Overcoming Depression
The Lord is Near
Most of us have seen and been through days of blues. We probably remember it well too, maybe when your girlfriend left you, or you pet died. Maybe when you didn't get hat raise you were hoping for. Whatever the reason is, everyone has been sad or lonely at some point in there life. But depression is when you feel like hell is running amok in your body for weeks, and months, and maybe even years. We may typically find widows depressed, we may find those who lost a loved one depressed, or for whatever reason, there are people out there who feel sad and lonely far too long. Think how bad it would be if you felt like your wife left you, every day of your life for months. It would suck, some of us get over these things, while others hold onto the past despite knowing it won't change back.
Psalm 34:17-18
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
The Psalmist is crying out for himself here. Even though he says "When the righteous cry" we can infer that he himself is acknowledging that he too needs the Lord near him. He also tells us that the Lord
Hears and
Delivers them out of there troubles.This is because the Lord, Jesus our Savior, does. He hears all of our prayers, he hears the cries of our heart, he knows everything about everybody, and when we do cry out to Jesus, and when we do seek his help, he will comfort and deliver us from our depression!
Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Jesus himself even tells us that those who have labored all day, all night, or have been heavy laden, can come to him, and he will give you rest. In modern terms, those who have been working and working, those who have been saddened and crying for days can come to Jesus himself and be given rest through him. When we speak of rest, we speak and the end of the depression. But what you may say? How can Jesus give us rest from work. Well I tell you Jesus can do anything. He could give you the power to actually quit your job, the power to say no, the power to rid your mind of work when you come home. God can do anything, maybe God could actually give you rest from work. Maybe one day you find less work on your table, or no work at all. Never doubt the powers of Jesus and the Father.
Welfare and Hope
The Lord already knows the future, he already knows the past. he can choose when to guide you, or when to abandon you. But the Lord never does evil to you. He may abandon you for a horrible sin so that evil from Satan gets to you, but the Lord himself is not Satan, and would never purposely destroy you unless you commit a horrible sin against him and he finds it fitting to do so.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
In this verse, the Lord himself declares that has plans for welfare, in the future, and a hope for us all. If the Lord declares this himself, then isn't it safe to say that if you seek Jesus in your time of depression he will come to your aid and give you welfare and hope now or shortly in the future? Of course it is, because the Lord declares it to be so.
Through Jesus you can Overcome Depression!
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Again, God is telling us not to fear him or his plans, because he is with us all the way, he is with us when we need him, and he is with us when we don't. All we have to do is cry out to tim, turn to him, and repent of our sins. If we do these things, he declares to us that he will uphold us, strengthen us, and help us. This is because all things are possible with God, and if all things are possible with God, then surely if he declares these things, through Jesus, and through Prayer and Worship God will help you, strengthen you, and provide for welfare, and hope.
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Even the Psalmist of the Old Testament had such faith and hope in God that he declared in his Psalm, and in his righting that he fears no evil, no matter how close he walks with death, because the Lord is with him, and he knows that the Lord and rod will protect him, so therefore he feels comforted.
I encourage all of you, who are feeling lonely, sad, or know you are depressed, to pray right now, pray with me, and seek the Lord and seek Jesus so that he may comfort you and help you through these troubling times.
Dear Father,
Glory be to your name because you are the one who hears all of our cries, you are the one who created us, and you are the one who has a plan for good for us all. Glory be unto your name Jesus because through you we can seek forgiveness, through you we can seek strength, and hope. Jesus you are my Lord and Savior, and I pray Jesus that you will comfort those who cry out to your name. They need your love and hope, your feelings of warmth to the heart, and your strength to continue on. I pray Jesus that you will be there to deliver them from there sadness and depression, and that they will be strengthen, propped up again so that they may walk this earth with faith and love ounce more. Help us find you, help us with our faith, and we pray that you will guide us all in our trials with your Holy Spirit.
In your name I pray Jesus,
Amen.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a Blog Entry I made a couple weeks ago, I thought I would share it hear to help you. It seemed fitting. Click
HERE for original blog entry.