. "I have tried committing suicide and I am set in my mind that God will not forgive me. And that I'm going to hell. Is there any way that maybe I can be forgiven?" Another, "I'm a 36-year-old man writing from South Africa. I've been facing a lot of challenges for a long time, one after the other. And now these challenges seem to attack me at once. Even my spiritual life keeps on rising and falling and now I have no hope left and thoughts of terminating my life come to mind every time, I can't get a decent job, I have lots of debt. I'm living with a chronic illness. Everything that I touch does not work my way. I've lost my self-esteem, self-identity, and hope."

Here's just a couple more. "My boyfriend committed suicide two months ago. It's been a struggle to understand why, and I feel like I'm to blame. I pray every day and every night that I can be forgiven and came to this website to understand suicide in the Bible. Also, he hasn't had a great childhood as his mom committed suicide too, along with his uncle three weeks before he did. I want to be strong for my kids. I need some help. I need some prayer." And then, "How do I get through the death by suicide of my best friend? She was suffering from depression. She loved life. We did so much together. This is so hard to get through." So these six emails are just a tiny sample, quite honestly, of the scores of messages, about suicide and depression that we have received at info@ucg.org in the past couple of years. In fact, there's been a dramatic upswing in cries for help in just the past 12 months. We send out before the Holy Days each year a sampling of letters we've received, is usually like 20 or 30 pages worth that we put together for the ministers to use in announcements and offering messages and things like that, but a huge chunk of them, now, the last couple of times have been about depression and suicide.

So in the sermon today, let's discuss this topic. If it's a problem for our subscribers, for our magazine readers, for our Beyond Today viewers, then you know there are people in our midst too, that are struggling with the same issues, and I've titled today's sermon Help for the Brokenhearted. Help for the Brokenhearted. Turn to Job 3, let's go to Job for a moment. Because in the old Testament, God allowed Satan to afflict the righteous Job with the loss of his family and virtually everything he owned and then to attack his body with painful boils. And as we find out later in the story, God allowed this for a long-range purpose. Look at Job 3:3.

Job 3:3-4 Job says, "May the day perish on which I was born. And the night in which it was said, a male child is conceived. May that day be darkness; may God above not seek it nor the light shine upon it." And then verse 20,

Job 3:20-22 "Why is light given to him who is in misery and life to the bitter of soul who long for death, but it does not come and search for it more than hidden treasures who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they find the grave?" I was ending there in verse 22.

So Job 3 here shows this faithful man's deep depression and desire to die. And later Job actually wished for death. Long-term suffering without hope drives many to despair and to end it all. What about modern day? That was Job, right? Maybe 3000 years ago. What about modern day? Well, we find similar stories of darkness. I've divided the sermon here into five main sections here to give some structure to it. And the first section I've simply called, suicide is a growing scourge. Suicide is a growing scourge.

In 2017, which is when the most complete list of data was available, more than 47,000 Americans died by suicide. And more than 1.4 million attempted to take their own lives. That's according to the Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency. And so suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US and other countries have similar figures as well. That's according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The national suicide prevention hotline is currently accessible by the 10-digit number 1-800-273-TALK 1-800-273-TALK. And last year, just in one year, councilors answered more than 2.2 million calls and more than 100,000 online chats. According to the Federal Communications Commission. Suicide is a greater killer than motor vehicle accidents or murders, homicides.

For adults age 18 to 65, it's the fourth leading cause of death, particularly devastating is to those 18 to 24. It's their third leading cause of death, and among college students, it's the second highest cause of death. In college, number two. But listen to this, suicide among children is increasing at an alarming rate. The National Mental Health Association reports that among children ages five to 15 suicide is the sixth leading cause of death. So even our kids may struggle with this. The SCC is moving ahead with plans to designate a three-digit number to reach the national suicide prevention hotline at 988. So it's actually brand new legislation just announced about a week ago, 988. So you've heard of 911, right? They're coming up with a 988 number now that is supposed to make it easier to access the crisis services. And the country has been given 18 months for every phone service, every city, every crisis prevention center to be able to access 988 within the next 18 months. So it is a national tragedy and it's getting worse. So where does this leave us? What can we learn from scripture? What help can we provide? How can we even understand it? And what does the Bible have to say? And what about depression? Suicide is a growing scourge.

Secondly, depression is a big killer. Depression is a big killer. While the pressures of modern life have accelerated its frequency, suicide also took its toll in ancient times. It's not just a modern phenomenon, although it has gotten worse. The overwhelming urge to take one's own life has afflicted people of every nation, culture, religion, and governmental system through the ages. There's a book called Night Falls Fast by Kay Redfield Jamison and her book has become a very important study into the topic of depression and suicide, it's called Night Falls Fast, but she says, "No one knows who was the first to slash his throat with a piece of flint, take a handful of poison berries or intentionally drop his spear to the ground in battle, nor do we know who first jumped impulsively or afterthought from a great cliff, walked without food into an ice storm or stepped into the sea with no intention of coming back." We don't know who the first person was, it's been going on for a long time is what she's saying. Let's turn to 1 Samuel 1, the very first chapter in Samuel. Look at this story about depression, because here in 1 Samuel 1 we see the story of Hannah. One of the two wives of Elkanah the other wife Peninnah had children, but Hannah or Hannah was unable to conceive and Peninnah arrogantly ridiculed Hannah. Go to 1 Samuel 1, we'll just read the first seven verses here.

1 Samuel 1:1-7 "There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the mountains of Ephraim and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph an Ephraimite." So actually one of the ancestors are many people in this room. Verse two, "He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children but Hannah had no children. This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to Lord of host in Shiloh." Notice verse four, "Whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he would give a double portion. For he loved Hannah although the Lord had closed her womb.” So she couldn't have kids. Verse six, "And her rival also provoked her severely to make her miserable because the Lord had closed her womb. So it was year by year when Hannah went up to the house of the Lord." Sorry, "When Peninnah went up to the house up to the Lord, she provoked Hannah and therefore she wept and did not eat.” So Hannah was extremely depressed by this every year.

And then one year when they'd gone to worship at the tabernacle we read in verse 10, "She was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish." This severely depressed Hannah deeply depressed. We know eventually that this prayer was answered though by God, and she gave birth to Samuel, but not all these stories end like that. Suicide can be the end result of financial reverse, bankruptcy, romantic failure, childlessness, or the discovery of a terminal illness. But the majority of suicidal deaths trace back to one major reason, deep debilitating depression. That's where it starts. And depression is serious, long-lasting despondency and feelings of hopelessness. Not just discouragement or sorrow for a while or having the blues a little bit. It's much deeper than that. Estimates are that one in 10 Americans suffer from chronic depression. One in 10, and the worst forms of clinical depression consume their victims making them unable to face each new day. Can't get out of bed in the morning because depression, anxiety, even PTSD are real problems. It's attitudes about depression that keep many people who are suffering from it from seeking help. The National Mental Health Association figures show that more than half of Americans think depression is a personal weakness, a sign of failure.

And despite years of TV ads and depression remedies, four out of five suffering from depression do not seek treatment. Four out of five people are too embarrassed to seek treatment. For men, the reason is because people will think that they're not masculine enough, so they don't seek help, because emotions are seen as a feminine thing. So men often, most likely will not seek help when they're severely depressed and depression claims victims from every social strata, every IQ, every religion, and fame and fortune are no antidotes for the urge to kill oneself because there's a long list of famous people. Hollywood actors, billionaires who have taken their own lives. British prime minister, Winston Churchill was a classic example. One of the most famous and powerful leaders of the 20th century, he suffered from severe depression. You can read about that sometime. And so, depression is where it all starts, and depression is really a big killer.

Third is… Let's look at more examples of depression in the Bible. This third section… Let's look into the Bible a bit more here because the Bible relates examples of depression of various kinds, and it shows that depression and related emotional problems can afflict those who don't follow God and those who do follow God. Look at Job, for example. He was a godly man and he became severely depressed because of the circumstances he found himself. The book of 1 Samuel, if you want to go back there—I think it's where we were here a moment ago, yes—Also records the sad reign of Saul. The first king of Israel. He started out well enough. Tall, attractive, from a good family, and would seem he had everything going for him. But a series of bad decisions based on his pride and a wrong attitude took their toll and before long Saul himself sank into the depths of depression. 1 Samuel 16 is where I want to turn to here.

1 Samuel 16:14-17 "Because of Saul's sins, the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him." So what we're seeing here is that the departure of God's spirit left Saul in a distressing mental and emotional state. Verse 15, "And Saul's servants said to him, ‘Surely a distressing spirit from God is troubling you, let our master now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who was a skillful player on the harp, and it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you and you shall do well or shall be well.’" Verse 17, "So Saul said to his servants, ‘Provide me now a man who can play well and bring him to me.’" And as you know from the story, David, the son of Jesse was chosen to come play the harp.

1 Samual 16:23 "That's how it was whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul.” whenever, yeah. "It was upon Saul that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him." We see Saul became rejected by God. God's spirit was taken from him and it left him in a terrible spiritual, mental, and emotional state. The Holy Spirit helps people to maintain a sound mind. And from the beginning, Saul was a man who exhibited weakness in his character, as we know from the story, such as needing the approval of men and the removal of God's spirit here only made things worse. Some of God's own prophets went through very low periods when they wished they were dead. Elijah is perhaps the best known. He carried God's judgments and warnings to several Israelite kings. He was a very successful prophet, he even prophesied to the despotic Ahab and his evil wife Jezebel. Look at 1 Kings 19, just flip over there for a moment. Go forward to 1 Kings 19. See, at the high point of Elijah's life, he overthrew 450 prophets of Baal out at Mount Carmel. And he proved not only the power of God, but that a lack of power of the hundreds of pagan prophets. And it seems Elijah should have been on top of the world, but he too soon sank into the depths of depression after being threatened by Jezebel.

1 Kings 19:1-4 "And Ahab,” the evil king, “told Jezebel all that Elijah had done. Also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword.” So all the pagan prophets had been slain. So verse two, "Jebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying, ‘So let the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as like the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.’ And when Elijah saw that, he rose and ran for his life, went to Bathsheba, which is in Judah, left his servant there, and he himself went another day's journey into the wilderness, came and sat down under a broom tree and he prayed that he might die. And said, ‘It is enough. Lord, take my life for I am no better than my fathers.’"

So at this point, Elijah was extremely tired, physically and mentally. As the story goes on, we find that Elijah also needed to learn a lesson about God's power and presence as it's shown later in the story. So Elijah wanted to have his life taken. How about Jonah? Just one verse in Jonah 4:8, because here's another example. Jonah suffered frustration, resentment, discouragement over God's decision not to destroy Nineveh.

Jonah 4:8 we read, "And it happened when the sun arose that God prepared a vehement east wind, the sun beat on Jonah's head so that he grew faint, that he wished death for himself and said it is better for me to die than to live." And of course, we could find other examples in the scriptures as well as those that wanted to end their life. But there's also a contrast. There is a dramatic contrast. There is someone who suffered a lot, it was the apostle Paul. He was beaten, left for dead, imprisoned. The apostle Paul experienced many types of great suffering, but he had a wonderful way of helping people focus ahead. He pointed people to Jesus Christ for strength during trials. Go to Philippians 3, let's go to the New Testament for a moment and look at Philippians 3:13. We'll just read two verses here. Just one example.

Philippians 3:13-14 "Brethren, I did not count myself to have apprehended” or have to have made it, “but one thing I do forgetting those six things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." He's thinking about the resurrection. Now, that's not easy to do when you're severely depressed and people don't want to hear it when they're severely depressed.

But Paul shows the importance of staying Christ-centered and focused on the goal of God's kingdom. And his epistles are filled with uplifting encouragement for others. I'll just read one more. Romans 8:18 and 19. If you want to make a note of it, Romans 8:18, this is one you'll recognize.

Romans 8:18-19 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us for the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God."

He says, "Don't forget that at the resurrection, we're going to be like Christ, we'll appear as he appears, that glory will be revealed in us as sons of God." He's saying to be children, sons, and daughters in God's family in His Kingdom is our destiny. And the apostle Paul clung onto that encouragement when he went through trials and Paul's writings have given great comfort, encouragement, and inspiration to countless people over the centuries, over the last couple of thousand years. Paul's example shows that depression comes not so much from what happens to us, but from our perspective and attitude when something happens to us. Now, that's easy to say, but hard to believe if you are the one who's severely depressed. So here in the church, we cling onto such scriptures like Paul writes.

We say, "Yes, we know there's a way out. We know there's light at the end of the tunnel, we know the Kingdom's coming. We know that we will have glory." But when you are the one that's severely depressed, it's hard to think about it. And the point is that depression can affect godly people. We see how it affected Hannah, Job, Elijah, Jonah, and many others. And it's not necessarily a character flaw or a sin that brings on depression. Could be any one of a number of circumstances. And many of God's servants went through a low period in their lives and sometimes suffered from depression and a desire to die. However, here is a very important point. Although they may have wanted God to end their lives, the Bible records no case of them ever taking their life, no case ever recorded of them actually taking their life. Here's an email received from Ireland. "I have left a Jehovah Witness, so many contradictions in their Bible teaching. I'm looking and watching your TV program. I live in Dublin, Ireland, and you haven't a church near me. I am living alone. My two best friends died this year. Two years ago, my niece committed suicide and I am so lonely, but I find comfort in your teaching. Thank you so much for your help."

And so this is what we can do as a people of God, like the apostle Paul, we can provide understanding, help, hope, and comfort as we expound the teachings of our father in heaven. We can offer help to others in a sad state of mind. Even some that may be in our fellowship that are depressed because there is a wonderful future ahead and we must not forget that. And if we are the ones who are depressed, if I'm depressed, I must not let embarrassment hold me back from talking about it, from seeking help. I can't keep it in no matter how girly that might make me feel. Right? You have to seek help and talk about it. Let me look at the fourth point here, which simply is, is suicide wrong? Is suicide wrong? The sixth commandment says, "You shall not murder." God alone gives life and it is His alone to take. And while we hurt with those who are hurting and despondent, no scripture in the Bible condones suicide. Though many people of God have wanted to end their lives, like I said, the Bible records no case of them actually ever doing it. But while wrong, suicide is often a complex matter, it can be extremely complicated. And others are often quick to judge and condemn people who take their own lives.

And so, we should avoid the tendency to oversimplify the tragic type of death that this is. Individuals who commit suicide often have been struggling with serious problems, such as depression, loss of a loved one, alcoholism, or drug abuse, but taking one's life isn't the right way to deal with the trial. The reality is that severe depression often compounded by other problems and disappointments can drive a person to consider suicide. And the mental agony that accompanies clinical depression or a bout of unending discouragement can make suicide seem attractive because the sufferer expects his suffering to end at death, but that's not the answer for that's not the end of the story, as we know. Those who die will live again. And those who die if they have the holy spirit within will be resurrected upon Jesus' return and be granted eternal life. We read of that in Romans 8:11. In fact, I'm going to turn to Romans 8 here again for a moment. Because our father in Jesus Christ know who are theirs, they know those who have the holy spirit. God, the father, we are told judges from the mercy seat and He greatly desires that all people who have lived or will live be in His family. Jesus Christ knows our frailty, and therefore is our advocate at the right hand of the father who is sitting on that throne of mercy. Look at Romans 8, those who are spirit-begotten sons and daughters of God are talked about here, especially verse 11,

Romans 8:11 "But if the spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His spirit who dwells in you." If you die with the indwelling of God's spirit, you'll be raised in the first resurrection. This here is talking about the first resurrection and there's another category. Those who died without first being converted, they too will have a chance to live a godly life and be offered salvation; often known as the second resurrection. And the Bible reveals that all including suicide victims, who never were converted to Christ's way of life, will still have the opportunity for salvation. And this will be after Jesus Christ has returned to earth and has been ruling the world for a thousand years. But suicide is not an escape or a quick solution to one's problems. When resurrected, those who have taken their own lives will still likely have psychological issues to work out. They'll still be facing them. They'll have to deal with their problems. And now with the addition of having to face up to a terrible wrong and the torment inflicted on others, that they caused by that.

But we know that God desires them to turn to Him and be saved. The things that people do in this life will still have consequences in the next, in the sense of having to come to terms, actually come to terms with them. And this could be quite hard upon being resurrected. So no one should think that suicide is some kind of golden ticket out of here. A golden ticket to the good life of the future. It's not. It'll still have to be faced. Revelation 20 tells us that after the resurrection of the faithful followers of Jesus Christ in His return, the rest of the dead will be resurrected a thousand years later. And those who have never had the opportunity for salvation will, at last, have it. Jesus Christ came to heal the brokenhearted, but it was not fulfilled completely at His first coming. It will be fulfilled at His second coming. Look at Psalm 147 because knowing this should be very comforting to the loved ones of a person who has died in such a manner. Psalm 147:1 is where I want to turn.

Psalm 147:1-3 "Praise the Lord for it is good to sing praises to our God for it is pleasant and praise is beautiful. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." He heals the broken hearted, the father and Jesus Christ have not forgotten anyone, will not forget anyone.

The broken-hearted, including those who committed suicide or even contemplated it will ultimately be healed. He will bind up their emotional wounds. If you turn to Revelation 21, we see how the story ends. Revelation 21 right there near the end and verse one.

Revelation 21:1 "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth have passed away and also there was no more sea." In verse four, Revelation 21,

Revelation 21:4 "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, no sorrow, no crying, for there shall be no more pain for the former things have passed away." He will heal the brokenhearted and there will be no more pain and suffering and depression and anxiety. And we look forward to that time of awesome healing and restoration. And for those who are suffering now, whether in depression or contemplating suicide or coping with a loss of a loved one in this horrible tragedy that may have occurred, there is light up ahead. The brightest day ever is coming.

Before we conclude let's just cover one more important point. Number five, he's suicidal, what can I do? He's suicidal, what can I do? So when suicide takes a family member or friend, the common reaction is to ask what could I have done? Family members truly agonize, playing over and over in their mind the last few days and weeks with their loved one, wondering what they could have done differently. I mentioned Night Falls Fast, the book by Kay Redfield Jamison. And here's what she says on page 292. "Suicide is a death like no other, and those left behind to struggle with it must confront a pain like no other. They're left with the shock and the unending what-ifs. They're left to a bank of questions from others, mostly about why? They're left to the silence of others who are horrified, embarrassed, or otherwise unable to cobble together a note of condolence, an embrace, or a comment. And they are left with the assumption that more could have been done." So that's from Kay Jamison in Night Falls Fast. And since the suicidal often refuse to seek help as we know, especially those who are severely depressed, mental health experts, point out the crucial need for intervention on part of the family and friends. You have to watch for signs of suicidal behavior and seek help such as mental health professionals and suicide prevention centers on behalf of those tormented. It's not something you can deal with on your own, with a person.

The good news is that nearly eight out of 10 patients with depressive illness will improve through treatment. Eight out of 10 who get help pull through. That's according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. And as we know, if the patient is receptive to learning what the Bible has to say, they will likely experience significant help from learning what it truly teaches. So if someone is threatening suicide, take steps to calm the individual and get trained suicide prevention experts involved as soon as possible. There's two respected groups, the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association, a Chicago-based support group, and the MayoClinic. And they make these following seven recommendations that I have here.

One, take suicide threats seriously. Two, involve other people, especially if someone is threatening imminent suicide, call 911 or the suicide hotline, which will soon be, as I said, 988 soon. If the person has already sought professional help, number three, contact his or her therapist, psychiatrist, crisis intervention team, or others who are already familiar with the case. Number four, question the person about his or her suicidal thoughts, be direct. Ask if the person has a specific plan for suicide. Number five, reassure the person that the problem can be helped remind him or her that help is available and things will get better. Number six, don't promise confidentiality because you may need to speak to the person's doctor to protect him or her, don't make promises that would endanger the person's life. And then number seven, avoid leaving the person alone until you can be sure he or she's in the hands of competent professionals. So the goal is immediate intervention, actions to prevent an impending disaster, but then a long-term objective is also so important, and having a purpose in life is perhaps the strongest antidote to feelings of hopelessness and despondency. And one not easy to do when severely depressed, remember the apostle Paul shows the importance of staying Christ-centered and focused on our final destination on the goal of God's Kingdom.

And this can't be overemphasized, if you think a person is suicidal based on the way they're acting or behaving, you need professional help. You have to get others involved to handle the situation and get their help as quickly as possible. Remember, college-age, young people, it's the number two cause of death, and parents of high school or college students who show signs of depression need to discuss these matters openly with their kids and encourage their children to feel comfortable in discussing their depression or suicidal feelings and seeking help. I'm almost finished here.

Let me read to you a post from Facebook, posted by a friend on Facebook who lost a sibling to suicide. It's been a number of years now since the event happened. “For those who have dealt with a loved one committing suicide, I have this to say, as time goes by, as the anniversaries come and go, it gets easier for the most part. Some years you will struggle, other years it will be an easier day when you're reminded of the good times and the day won't be so sad. Keep pressing on, you will see them again. You will hug them again. You will be able to say, I love you again. Yep. It sucks. But you can make it through these anniversaries. Today it actually snuck up on me and I actually like that it did. You will get there too. So to those who are in this terrible valley in the journey of life, let yourself mourn, let yourself heal in your time. Let yourself cry, but also let yourself laugh. You will get through this. And just because you laugh doesn't mean they are forgotten. I pray that this helps someone who is going through the loss of a loved one. You will make it through this."

There's a popular little graphic, little meme going around on Facebook right now. It says, "If you rearrange the letters in depression, you'll get I pressed on. And that's really what it's all about." It says, "Your current situation is not your final destination." So hard to accept that when you are the one that's severely depressed, but that is the answer, to press on, realizing that we are headed towards an amazing final destination.

I'd like to conclude by reading a very powerful passage in Luke 4. These are the very words of our savior Jesus Christ of Nazareth in Luke 4, and I pray that this message today has been of help to anybody that may be struggling with depression, or has a loved one who is considering suicide or even has actually done it.

Luke 4:16-21 “So Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. And he was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,” verse 18. "The spirit of the Lord is upon me because He's anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." You could say those who are depressed. "And to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, which is our destiny.’ Then he closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on him and then began to say to them, ‘Today, the scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’" So He was telling them that He was the Messiah. Yes, Jesus Christ was sent to heal the brokenhearted, to help the depressed, to save the suicidal. And so, may we continue to pray thy Kingdom come.