and dispondency can be a sin because it's basically a pre-occu pation with self. Hebrews, the twelfth chapter, reminds us that we are to lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us. Remember, "whatsoever is not of faith, is sin," as Paul ob served in writing to the Roman church. Discouragement is a part of the doubt-belief pattern. God wants to give us the victory. II Corinthians 2:14 reminds us that God causes us to triumph. And then in the fourth chapter this blessed book says, "As we have received mercy, we faint not." Now, appropriately, the Am plified New Testament translates that, "We do not become dis couraged." Remember God from Jordan, the area of death; remem ber Him from the Hermons, the area of victory; and remember Him from the little insignificant Mizar. Remember God! The 7th verse of Psalm 42 tells us, "Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me." Last year in Florida we had a terrible hurricane. The back lash of it reached our home situ ated on Tampa Bay. It was a terrifying experience, although we were some miles from the full fury of the hurricane itself. It was as much as I would ever want to see of these rather awesome and frightening storms. There are ter rifying sounds of rain, wind, thun der, lightening and all of the rest. On the very first day of the hurri cane season this year, June 1, we had another storm which swept in and within five minutes time did about $1,000 damage to our home.
spirituals always picture Jordan as the theme of death. This is true of the beautiful number, "Deep River." The interesting thing about Jordan, like the Red Sea, is that it speaks of deliverance and pres ervation. In death there is preser vation. Not necessarily physical death, but most particularly spir itual and eternal death. He then mentions the Hermons. Actually these are in the plural because they are regarded as twin peaks between ten to twelve thou sand feet above sea level, high enough to have at least patches of perpetual snow. This area is located at the headwaters of the Jordan River. It was at this point, at Mount Hermon, where victory was given the Israelites over the Ammorites. The Psalmist says, "I remember you in death; I remem ber you as well in victory." Then he speaks of Mizar. This is probably translated "the insig nificant rising." It may have been near Mount Sinai. It could have been a hill to which David fled when he was in exile, being chased by his own son Absalom. He remembers God in the dark days as well in the victorious days, as well as Mizar, the little insig nificant days. What a pattern and challenge for us similarly to re member God. This is the panacea for depression. In I Corinthians Paul is writing to the believers in this ancient Greek community. He reminds them about the God of all com fort. One translation has it from the original "the God of all en couragement." Did you ever stop to realize that God wants to encourage us out of our discour agement? I believe that depression
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