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| On Monday, July 27, I was reading in Charles Stanley's devotional book, "On Holy Ground." He wrote about depression and it was so good, I wanted to share it with my friends.
Ps. 42:11 - "Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God."
I Kings 19: 1-18
Elijah was scared that Jezebel was going to kill him and so he ran away, very depressed. Verse 4 says, " ' I've had enough, Lord. Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors.' And he lay down under a tree and fell asleep. God sent an angel to comfort and encourage and feed him. Verse 10: "....I'm the only one left and they are trying to kill me too!" Then the Lord says to Elijah in verse 11 - "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." A great wind came and shattered the rocks, but the Lord wasn't in the wind. Then an earthquake shook the earth, but the Lord wasn't there either. Then came a fire - nope! The Lord wasn't in the fire. At last came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face, and went out and stood. The Lord said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" Verse 14: "I'm the only one left and they are trying to kill me too." At that point, the Lord gave Elijah direction and told him what to do and where to go.
Martin Luther, the great leader of the Reformation, dealt many times with severe depression. Dr. David Seamands, in his book, "Healing for the Damaged Emotions," gives these practicals helps:
1. Avoid being alone. When you are depressed, you don't want to be around people. You must force yourself to be with others.
2. Seek help from others. You cannot pull yourself out of depression. Seek out people and situations that generate joy.
3. Praise and give thanks to the Lord. All the saints agree on this one. The founder of the Salvation Army says that when he couldn't feel God's presence or even pray, he would thank God for the leaf on the tree or the beautiful wing of a bird.
4. Lean heavily on God's Word. Throughout the centuries, people have found peace in the Psalms.
There is a way out of depression. It is not a dead end. Trust Him to lead you and to help you.
Lord, when clouds of depression surround me, help me to remember to praise You. Let me realize it is not a dead end. There is a way out and Your light illumines the way.
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| Under His wings I am safely abiding. Though the night deepens and tempests are wild, Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me. He has redeemed me, and I am His child. Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow! How the heart yearningly turns to His rest! Often when earth has no balm for my healing. There I find comfort, and there I am blest. Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment! There will I hide till life's trials are o'er; Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me. Resting in Jesus, I'm safe evermore. William Cushing, 1896 | | |
| "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you." Isaiah 43:2
I was reading again this morning in my book, "On Holy Ground", by Charles Stanley, and I wanted to share some of it with you. Read Psalm 77. The Psalmist wonders where God is, does He still love him, why is He still seemingly rejecting him..........But then he chooses to look at the past, where God has worked before and all the deeds and miracles He did for our forefathers. And he remembers that God has not changed and he chooses to praise Him all the same.
One of the greatest truths I can cling to in my time of need is that no problem can hinder the free, full-flow of God's love toward me. His love for me is not just sentiment or a warm feeling or a sweet Christian saying. The love of God means that He is working to accomplish His purposes in my life in every stressful situation.
There is absolutely nothing random about my problems. They are not just the result of fleeting earthly forces at work. Before I was born, before the universe was conceived, God knew about and figured my particular trouble into His master plan. I may not be able to understand what is happening or why. But I do know the God who has the answers and the power to bring me through.
Each time of testing is an occasion to see God work and trust Him for the results. It's an opportunity to grow in dependence on Him. I am a conqueror in Christ in every situation because the Conqueror, Jesus Christ, is in control of me and my circumstances. Nothing or no one can outwit or overcome Him.
Prayer: Lord, You knew me before I was born. You figured all my problems into Your master plan. I may not understand it all, but You do. You have the answers and the power to bring me through each difficulty. I am more than a conqueror through You.
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| May 31, 2009
Revelation 3:20-22
"I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18
At one point during WWII, England was on the brink of disaster. Churchill's call to arms rallied his troops. The result was a shift in the way England fought the rest of the war. England set its focus on one thing - victory. They refused to be dominated by an outside force. The nation rose from the charred ruins of wartime to become a great and mighty nation again. These people said, "No, we will NOT go down in defeat. There is a future for us and we will step forward through the darkness to find a candle of hope."
When we are tempted to give up, we can think back to this point in history. What would have happened if England had given in to the evil of Hitler's rule? Oppression and a sense of loss would have swept through the nation with a vengeance and recovery would have been hard, if not impossible.
Are we facing what appears to be a sure defeat in our lives? We must stand firm in our faith in God, cling to Him and never give up. The victory we long to receive is ours.
Prayer: Father, I declare it: I won't ever give up! As I travel the rough pathways of this world--in the face of danger or defeat--I will stand firm in You. The victory is mine.
(taken from the book, "On Holy Ground", by Charles Stanley)
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| May 30, 2009 Jude 1-4 "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.' " John 14:6 Satan is the author of heresy. He never offers us the complete truth. Instead, he offers counterfeits. Any teaching that leads people away from God and causes them to question the validity of the Scriptures is deadly. In Peter's day, the false teachers taught that Jesus was a good man, a teacher and a prophet. They imitated His teaching, but always stopped short of professing His deity. Today, false teachers have more than a foot in the doorway of our churches, schools and businesses. They are allowed to openly proclaim their beliefs as truth. They teach belief in a god, but not in the God of the Bible. They teach we can become god-like if we will practice self-discipline and search within ourselves to find the truth. Nothing could be more steeped in deception. The best defense to the enemy's deception is personal knowledge of God and His truth. We must set our hearts on knowing the true God and He will expose the false teaching of those around us. Prayer: Father, I come to You through the way, Jesus Christ. Help me guard against the deception of the enemy. Expose all that is false. Reveal to me the truth of Your Word. I set my heart to know You. (taken from the book, "On Holy Ground", by Charles Stanley) | | |
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