Defying depression with God

Defying depression with God



Monday, July 4, 2011

A New Day

Hello friends. I have not posted since last November because I started a new full-time job and have been adjusting to the crazy new schedule. I want to continue blogging but in a new style of writing. I will write about living with depression from a more personal standpoint. I want to share my journey with you as God guides me through the good days and the bad days. My prayer is that you might be encouraged and that God would be glorified by my words. I commit this blogging project, like every other aspect of my life, to Him who sustains me.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Free of Fear

The black cloud of depression has lifted, yet I do not feel free. I live in constant worry that the darkness will return. I fear going back down to the bottom of the pit.

The LORD says; "All those who listen to Me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm."
Pr 1:33

Listen to Him.

David says; "I prayed to the LORD and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears."
Ps 34:4

Pray to Him.

So many times in God's word He commands us "do not fear, do not be afraid".

Obey Him.

God promises; "[I] go beore you and will be with you; [I] will never leave you or forsake you. "
Deut 31:8

Trust Him.

Our God is faithful.

"So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea."
Ps 46:2

Friday, November 5, 2010

A Picture of Depression

"My soul is full of trouble
and my life draws near the grave.
I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like a man without strength.
I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom You remember no more,
who are cut off from Your care.
You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.
Your wrath lies heavy upon me;
You have overwhelmed me with all Your waves.
You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
my eyes are dim with grief.
I call to You, O LORD, every day;
I spread out my hands to You.
Are Your wonders known in the place of darkness...?
...the darkness is my closest friend."

Psalm 88:3-9, 12-14, 18

Monday, November 1, 2010

Worn Out

I cling to a thread of hope. My hands tire.
I strain to see the light. My vision blurs.
I call for help. My throat is parched.
I fight for my life. I grow weak.
My body aches.
My soul aches.
I am exhausted.

Job understands:
"Surely, O God, You have worn me out."
Job 16:7

David understands:
"I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes."
Ps 6:6-7

God understands:
When we are weak, He is strong.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Passing Through

We may be in the valley, but we do not live there, we are only passing through.

We may be in the fire, but we do not live there, we are only passing through.

God reaches down from on high. He comes alongside us, takes our hand, and leads us through.

In the valley or in the fire, we are only passing through.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Prescription for Healing

Heal - to mend, cure, make whole; return to original state of health

I pray for healing...I beg for healing, yet it does not come.
I am prescribed medication...I take medication, and my health improves.

My health improves but I do not feel that I am healed.

God, I believe that You are a supernatural God who can perform instantaneous miracles of healing, if you choose. I wonder why you have not chosen to heal me, to set me free.

Could it be that God might use prescription medication to heal?

There is an example in the Bible of Jesus giving a prescription for healing:

"As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. ... (Jesus) spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go", He told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam". So the man went and washed, and came home seeing." John 9:1-7

God can use any means that He sees fit to heal. The healing process will not look the same for everyone. We should prayerfully consider treatment options, and it may be that God's will is to use medication to heal.

The Battlefield

Christ was crucified at Golgotha - the place of the skull, the mind. So often the mind is Satan's battlefield of choice. Satan's strategy is revealed and the battle lines have been drawn.

Depression is such a mental, emotional and spiritual battle. It is a battle of the mind, but we have already won. We have victory because the work of Christ has been done at Golgotha. Satan's lies are crucified. We live with the power of the resurrection and the mind of Christ.