As a young man I used to love watching Hee Haw. It was one of the funniest television shows on CBS-TV and ran from 1969-1971. After its original run, it went into syndication for the next 20 years. One of their most popular sketches, usually performed by four male cast members sitting around in hillbilly garb surrounded by moonshine jugs and looking overtly miserable, would sing an old favorite song. The song began with the chorus, which all of them sang with each one alternating (in lip-synch) a mournful howl after each of the first three lines. The chorus went:
"Gloom, despair and agony on me-e! (HOWL!)
Deep dark depression, excessive misery-y! (HOWL!)
If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all! (HOWL!)
Gloom, despair and agony on me-e-e!"
Have you ever felt this way before? So many times we Christians face so many different things in life that we just get to thinking that maybe...just maybe...we will never see the light of day again. Gloom and despair, those twins that we know so well, will be with us until the day we die. Agony is taking its toll on each of us because of everything going on around us, in us and to us!
So what are we to do? To whom shall we turn? Well, I'm glad that you asked me these questions.
Let me just type out a passage of Scripture that I think can help us in our times of gloom, despair and agony. It comes from James 1:2-18:
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord: 8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, 10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. 11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
Gloom, despair and agony on me...thank God that I can rest assured on ever good gift and ever perfect gift from above.
