distress is the more extreme and painful form of suffering. Anguish normally refers to

mental suffering, but agony is the torture of the mind.

Agony occurs only once in the New Testament. It is the Greek agonia, and is found in

Luke 22: 44, where the agony of our Lord in the garden of Gethsemane is described.

He was subject to extreme tension, which caused mental agony and physical exhaustion.

Anguish occurs several times, and different Greek words are used. We have already

referred to II Cor. 6: 4 and 12: 10, where the Greek is stenochoria, and the same

Greek word occurs in Rom. 2: 9 and 8: 35.

In Rom. 8: 35 it is translated

"distress", "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress,

or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?".  Read Rom. 8: 35-39.

Here is reassurance, confidence, and the promise of the Lord's enabling power. We are

more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Nothing can separate us from the love

of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Before we close, let us turn to the Psalms, for David during the lifetime of Saul had

much to endure. He was persecuted and frequently feared for his life, but God delivered

him and consequently he wrote many Psalms of praise and thanksgiving. Psa. 34: is

an example. We will not comment on this wonderful Psalm, but ask the reader to read it

right through. Another which is worthy of study is Psa. 107:  Its structure is both

interesting and helpful, so we will give it below. Fuller detail will be found given in The

Companion Bible:

A |

1-3. Praise.

B

| 4-32. Distress and Deliverance.

| 33-41. Judgment and Blessing.

A |

42-43. Praise.

Further expansion of

B | 4-32. Distress and Deliverance.