I decided that, since I could not make it to church because of pain, I would give a little lesson to myself based on what I needed for today. Maybe its something you could use too. How many of you know that pain, when suffered over the long haul, messes with your head as much as it messes with your body? If you are not constantly guarding your heart and mind, you can consider things so dark that it makes you shudder to even acknowledge that you thought about it. Im thinking weve all been there. An even sadder state (if there could be) is when Satan has you convinced you are going through this dark journey of suffering ALONE. That is a lie from the pits of hell with the sole purpose of discouraging you and rendering you an ineffective witness on His behalf (yes, Im a Christian). This is where I live. I live on the edge of this state of God-given bliss and Satan-induced hopelessness. This, my friend, is not a safe place to be. Your ability to guard your heart and mind will be tested with each new day. Your praying friends will become your most valued earthly treasure and you take each step ... hoping. So whats the lesson to be learned here, Faith? I thought there was a lesson (you say). Turn to Psalms 42 (Ill paste it below in a couple of different translations so you can view it as I go). First we must acknowledge that David was Depressed. When he speaks of his tears (v.3) being both day and night, and when he speaks of his soul (v.5) being disquieted within him and cast down (v.6) and when he feels like he is drowning in his despair (v.7), he is talking about a depressive state. Mind you, depression comes in various forms, from chemical imbalance, to situationally induced, and others, so dont take this as the be-all, end-all, of depression treatment (disclaimer). But we must take our cue from David. When he took the time to recall Gods blessings on his past (v.4 and v.6), when he commanded himself to praise God regardless of how he felt (v. 4 and v.11), and when he made himself acknowledge that God is with him always (v.8), he was setting a precedence for treating this malaise of the heart. Another thing Id like you to notice, all throughout the Psalms, David made I will statements that were based on what he knew, not what he felt. He would say, I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, His praise will continually be in my mouth. I will trust the Lord ... I will remember what Hes brought me through and I will acknowledge where He is taking me ... One of the most powerful parts of your anatomy is your tongue. If we can remember in the darkest times of life, what we know is always there in the light, and speak accordingly, we will sow seeds that Satan cannot uproot. Ive told the story before, but it bears repeating. When I was a child, I hated the dark and would beg to keep the hall light on. My dad would sit at the edge of my bed and say, Faithy, you have to remember in the dark, what you know is in the light. and even now, at my ripe old age :/ , I know that life gets dark and I must remember in these times, what I know is in the light, for He is light and in Him is no darkness ... and He is in me. When these dark times come, praise Him, speak Him word, for it does not return void, pray without ceasing, do something positive for someone else to boost your own spirits, crank up the music and dance before the lord (itll release those good hormones in the brain AND solidify your relationship with God ... and your laughing kids), and practice your I will statements in defiance of the devil. Your innate stubbornness will pay off here. It sure cant hurt, and it may actually help. Check below for some links and the scriptures. God Bless~!!
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 19:22:00 +0000
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