Down but not out

Are you aware that several Old Testament Figures were shown to have been depressed,discouraged? There are times they got down so low in the lives, emotions, tasks, what have you that they suffered depression.

Job lost everything, and was in poor health. We know Job never doubted, but Job got depressed. You say that it never says depression, you lose all your kids and possessions in one day and  your health another and see how up you stay.

Job 3:1  After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. 

Job 3:2  And Job spake, and said, 

Job 3:3  Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. 

Elijah had a might victory faced down a king and and 850 false prophets and called fire down from heaven. Yet a queen tells him she is going to kill him and he runs and hides scared for his life.

1Ki 19:3  And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 

1Ki 19:4  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. 

There were mighty men of God. True and faithful. 

Yet they faced depression just as we do.

Now you say but I am no Job or Elijah. This is true, but then They are not you.

You are unique, as a born again Christian you have the Spirit of God living in you, whereas they only had the priests of God to inquire of God for them, they had the Spirit come upon them but they had to wait for the Lord. We have 24/7 personal access.

The New Testament also records people down and out. The disciples got down after the death, and burial. These guys walked with the Son of God, they saw the dead raised to life, the blind restores to sight, the deaf hearing again, demons cast out and they got down and out. Yet, they feared, the body was gone, the disciples were hiding in a room with the doors and windows shut fearing the Jewish leadership.

Joh 20:19  Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 

Joh 20:20  And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 

To make a point closer to today, Charles Haddon Spurgeon also faced depression on a regular basis. The deacons of his church made him take a holiday every so often to refresh and renew his spirit. The prince of preachers was afflicted with depression.

I have faced several bouts of depression myself, am I making a difference? Am I even worthy to do what little I do? 

The point of all this is to let you know in these times, you are not alone. Today as we go through the pandemic and are locked down, separated from family and church family, unable to work, unable to socialize for fear of spreading the disease.

This is a time to know you are not alone in your struggles. Even the strongest of men and mighty men of God have faced emotional distress.

I, personally, prefer to sing my way out of depression but sometimes it is bad. Sometimes it is overwhelming. Sometimes I struggle to get out of it and occasionally I can not lift myself out I must rely on God, and He has always come through for me.

Generally I do not get this personal, but when God tells you to do something you have to do it.

We in this day and age may have a lot to be depressed about but we have a lot more to be hopeful, joyful, praiseful  (yes I know that is not a word) about.

We have more access to the Word of God than anyone in history. We have the freedom to worship openly and freely. We have the Spirit, the Comforter within us. We more than all of the people ever to go before us, we are most blessed.

We also know that the most blessed face a lot of persecution from satan. Different and varying attacks upon us. Now we are aware of these attacks, of the temptations that will come, but still we fall prey to them. Still we have doubts and fears, still we face depression, still we face uncertainty at times.

Thankfully we also have various ways out of this down and out time. We have tools at our disposal to lift the Spirit that others have not had.

We can go online and share with other believers, we can pick up a phone and call someone on the other side of the world and have our spirit lifted, we have music at our fingertips to lift us.

We have God dwelling in us that came to this earth and in all points was tempted as we are and can deliver from the temptation, the doubt, and the fear.

You say He did not know the doubt, fear, and weakness I do.

Oh yes He did. He faced the devil ,in person, after not eating for forty days and forty nights.

He was facing the cruelest execution ever devised by man, and He was doing it utterly alone, even God the Father turned His back on Him while He was on the cross. 

God has never turned His back on one of His children since.

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 

Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 

Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

Go boldly before the throne of grace, pray, sing, seek Him and He can respond to your issues personally, experientially. He will be there if you let Him.