I was walking through Wal-mart yesterday and in passing, I saw the face of a woman. Her face has been with me since then. I have been praying for her although I do not know who she is. Something in her expression touched me deep in my soul. I recognized the face of someone who is severely depressed. I have seen this face in my own mirror in past years. It is not something I feel very often anymore. But knowing depression in my own life, helped me relate to the pain and hopelessness that gripped this woman.
In the last week, I have been reading the Psalms. The Psalms are full of the emotions of man. They range from purely joyful moments to utter despair. It is amazing how the Bible has the answer to every one of life's problems! This is because it was written about real people! God inspired these words to those who have gone before us so we would have a way to deal with all the things that come our way. It is a manual for our life and a love letter from our God. His Word will get us through with grace and mercy.
So as I was reading, I found the answer to heal depression in one verse! It is comforting how one verse can be so packed full of answers for my life. I can testify to the accuracy of this verse because the Lord has used this method to heal my life of depression.
Psalm 42:5 says; "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior..."
Here are the steps that I see in this verse:
Step 1: The Psalmist asks himself the questions; "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?" It is important to ask yourself these questions so you know what it is that is causing the depression. You can even ask the Lord to help you. You might even want to talk to a friend about it. But figuring out what is really going on is the first step.
Step 2: Put your hope in God! Hope is actually the emotional state that is opposite of despair. So if we spend some time meditating on who God is, we see the hope of Him helping us through the situation. If we remember He parted the Red Sea, He healed the sick, He raised the dead, and He died for us, we have a much better perspective to gaze at our problem. When we consider God, every circumstance has hope. After all, nothing is impossible with God and everything is possible!
Step 3: Make a decision to praise Him! Jesus is our Savior. Often when I feel depression gripping my soul, I get out my journal and I start writing down everything I am thankful for. Sometimes it is hard to start, but as I get going, I feel my soul being lifted and I thank God for all of the beautiful creation around me, the amazing people in my life, and His abundant love for me. I am His favorite! You are His favorite! We are all His favorite! We cannot be grateful and depressed at the same time.
I am blessed to testify to the fact that depression is not something we need to live with day after day. God has given us the answer to dealing with depression. Depression was a daily struggle in my past and now it is just a word on the list of things from which the Lord has healed me.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Morning Glory!
I have the pleasure of getting my grandsons ready for school several mornings each week while my daughter is at work. We have a routine we go through to get ready for our day. Included in this routine is a short bible study. Deuteronomy 11:19 says about God's commandments; "Teach them to to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." This is something I took to heart when my children were at home and it is a pleasure to continue this tradition with my grandchildren. It is a wonderful time of talking about the Lord and His Word together! We love it!
Well, recently we had an extra special morning. I was running really late. So I was making lunches while the boys ate breakfast. Although I was not happy about oversleeping and rushing to make it to school on time, God took the opportunity to "perfect His strength in my weakness." He is always so sweet and comforting! As I was preparing lunches I looked over at the table and saw a scene that brought tears to my eyes. My eight-year-old grandson was reading the Children's Bible to his three-year-old little brother. He was holding the bible with the pictures facing his little brother and reading it, just like I do. He went along reading and then he stopped in the middle and did something remarkable. He looked away from the words and look straight into his little brothers eyes and he explained something to him.
It was a beautiful moment! I forgot about the lunches and paused to feel the presence of God in my kitchen! They were reading about the poor widow who put two small copper coins into the offering in Mark 12:42-44. This is the point where he stopped the story and spoke directly to his brother. He said, "You know when we are at church and they pass the baskets around and we put our money in?" His brother answered, "Yes." He replied, "This is what was happening when the widow gave her coins in the temple." I loved it! He had given a practical example from his three-year-old brother's life that connected him to the bible story! I could not have done it better myself. The glory of God filled my kitchen and I basked in it!
In Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus addressed His disciples before leaving the earth and descending to heaven. This scripture is called The Great Commission. In this passage, Jesus says; "...go and make disciples of all nations..." and "...teaching them to obey all I have commanded you..." It applies to all those who are disciples of Jesus. Disciple means "learner." As long as we are on earth, we are going to be "learners or disciples." The more I read my Bible over and over, I realize I will never come to a full understanding of it. I will never get tired of reading it! I will always find new truths as God reveals Himself to me personally through His Word each day!
Every believer on this earth has someone in their life who is willing to listen. We each have circles of influence which God has given us to make a difference. Many Christians I know claim they do not know enough about the Word of God and they use this as an excuse to disqualify themselves from fulfilling The Great Commission. When Jesus said this, He was not making a suggestion! He was commanding us! I know I do not feel fulfilled when I do not have outlets to testify and teach about Jesus. When God gives us a command, He is doing it for our own benefit! We were born to worship and praise God!
So on this special morning when things looked rushed and hectic, the Lord stopped me in my tracks by sending His glory into my kitchen. My grandson was following my example and sharing what he knows about God's Word with his little brother. What a joy! Although my eight-year-old grandson might not be aware of The Great Commission, he was fulfilling it in my kitchen! This is discipleship--pure and simple! It was a beautiful sight in my eyes and I know it blessed the heart of my Father in Heaven! Just like that, God filled my morning with His glory!
Matthew 28:19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age."
Well, recently we had an extra special morning. I was running really late. So I was making lunches while the boys ate breakfast. Although I was not happy about oversleeping and rushing to make it to school on time, God took the opportunity to "perfect His strength in my weakness." He is always so sweet and comforting! As I was preparing lunches I looked over at the table and saw a scene that brought tears to my eyes. My eight-year-old grandson was reading the Children's Bible to his three-year-old little brother. He was holding the bible with the pictures facing his little brother and reading it, just like I do. He went along reading and then he stopped in the middle and did something remarkable. He looked away from the words and look straight into his little brothers eyes and he explained something to him.
It was a beautiful moment! I forgot about the lunches and paused to feel the presence of God in my kitchen! They were reading about the poor widow who put two small copper coins into the offering in Mark 12:42-44. This is the point where he stopped the story and spoke directly to his brother. He said, "You know when we are at church and they pass the baskets around and we put our money in?" His brother answered, "Yes." He replied, "This is what was happening when the widow gave her coins in the temple." I loved it! He had given a practical example from his three-year-old brother's life that connected him to the bible story! I could not have done it better myself. The glory of God filled my kitchen and I basked in it!
In Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus addressed His disciples before leaving the earth and descending to heaven. This scripture is called The Great Commission. In this passage, Jesus says; "...go and make disciples of all nations..." and "...teaching them to obey all I have commanded you..." It applies to all those who are disciples of Jesus. Disciple means "learner." As long as we are on earth, we are going to be "learners or disciples." The more I read my Bible over and over, I realize I will never come to a full understanding of it. I will never get tired of reading it! I will always find new truths as God reveals Himself to me personally through His Word each day!
Every believer on this earth has someone in their life who is willing to listen. We each have circles of influence which God has given us to make a difference. Many Christians I know claim they do not know enough about the Word of God and they use this as an excuse to disqualify themselves from fulfilling The Great Commission. When Jesus said this, He was not making a suggestion! He was commanding us! I know I do not feel fulfilled when I do not have outlets to testify and teach about Jesus. When God gives us a command, He is doing it for our own benefit! We were born to worship and praise God!
So on this special morning when things looked rushed and hectic, the Lord stopped me in my tracks by sending His glory into my kitchen. My grandson was following my example and sharing what he knows about God's Word with his little brother. What a joy! Although my eight-year-old grandson might not be aware of The Great Commission, he was fulfilling it in my kitchen! This is discipleship--pure and simple! It was a beautiful sight in my eyes and I know it blessed the heart of my Father in Heaven! Just like that, God filled my morning with His glory!
Matthew 28:19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age."
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