“He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Isaiah 61:1-3 NKJV
Depression messes with our vision as well as our minds. It’s a disease of isolation. I recall staying home from church and other activities because nobody else understood. Nobody could see what I saw. Poor, pitiful me. I’ve heard other women describe the same tendency to look within.
People with worse circumstances surrounded me, but all I could see was my messed-up life. Nobody could enjoy my pity party, so I withdrew from everyone.
What I have learned from depression is this: Don’t isolate, but gravitate. Gravitate toward people and gravitate toward the Son.
“Tell someone. Not those who judge, but a compassionate someone. We also need to gravitate toward the Son, like a sunflower.
Sunflowers earn their name because their blooms follow the sun. Sunflowers, like humans, possess an internal clock. They track the sun from east to west during the day. At night, they turn east to begin a new day. *
Depression is such a thick blackness that it interferes with our Son tracking.” * (Excerpt from Eyes of Faith: Winning the battle Between Our Feelings and Our Faith)
Like those colorful blooms stretching their necks to follow the sun, we need to stretch our necks toward the Son of God. Our Son tracking will fix our gaze on Jesus Christ.
God wants to heal the broken hearted. He wants to set depressions’ captives free. He comforts us in our mourning. God has the power to break the chains that bind us.
Until that hour arrives when the chains drop off, setting us free, He will console us. He is always with us. Always fighting for us.
Finally, God gives us beauty for ashes. Those difficult days are behind me, but I am keenly aware how quickly they can return. I’ve learned to trust God even more after bringing me through those dark seasons. Now I have the blessing of seeing the beauty that comes from sharing my story with others. If someone can be encouraged by something I write or say, the ashes were worth it. Now those ashes have become the beauties of God.
Once we get our Son tracking correct, God will give us the oil of joy for our mourning. He will remove the spirit of heaviness and cover us with the garment of praise, and like strong trees, we will stand tall, giving all the glory to God. Hang on friend, your pain has a purpose.
Lord Jesus, help your children battling depression today. Break their chains. Shine Your light into their darkness. Console them. Deliver them from the bondage of depression in the name of Jesus. Amen.
DIG DEEPER
Read Isaiah 61:7b NKJV:
Therefore in their land they shall possess double;
Everlasting joy shall be theirs.
HIKING THE TRAIL
Write down what is happening to people in your life. Begin praying for them. Then, do one thing to help just one of them. It will help you immensely.
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Originally posted on September 16, 2020 @ 7:42 pm