“Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.” (Psalm 119:92)
There are trials, and then there are fiery trials. There are waters, and then there are deep waters. Bad news can suddenly turn a normal day nightmarish. How can anyone survive such soul-crushing affliction? The honest answer: without Jesus, they don’t.
Our soul can only bear so much sorrow before our spirit breaks. “… By sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken” (Prov. 15:13). If one does not go to God when their spirit is overwhelmed, where do they go? To the bottle, to the needle? Do they simply go mad with pain? “Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad …” (Eccl. 7:7).
Jesus has told us where we should go when we are “heavy laden;” when the things happening in our life are unbearable. We are to go to Him. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matt. 11:28,29).
Christ is our burden bearer. He wants us to cast all of our cares on Him in the certain knowledge that He cares for us. He knows how to help us navigate the deepest waters and stand in the hottest inferno. When His presence, His comfort, His counsel is our delight, we will not perish in our affliction. He will uphold us. He will comfort us. We will live, and not die. And we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.