"Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish. Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins." (Psalm 25:16-18, NIV)
I recently read a statistic from Gallup that 40,000,000 Americans suffer from some form of depression; they are not alone. David knew depression, as well as so many other "great" people of the Bible and history. So if you suffer from depression today, you are in good company. It is nothing to be embarrassed about, nothing to go into deeper depression about, nothing about which you need allow the Enemy to condemn you. The answer to depression is the same as anything else which afflicts mankind: How do I handle this?
Notice some of David's symptoms of depression, "....lonely and afflicted....the troubles of my heart...anguish....distress...all my sins." Sound familiar? Again, I challenge you to read the Bible with "truth glasses" rather than "I-already-know-all-that" glasses. Never read the Bible with an attitude of familiarity; that is the utmost in presumption and irreverence. There is a very real sense in which we need to heed the words of Brother Charles Simpson many years ago, "Beware of following the Ark too closely." If we keep coming daily to, "the Words of God," with an attitude of awe and reverence, open to, "The Word of God," Who is Jesus Christ, then victory over, "lonely and afflicted....the troubles of my heart...anguish...distress...all my sins", is ours in Jesus, He Who promises, "I will never, no positively never, leave you, nor forsake you."
"We wrestle not against flesh and blood," but we do wrestle, perhaps we could say not only with, "principalities and powers," but with life itself. We understand so little of this earthly existence and sojourn. Beware of "the Bible answer man," that personage who never says, "I don't know," because of life's most perplexing issues he/she does not. When Stephen died, many people said, "Why?" I did not, again, not because of some "spirituality," but perhaps I was just too stunned to ask anything. Maybe also I realized then, as I do now, that in the final scheme of things, God's purposes are still a mystery; Eternity is a mystery; how Jesus works the universe and the affairs of men is a mystery.
Our text reveals, as do so many other Biblical texts (Job, for instance) that those who have gone before us were not any different from us when it comes to the basic issues of life. Away with such religious propaganda which offers answers and methods for every form of human suffering. Away with, "Just do this, and everything will work out the way you want it to." The Bible and Kingdom/Church History do not substantiate this thinking.
I encourage you to do what David did when faced with loneliness, affliction, troubles, anguish, distress, worries, sadness, misery, "all my sins." He confessed his present state and prayed for deliverance, "Show that you care and have pity on me. My awful worries keep growing. Rescue me from sadness. See my troubles and misery and forgive my sins" (CEV). Jesus does this. More importantly, Jesus Is this. "Jesus is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear. Jesus is the strength of my life, of whom/what shall I be afraid." Confess this/Him continually. Fill your mind with Jesus and His words, not "Days of Our Lives," or CNN or Fox News, not with whatever one fills their mind but neglects, "The Word of God." There are so many who claim to have life's answers, but it is only Jesus Who can say to humanity with the Authority of the Godhead, "I am the Lord Thy God Who heals you ....I will take sickness out of the midst of you....I will restore health to you....Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest....You will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." This is Truth, not what a depressed mind might want to defeat a person with. My choice and your choice today is: Whom do we believe?
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for all those who read this, and all who have requested prayer for depression, that they will allow You and Your Words to rule. Amen.
***********************
I recently read a statistic from Gallup that 40,000,000 Americans suffer from some form of depression; they are not alone. David knew depression, as well as so many other "great" people of the Bible and history. So if you suffer from depression today, you are in good company. It is nothing to be embarrassed about, nothing to go into deeper depression about, nothing about which you need allow the Enemy to condemn you. The answer to depression is the same as anything else which afflicts mankind: How do I handle this?
Notice some of David's symptoms of depression, "....lonely and afflicted....the troubles of my heart...anguish....distress...all my sins." Sound familiar? Again, I challenge you to read the Bible with "truth glasses" rather than "I-already-know-all-that" glasses. Never read the Bible with an attitude of familiarity; that is the utmost in presumption and irreverence. There is a very real sense in which we need to heed the words of Brother Charles Simpson many years ago, "Beware of following the Ark too closely." If we keep coming daily to, "the Words of God," with an attitude of awe and reverence, open to, "The Word of God," Who is Jesus Christ, then victory over, "lonely and afflicted....the troubles of my heart...anguish...distress...all my sins", is ours in Jesus, He Who promises, "I will never, no positively never, leave you, nor forsake you."
"We wrestle not against flesh and blood," but we do wrestle, perhaps we could say not only with, "principalities and powers," but with life itself. We understand so little of this earthly existence and sojourn. Beware of "the Bible answer man," that personage who never says, "I don't know," because of life's most perplexing issues he/she does not. When Stephen died, many people said, "Why?" I did not, again, not because of some "spirituality," but perhaps I was just too stunned to ask anything. Maybe also I realized then, as I do now, that in the final scheme of things, God's purposes are still a mystery; Eternity is a mystery; how Jesus works the universe and the affairs of men is a mystery.
Our text reveals, as do so many other Biblical texts (Job, for instance) that those who have gone before us were not any different from us when it comes to the basic issues of life. Away with such religious propaganda which offers answers and methods for every form of human suffering. Away with, "Just do this, and everything will work out the way you want it to." The Bible and Kingdom/Church History do not substantiate this thinking.
I encourage you to do what David did when faced with loneliness, affliction, troubles, anguish, distress, worries, sadness, misery, "all my sins." He confessed his present state and prayed for deliverance, "Show that you care and have pity on me. My awful worries keep growing. Rescue me from sadness. See my troubles and misery and forgive my sins" (CEV). Jesus does this. More importantly, Jesus Is this. "Jesus is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear. Jesus is the strength of my life, of whom/what shall I be afraid." Confess this/Him continually. Fill your mind with Jesus and His words, not "Days of Our Lives," or CNN or Fox News, not with whatever one fills their mind but neglects, "The Word of God." There are so many who claim to have life's answers, but it is only Jesus Who can say to humanity with the Authority of the Godhead, "I am the Lord Thy God Who heals you ....I will take sickness out of the midst of you....I will restore health to you....Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest....You will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." This is Truth, not what a depressed mind might want to defeat a person with. My choice and your choice today is: Whom do we believe?
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for all those who read this, and all who have requested prayer for depression, that they will allow You and Your Words to rule. Amen.
***********************
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
