clipped from www.insight.org

In the classic allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress, the main character, Christian, tumbles into the miry bog, the “slough of despond,” and struggles to get free. But the heavy burden on his back pulls him in deeper, and he begins to sink. This image pictures what it feels like when we’re sinking in difficult circumstances—when our debts outweigh our income, when past hurts won’t heal, when discontentment marks our relationships, and when the light of heaven seems distant and dim. Discouragement, despondency, pain, suffering—these miry pits along life’s journey can pull us down into our own “slough of despond.” Christian’s rescue came by the hand of a fellow traveler named Help . . . and the same is true for you today. Use these resources to find encouragement and healing for your own life . . . or to minister help to those you find along life’s journey.