DESPAIR
Despair of
ever being saved, “except thou be born again,” or of
seeing God “without holiness,” or of having part in Christ except thou “love
Him above father, mother, or thy own life.”
This kind of despair is one of the first steps to heaven.
Many times
great difficulties precede special works of God. You can even say that God wins
His greatest victories in the midst of apparent defeat. This can be clearly
demonstrated in the life of our Lord on earth. When Jesus was crucified and placed
in the tomb, it looked like the forces of unrighteousness had triumphed.
However, it was in this time of apparent defeat that our victory for our
salvation was won. This time of apparent defeat was followed by the
resurrection of Christ.
Bill Thrasher
A Journey to Victorious Praying, Moody Publishers, 2003, p. 34.
In idleness
there is a perpetual despair.
Thomas Carlyle
It is
impossible for that man to despair who remembers that his Helper is omnipotent.
Jeremy Taylor