Hope: A desire of some good, accompanied with at least a slight expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable. – Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Suicide, by many accounts, has reached the level of an epidemic not only in the U.S. but world-wide. It is estimated that in 2017, suicide was the 10^th leading cause of death in the U.S., but among people ages 10-34, it was the second leading cause. 

The specific reasons for this vary widely based upon each individual, but the broader reason is loss of hope.  People have lost hope that things can get better, hope that there is a purpose, or hope that what is better can be obtained by them. 

Maybe you know someone who has attempted or committed suicide, or maybe you are considering it yourself.  I write today to give you hope.  

You may doubt that this hope is possible, but I have confidence that it is available to you. For a few minutes I ask you to borrow my confidence, if you lack your own.  I am convinced that a serious mistake has been made in our world.  In an effort to rid ourselves of what might be considered by some as oppression, we have inadvertently also gotten rid of that which provides hope.  You see, some years ago Western society set out to rid themselves of God.  They championed the idea that there was no God and that those who believed in God were superstitious and weak.  Every person was supposed to stand on their own and would not give an answer to some oppressive God who would judge them.  Now people are supposed to be free of all that restriction and in their freedom, they can pursue their own version of pleasure. 

The problem is that in casting off God, we have also cast off any purpose to life. If there is no God, then there is no purpose for life. We are just a cosmic accident and there is no ultimate reason to live.  Those men were wrong!  I will not go into the specifics here, but there is significant reason to believe that there is a God and that He has a purpose for your life.  I submit to you my own testimony of belief, and the testimony of multitudes of others who have found hope and purpose in God.  In like manner, I want to introduce you to the reality that God’s Word, the Bible, has explored and expressed much on this issue of suicide.  Before you dismiss this, take a minute and consider that the Bible shows us seven men who committed suicide, one that intended to commit suicide, and four that wished they would die.  In all of these instances, we find nine reasons that people lose hope and consider suicide.  The interesting thing about the Bible is that it not only addresses the reasons people lose hope and attempt suicide, but it also gives us an answer to these issues and shows how hope can be restored.  

The 9 Thieves of Hope

Continued on next page.

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