“Let that day be turned to darkness. Let it be lost even to God on high, and let no light shine on it. Let the darkness and utter gloom claim that day for its own. Let a black cloud overshadow it, and let the darkness terrify it. Let that night be blotted off the calendar, never again to be counted among the days of the year, never again to appear among the months.” (Job 3:4–6, NLT)
The scripture above is Job’s statement about the day he was born. He hated being born. After Job suffered terribly with the loss of his health and family, friends urged him to give up. His wife told him to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9). He fell into a deep depression. His view of life was all doom and gloom. Joyful praise disappeared to be replaced by bitterness and complaints against his life. At least he did not curse God nor give up on his faith, which happens all too often in this world. In a deep spiral of depression, Job wrote the words for today’s scripture. He cursed the day he was born. He saw his birth not as a day of celebration but of “utter gloom” with a “black cloud to overshadow it” (Job 3:4-5). Deep in this gloomy state, Job found it impossible to feel joy or be filled with praise. All he could do was bring negativity to each and every day.
There are times when people get caught in this cycle of doom and gloom. They just do not feel joy, even when in God’s presence. They have lost the will to praise God. Some kind of calamity or accident or loss or illness has driven them into a fit of sadness. When in that sad state, they are caught in a spiral of negative thinking. They lose self-worth, become bitter and resentful, and lose hope. Have you ever been in such a dark place in your life?
In November, we celebrate Thanksgiving in America. Schools post pictures of harvests and pilgrims and Indians and the Mayflower. Teachers will spend time talking about the origins of the holiday and the traditions of the season. Most think of the Pilgrims who shared that first Thanksgiving as blessed or adventurous. Some were. Many were not. They were in a tough situation. Food was scarce. Winter was coming. The New World held many dangers. Robert Cushman was a pilgrim on the Mayflower. His penned his thoughts while on the Mayflower about coming to the New World. The words are often not discussed in the classrooms today because they are filled with utter gloom and doom. Read the following excerpt about Cushman:
“Just as the sun can be blotted out by an eclipse, so moods of pessimism and doubt can plunge us into spiritual darkness. At times our situation may seem so desperate that we think even God Almighty can’t carry us through. That was the gloomy attitude of Robert Cushman, who recorded his despair on the Mayflower in 1620.
He wrote, “If we ever make a plantation in New England, God works a miracle! Especially considering how scant we shall be of victuals [vittles], and (worst of all) ununited amongst ourselves. If I should write you of all the things that foretell our ruin, I should overcharge my weak head and grieve your tender heart. Only this I pray you. Prepare for evil tidings of us every day. I see not in reason how we can escape. Pray for us instantly.”
In spite of Cushman’s fears, God brought the pilgrims to their destination and enabled them to establish a home in the wilderness.” (“Our Daily Bread”, Sept. 3, 1998).
Despite the gloom and doom in Robert Cushman’s mind, God helped the Pilgrims to make a home in New England. God blessed their work. God was with them. Though Robert Cushman could not feel God’s presence while he was possessed by his doom and gloom, God was there among them.
When speaking with a Roman Catholic priest about church-sponsored exorcisms, he mentioned something remarkably interesting. He said that one common symptom of those possessed by an evil spirit is they take on an “air of doom and gloom”. They become negative. When you mention Jesus to the possessed, they become nauseous and may even vomit. Sometimes, the negativity will be so pronounced that the possessed hurt themselves physically. They cut themselves enough to bleed or bite down on themselves until they cause bruises or bleeding. Caught up in this gloomy state, they become self-destructive. Along with the evil spirit, they become possessed with doom and gloom.
If you find yourself falling into a period of doom and gloom, it is crucial that you reach out for help. At the beginning, you need to reach out to God. Let God hear why you are upset. Don’t be afraid to let out the hurtful thoughts and the anger to God. God needs to cleanse you from all of it. If the doom and gloom begin to take over your life, it may be time to see the doctor AND your pastor or a strong spiritual friend. I have found that at this point some medicines may help, but often the soul just needs to cry out. You will need to express your emotions to a trusted confidant. Just, don’t let yourself sink into a gloomy state for too long. Satan loves to hunt for those who are stuck in depression, especially the faithful (1 Peter 5:8).
God does not want you mired in doom and gloom. Job leaned on others and especially God to come out of his funk. In the end of his book, he was full of praise for the God who was with him throughout his good and bad days. God wants you to feel joyfulness and peace. If you find yourself too wrapped up in the negative, open up your Bible and start reading, pick up a new book of meditations and dedicate yourself to its instruction each and every day, and open up your heart to prayer even if it hurts. If you are deep into gloomy thinking, reach out to a faithful friend, find help, look for places of encouragement, and most of all… seek out your Lord and Savior. Jesus knows exactly how you feel. He went through hell to save you and will gladly walk with you down any dark paths to shine some love upon your hurting soul.
There are times when people get caught in this cycle of doom and gloom. They just do not feel joy, even when in God’s presence. They have lost the will to praise God. Some kind of calamity or accident or loss or illness has driven them into a fit of sadness. When in that sad state, they are caught in a spiral of negative thinking. They lose self-worth, become bitter and resentful, and lose hope. Have you ever been in such a dark place in your life?
In November, we celebrate Thanksgiving in America. Schools post pictures of harvests and pilgrims and Indians and the Mayflower. Teachers will spend time talking about the origins of the holiday and the traditions of the season. Most think of the Pilgrims who shared that first Thanksgiving as blessed or adventurous. Some were. Many were not. They were in a tough situation. Food was scarce. Winter was coming. The New World held many dangers. Robert Cushman was a pilgrim on the Mayflower. His penned his thoughts while on the Mayflower about coming to the New World. The words are often not discussed in the classrooms today because they are filled with utter gloom and doom. Read the following excerpt about Cushman:
“Just as the sun can be blotted out by an eclipse, so moods of pessimism and doubt can plunge us into spiritual darkness. At times our situation may seem so desperate that we think even God Almighty can’t carry us through. That was the gloomy attitude of Robert Cushman, who recorded his despair on the Mayflower in 1620.
He wrote, “If we ever make a plantation in New England, God works a miracle! Especially considering how scant we shall be of victuals [vittles], and (worst of all) ununited amongst ourselves. If I should write you of all the things that foretell our ruin, I should overcharge my weak head and grieve your tender heart. Only this I pray you. Prepare for evil tidings of us every day. I see not in reason how we can escape. Pray for us instantly.”
In spite of Cushman’s fears, God brought the pilgrims to their destination and enabled them to establish a home in the wilderness.” (“Our Daily Bread”, Sept. 3, 1998).
Despite the gloom and doom in Robert Cushman’s mind, God helped the Pilgrims to make a home in New England. God blessed their work. God was with them. Though Robert Cushman could not feel God’s presence while he was possessed by his doom and gloom, God was there among them.
When speaking with a Roman Catholic priest about church-sponsored exorcisms, he mentioned something remarkably interesting. He said that one common symptom of those possessed by an evil spirit is they take on an “air of doom and gloom”. They become negative. When you mention Jesus to the possessed, they become nauseous and may even vomit. Sometimes, the negativity will be so pronounced that the possessed hurt themselves physically. They cut themselves enough to bleed or bite down on themselves until they cause bruises or bleeding. Caught up in this gloomy state, they become self-destructive. Along with the evil spirit, they become possessed with doom and gloom.
If you find yourself falling into a period of doom and gloom, it is crucial that you reach out for help. At the beginning, you need to reach out to God. Let God hear why you are upset. Don’t be afraid to let out the hurtful thoughts and the anger to God. God needs to cleanse you from all of it. If the doom and gloom begin to take over your life, it may be time to see the doctor AND your pastor or a strong spiritual friend. I have found that at this point some medicines may help, but often the soul just needs to cry out. You will need to express your emotions to a trusted confidant. Just, don’t let yourself sink into a gloomy state for too long. Satan loves to hunt for those who are stuck in depression, especially the faithful (1 Peter 5:8).
God does not want you mired in doom and gloom. Job leaned on others and especially God to come out of his funk. In the end of his book, he was full of praise for the God who was with him throughout his good and bad days. God wants you to feel joyfulness and peace. If you find yourself too wrapped up in the negative, open up your Bible and start reading, pick up a new book of meditations and dedicate yourself to its instruction each and every day, and open up your heart to prayer even if it hurts. If you are deep into gloomy thinking, reach out to a faithful friend, find help, look for places of encouragement, and most of all… seek out your Lord and Savior. Jesus knows exactly how you feel. He went through hell to save you and will gladly walk with you down any dark paths to shine some love upon your hurting soul.