Cheryl Smith: Are You At Your Wit’s End?

Cheryl Smith: Are You At Your Wit's End?
Cheryl Smith, author of the Inner Views and Homespun Devotions, asks Are You at Your Wit’s End?

“These see the works of the LORD, and His wonders in the deep.  For He commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses.”  Psalm 107:24-27  (KJV)

Does the above passage of Scripture resonate with you today? Like waves of the sea, do you mount up to the heaven one day, only to find yourself falling back down into the depths of despair the next? Is your soul melted because of the trouble that surrounds you? Do you reel to and fro and stagger like a drunk man? Are you at your wit’s end?
If you find yourself at your wit’s end today, I want to encourage you that you are in good company.
The prophet, Jeremiah, said, “Cursed be the day wherein I was born. Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?”  Jeremiah 20:14,18
The prophet, Elijah, “went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, ‘It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.'”  I Kings 19:4 

King David said, “I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.  My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.”  Psalm 38:6,10

Job said, “Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?  My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.”  Job 3:11, Job 10:1

 

Jonah said, “Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. I do well to be angry, even unto death.”  Jonah 4:3,9

 

The Apostle Paul said, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.”  2 Corinthians 4:8-9

“But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;  by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”  2 Corinthians 6:4-5,8-10

“For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life.”  2 Corinthians 1:8

 

Most importantly, our dear Lord, Jesus was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not.”  Isaiah 53:3

He said, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death.”

“Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from Me: nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt.'”  Mark 14:34,36

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is to say, ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?'”  Matthew 27:46

We could go on and on and tell of not only Biblical people, but God’s saints throughout history who have reached the point of being at their wit’s end.

Are you there today?

If you are, may I encourage you?

Jeremiah, Elijah, King David, Job, Jonah, and Paul persevered, and they overcame! They are now a part of that “great cloud of witnesses” who proved it can be done!

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”  Hebrews 12:1

 

Our dear Lord, Jesus overcame! He rose above all, including death, hell, and the grave, and He is now seated in glory!

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:2

 

You, too, can overcome, my friend.

I don’t know the individual circumstances of life that may have driven you to “Wit’s End Corner,” but I can tell you this. “Wit’s End Corner” is where God hangs out – just like the old song says. He is there, right in the midst of your current situation, and He has everything you need to enable you to keep pressing on, to walk forward, even though you don’t know where you will find the strength to take the next step. He will empower you to keep fighting the good fight so that one day, you will join the ranks of those who have already laid hold on eternal life.

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”  I Timothy 6:12

 

As I stood next to the bed of my dying, Godly mother, she looked up into my eyes, struggling with all her might to talk to me. Unable to hear her through the BiPap pressed tightly to her face, I gently pulled it back and bent low to listen. I knew those meaningful words would be of eternal significance, and I could not afford to miss them. As I was still unable to understand her, my husband, Kevin came near and helped me decipher the three beyond-precious words she was trying so hard to say—words that have returned to my mind so many, many times since then and still sustain me, especially now during these difficult times.

“Keep.  Pressing.  On.”

These are the words I pass on to you today, weary heart. I know the battle has been long. I know the struggle is real. Keep. Pressing. On. Don’t give up. God is there with you – hanging out beside you on “Wit’s End Corner.” This time of severe trial and testing will produce precious fruits of righteousness, and you will one day look back on today and better understand the process.

Eveninglight Gospel Harmonizers recorded an old song to the poem “Wit’s End Corner,” written by Antoinette Wilson and published in the 1912 issue of Trust Magazine, published by Elim Publishing House, Rochester, New York.
Enjoy the song, “Wits’ End Corner”, from the album “I’ll Keep Holding on to Jesus,” by Eveninglight Gospel Harmonizers, released September 30th, 1980.

Cheryl SmithCheryl Smith is the author of the book “Biblical Minimalism,” the story of her family’s journey from a life of abundance to a more abundant life. She is the author of the blogs Biblical Minimalism, where she writes about minimalism from a Biblical perspective, and Homespun Devotions, where she writes devotionals and conducts “Inner Views.” She is a contributing writer for SGNScoops and No Sidebar.  She loves to spend time with her husband and son in the mountains, sing and play Bluegrass music, and write.
To order Cheryl’s book, click HERE!!
 
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