Never give up hope

When I started writing this post, I didn't realize my sermon would be found in these words. I was able to process through what was going through my head. Praise God!
My words are meant for the church in Tarumi but wanted you to join in on what God is speaking to me right now. Please pray that these words are received well. I'm a bit nervous to be speaking about such a delicate matter (you'll understand this if you read all the way through).

This week I was 1 1/2 hours late to teach English in Osaka because of a train delay. Yes, I was annoyed. It was the first time since I've been in Japan that my frustration came to the point of bringing tears to my eyes. So far, I’ve been able to keep calm in high pressure situations. But on this day, this problem pushed me to the limit.

I tried to stop being selfish, remembering that all the other people on the platform had important meetings and jobs to go to also. I thought about the probable cause of the delay: another suicide jump. This happens all too often in Japan and it makes my heart sick. This thought helped my selfish attitude to calm down a bit.

It wasn't until later that I discovered the real reasons for the delay. Part of the delay was caused by some major fog slowing down the trains on my line and several others. Another reason for the delay was a train that had to take an unexpected stop due to a sick passenger. Both factors combined affected the schedules of around 100,000 commuters, myself included.

When I read the report in the news, I immediately thought about the impact that this one passenger had on so many people. It couldn't be helped; the poor man or woman was sick and needed to get off the train.

My point is this: many people think that they don't matter. They think that their life is insignificant and they wonder if they could really make an impact in the world. The sad truth is that the number one cause of death for Japanese people my age is suicide. This is shocking. I see this sadness often on the faces of those around me when I ride the train. They have no relief for their pain. There is no hope for something better.

The third chapter of Lamentations talks about despair. The author (who was probably the prophet Jeremiah) goes into great detail about the ways that his life has been difficult. He knew darkness. His health was bad. He had anguish and distress. His prayers seemed to be unanswered. He felt helpless and devastated. People laughed at him. He was filled with bitterness and sorrow. He forgot what peace was. The great city of Jerusalem was destroyed. This was a very devastating time for the Jewish people.

And yet, Jeremiah clung to hope. Verses 21-24 bring these words of hope: “Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!’”

How did Jeremiah remember this hope? How was he able to pull himself out of his despair to remember God? Jeremiah knew that God had a purpose for his life. He knew that God loved him and wanted good things for him. This is found in Jeremiah 29:11( For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.) Because Jeremiah knew this Truth, he could trust God. He could trust that God was in control of his life. Even if Jeremiah were to die, he knew that his death would be serving a purpose.

Because I have been saved from a life of despair, I have a responsibility. If I saw someone drowning in a river and I had a rope in my hand, I couldn't stand by and watch that person die. If you are a Christian, you have a “rope” in your hand. You have a hope in Jesus. You are clinging to a Truth that is solid, even if you don't fully understand everything about Christianity.

I’m sure you know that a man from our church died last Sunday. This is a difficult thing to talk about. Please forgive my boldness in talking about something that I know so little about. Utsumi-san struggled with alcoholism for a long time. This church reached out to him and his family, but it was very difficult for him to accept this help. Before he died, he told Bernie, "You don't need to come to me. There are more important people you can be helping." I never met Utsumi-san. I don't know much about this man but his death has touched me. I was sad for his family when I saw them at the funeral. His death has caused me to think about many things. I wondered if he really understood that God loved him and cherished him. I wondered if he knew that his life was important. I wondered if he knew that his life mattered. Bernie told me that his constant battle with alcoholism made it very difficult for him to accept God’s unconditional love for him. In the end, Bernie shared with Utsumi-san the hope that is found in Jesus. Bernie believes that Utsumi-san was finally able to receive salvation.

I praise God that this church didn’t turn away from Utsumi-san. You didn’t close your eyes to the pain of another person. God must be very pleased that you gave His love to someone who was hurting.

Maybe you yourself are also hurting. Maybe you are having a difficult time remembering what hope is. Don't forget the Truth! You matter. Your life matters. You have a purpose. God loves you. He died for you. He is holding out a rope for you. If you are in despair, please talk to someone. If you are wondering what the purpose of your life is, please talk to someone. If you know someone in despair, don’t let another day pass by. Talk to that person. Tell them about the hope that you have in Jesus. Don’t stop reaching out to people. Pray that God will change their hearts. Pray that He will show His love through you. We must never, never give up hope.