September 2, 2018

Newly-Hired School Teacher Takes Her Own Life

Due To DepEd’s Gazillion Paperworks
by JAY NELZ on JULY 14, 2018

https://philnews.ph/2018/07/14/newly-hired-school-teacher-
takes-own-life-depeds-gazillion-paperworks/
Celebrities
Celebrities
Celebrities
Politicians
Celebrities
•Suicide is one of the top causes of death
in the U.S., with rates rising across the
country.

•Nearly 45,000 Americans died by

suicide in 2016, according to the CDC.
https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-recognizing-signs-of-suicide#1
The world is a depressing place.

We are not for this world.

Great names and personalities in the
Bible knew great discouragement and
deep depression.
• Job 7: 6-7
My days…are spent
without hope.

…my eye will never

again see good.
Moses cried out:
“How can I bear the
troubles, burdens,
and disputes [of
these people] by
myself?”
( Deuteronomy
1:12)
• Prayed for his life to
be taken
•Jonah, the first
foreign missionary,
became deeply
despondent when
God did not
destroy Nineveh.
•Jeremiah was so
profoundly sad that he is
known to this day as the
weeping prophet and
confessed that he wished
he’s never been born.
•The company of the depressed
is a very noble company.
Every one of us has known
the slap of setback,
the grief of loss, &
the disheartening effects of stress.
 “To be human is to feel that
numbing, exhausting,
demotivating fog of depression.”
 Good Christians
don’t get depressed.
Common
Clichés
 Sad fact:
Many Christians fake their
happiness because they are
more concerned of what other
people may think of God if
they see them depressed.
California Church Shocked After Pastor Commits Suicide
08-27-2018
Emily Jones

CBNNEWS.COM
THE CONSOLING MEMORY OF
GOD’S REDEMPTIVE WORKS
 Psalm 77: 1-20

To the chief Musician,

to Jeduthun,
A Psalm of Asaph
 PSALM 77 gives us
STEPS TO REGAIN
EMOTIONAL EQUILIBRIUM
when life gets us down.
I. Cry out to God (vv. 1-3, 7-9).
“I cry aloud to God, aloud
to God, and He will hear
me. In my day of trouble I
sought the Lord.
I. Cry out to God (vv. 1-3, 7-9).
My hands were lifted up all
night long; I refused to be
comforted. I think of God; I
groan; I meditate; my spirit
becomes weak.”
Asaph refused to be comforted.
Sometimes comfort is refused because it
is superficial.

“Go to a movie, have some fun.”

“Just enjoy life.”
“Go with friends and live your
life.”
What should be our first response
with depression?
In Asaph’s battle with depression, he
did not pretend.

He did not bury his disillusionment.

 He did not fake happiness.

He did not turn to material means of

getting happiness.
 He got honest with GOD.

He was not ashamed to admit his

inner turmoil.

He poured out his heart to GOD.

He asked God the hard questions
that depression raises.
7 “Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?

8 Has his unfailing love vanished

forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?

9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has he in anger withheld his
compassion?”
Charles Spurgeon:

“If you are a child of God, yet never had to

ask these questions, you ought to be very
grateful;…
…but if you have to ask them, be very
thankful that Asaph asked them before you;

and believe that, as he had a comfortable

answer to them, so shall you.”
“ The LORD is near to the broken-
hearted and saves the crushed in
spirit.”
- Psalms 34:18
II. Choose to redirect your thoughts
(vv. 4-6, 10-12).
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated…
II. Choose to redirect your thoughts
(vv. 4-6, 10-12).
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his
right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
 Asaph deliberately focused his
thoughts on those past times when
GOD seemed so near.
He took a long look in the rear-view
mirror at GOD’s past blessings.
 Remembering is a biblical
prescription that is central to
worship and fuels your faith in God
for the future.
When you mark GOD’s faithfulness
in the past, you condition your
weary heart with hope for tomorrow.
III. Magnify God to diminish your problems
(vv.13-20).
13 Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our
God?

14 You are the God who performs

miracles; you display your power
among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you
redeemed your people, the
descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

16 The waters saw you, God,

the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
the heavens resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.

18 Your thunder was heard in the

whirlwind, your lightning lit up the
world; the earth trembled and
quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty
waters, though your footprints were
not seen.

20 You led your people like a flock

by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
 Asaph concentrated on the benefits that
come from GOD Himself.

1. He proclaimed God’s holiness.

Holy = set apart from the ways of
men
2. He extolled the miracle-
working power of GOD.
14 You are the God who
performs miracles; you
display your power among
the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you
redeemed your people, the
descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

16 The waters saw you, God,

the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
GOD is Holy.

GOD is able.
 He has no trouble altering the
natural order of things, if necessary,
to deliver you.
 3. Asaph recognizes GOD’s
redemption of His people.

15 With your mighty arm you

redeemed your people, the
descendants of Jacob and
Joseph.
Application
• When in distress:

1. Remember all of God’s mighty

deeds in your life.
Application
• When in distress:

2. Remember the attributes of God.

- His ways are not our ways.
- He has the power to accomplish
his purposes.
Application
• When in distress:
3. Remember that God has redeemed
you by the precious blood of His Son.
- He will not leave you alone when
He has done so much to give you
every opportunity to be with the
Lord forever.