Youth Suicide in Rhode Island (click title for video)

"Suicide remains a major public health problem for Rhode Island youth, as the second, third, and fourth leading causes of death for 20 – 24 year olds, 15—19 year olds, and 10 –14 year olds, respectively." - Rhode Island Department of Health

I did some research on youth in Rhode Island and found the statistic for teen and young adult suicide staggering.  My question is, why is it so high?  Well, of course I searched around the internet a bit and found several websites outlining the straight forward problem of suicide in Rhode Island youth from the Department of Health:

Rhode Island Department of Health: Report
Rhode Island Department of Health: Website
Rhode Island Department of Health: Survey

Now, there are solutions on their websites, but they don't get to the heart of the issue.  Why are youth choosing death over life?  That's my question and the question we should all be asking ourselves as we read through this blog.

I want to point out several passages of Scripture that can help us get a look at life.  These passages, I believe, if spoken aloud have the power to remind us that God created life and everything in it.  The Bible says in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1).  Therefore, since the Bible is the written Word, we have been given a great gift.  We must never forget the power in the spoken Word of God .  What a great weapon, the Word (Hebrews 4:12)!  The Bible says we do not struggle against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12).  So, therefore, it is not by our hands that the enemy is defeated, but by the Word of the Lord which the book of Hebrews says is sharper than any double edged sword.  It is pretty obvious that a major agenda for the Devil is to destroy life and he is targeting the young people, but the Bible says that Lord has come to give life more abundantly (John 10:10)!  

So, the following passages of scripture are for you to use in this battle for life.  I encourage you to speak the words out loud as you read them, believing the power in them.  Why waste this weapon God gave us?  Use it today to save the lives of the youth of Rhode Island. 

Life at 8-weeks: "being knitted together in your mother's womb"

Psalm 103:8-17

⁸ The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
      slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
 ⁹ He will not constantly accuse us,
      nor remain angry forever.
 ¹⁰ He does not punish us for all our sins;
      he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
 ¹¹ For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
      is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
 ¹² He has removed our sins as far from us
      as the east is from the west.
 ¹³ The Lord is like a father to his children,
      tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
 ¹⁴ For he knows how weak we are;
      he remembers we are only dust.
 ¹⁵ Our days on earth are like grass;
      like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
 ¹⁶ The wind blows, and we are gone—
      as though we had never been here.
 ¹⁷ But the love of the Lord remains forever
      with those who fear him.
   His salvation extends to the children’s children.

 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

A Time for Everything ¹ For everything there is a season,
      a time for every activity under heaven.
 ² A time to be born and a time to die.
      A time to plant and a time to harvest.
 ³ A time to kill and a time to heal.
      A time to tear down and a time to build up.
 ⁴ A time to cry and a time to laugh.
      A time to grieve and a time to dance.
 ⁵ A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
      A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
 ⁶ A time to search and a time to quit searching.
      A time to keep and a time to throw away.
 ⁷ A time to tear and a time to mend.
      A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
 ⁸ A time to love and a time to hate.
      A time for war and a time for peace.

1 Corinthians 15:42-57

 ⁴² It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. ⁴³ Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. ⁴⁴ They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.
 ⁴⁵ The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. ⁴⁶ What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. ⁴⁷ Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. ⁴⁸ Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. ⁴⁹ Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.
 ⁵⁰ What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.
 ⁵¹ But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! ⁵² It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. ⁵³ For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
 ⁵⁴ Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
   “Death is swallowed up in victory.
 ⁵⁵ O death, where is your victory?
      O death, where is your sting?”
 ⁵⁶ For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. ⁵⁷ But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 21:1-7

The New Jerusalem ¹ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. ² And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
 ³ I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.^[a]4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
 ⁵ And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” ⁶ And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. ⁷ All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

Be still, and know that I am God
Psalm 46:10

Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
John 13:7

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid."
John 14:27

I know that reading the Bible for the majority of youth in Rhode Island is not a priority.  This is a problem.  They don't know the power of the Word.  They haven't experienced what it does.  This grieves me to think they don't know the passages of Scripture that I have written on my heart like "weeping comes in the night, but joy comes in the morning!" and "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"  These passages I can speak over myself when I feel the attack of Satan on my life.  But, many of the youth in Rhode Island do not have these powerful words of scripture to speak over themselves!  That is why we must teach them.  

The Bible says to go into all the world and PREACH the gospel (Mark 16:15).  The word "preach" means to proclaim & give earnest advice.  Wow!  Here we all think that preaching is writing a three point sermon and speaking eloquently in front of a crowd.  But, to preach just means to give someone advice!  Let's not miss the significance of this.  We, as the Body of Christ, are commanded to go and PROCLAIM & GIVE ADVICE to the youth of Rhode Island.  So, what are we waiting for?

- Written by Nickie Farley