............DEPRESSION........

“Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, A man is conceived…..

"Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire…."

“Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child, as infants who never see the light?”

“I loathe my life…”

 Pretty harsh statements don’t you think? Have you ever felt that way in your life…that you wish you weren’t alive..that you think nobody else has things worse than you do…that you wish you were never born? Many people have experienced depression at one point or another in their lifetime..some of you may even still be depressed.  The statements mentioned above were statements spoken by a man named Job who lived during Old Testament times.  Through Job’s story, the Lord has provided us a great example of how to, not only deal with depression, but also overcome it.

Job was a wealthy, prosperous man of God, but his life did a complete 180.  First, all of his sheep were burned up, then all of his camels were stolen, his servants were struck down with swords, and then his sons and daughters all died when their house collapsed upon them. His trials did not end there.  Job’s health was then attacked and he broke out in loathsome sores from the bottom of his feet all the way to the top of his head. If anyone had a right to be depressed it was Job!

              Although Job struggled to understand why he was suffering so much, and although Job had conversations with God about it, he never cursed God for his circumstances.  Job grew in his dependent relationship on the Lord as he cried out to Him for relief and after awhile, the Lord healed him and blessed him by giving him more than he had before. He was given 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,00 yoke of oxen, 1,000 donkeys, and 7 sons and 3 daughters!

            I know dealing with depressed feelings and trials is "easier said than done”, but as God shows us, there IS RELIEF. Maybe you’re stuck in a place in your life and you can’t get out of the fog…maybe you don’t even have the motivation or drive to try to escape the fog to a clearer place.  Internalizing your feelings only allows you to hide the truth…in some cases it’s a form of denial.  The Bible doesn't teach us to bottle things up internally and “deal with them ourselves”.  As a matter of fact, God tells us to do the exact opposite..to reach out to others and to call on Him for help.   

"Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Gal 6:2)

"Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality." (Rom 12:13)

"When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles." (Psalm 34:17)

..."Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." (Psalm 50:15)

            So maybe you can try to start by talking. Open up to someone and share your feelings, but most importantly, you need to share your feelings with God. Cry out to Him like Job did because he will hear you. Be patient and do not lose hope! Remember, God did not relieve Job’s suffering immediately; He did it on his own timeline.

 He uncovers the deeps out of darkness and brings deep 

darkness to light.

(Job 12:22)