DON’T ENTERTAIN DEPRESSION
Main text – Psalm 42:5
‘Why are you down cast O! my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him my savour and my God’
Deuteronomy 31:8 – The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
In the above text, we see the psalmists-the sons of Korah struggling with depression. They overcame by talking with themselves. Firstly, they questioned their soul “why are you down cast” Secondly, they then instructed their soul, to put “your hope in God”. And finally, they decided to praise the lord.
We should follow this basic pattern of action as we confront our feelings of depression and come out of it into victory and Joy. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah was so emotionally and physically depressed and exhausted after his victory over the prophets of Baal that he asked God to take his life – one of the effects of depression. God wants to restore the depressed, by speaking hope directly to their souls as he did to Elijah.
The Bible advises Christians to try not to be depressed or discouraged. God knows that we will not be victorious if we get depressed and discouraged, so he always encourages us as we start on a project by saying to us “do not be, discouraged. When we are depressed, we should examine our thought life. Have we been having negative thoughts? We should be able to pattern our thought-life to thoughts that are good, honest, truthful and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8)
Depression destroys hope. Therefore, we should not play to the gallery of the enemy by being depressed.
IN CHRIST THERE IS HOPE.
Prayer Point: My father, my lord, I cast away every spirit of depression from me in Jesus name.
BY BISHOP NGOZI DURUEKE (HE REIGNS CHAPEL INTERNATIONAL) To send your testimony, write us: mylivingwaterdevotional@gmail.com.