4.14.16

Devotional for Thursday, April 14, 2016
“Overcoming Depression”
do not worry
by Dona Hake
“Worry [Anxiety] ·is a heavy load [leads to depression],
but a ·kind [good] word cheers you up.”
Proverbs 12:25 Expanded Bible
 
We live in a day in which we hear much about depression. I find this to be such a sad thing but we can rejoice that we serve a  God that has equipped us with His living Word, and we can indeed be victorious over this terrible thing called depression. Anyone of us may have dealt with this or have had loved ones that have had battles with it.  It is such a sad thing to see someone being tormenting as they fight this battle.   Let us be reminded that He is our Shepherd and He gives us all that we need, and restoration of the soul will deliver any of us from the grips of depression.
Depression like anything else begins as a very small seed.   Thoughts that are not dealt with can nurture the perfect breeding ground for depression to take root. Worry and anxiety will begin to weaken your faith and before long you will find double-mindedness  becoming a habit in your thought process.    No matter how hard you try it almost seems that you see everything in a negative way, merely because negative thoughts, worry and anxiety are now ruling you.  The book of James tells us that the double-minded man will not receive from the Lord.   Let us therefore understand how to stand strong that we can resist being pulled down by depression.    Depression has the power to cause your focus to be broken, it will cause you to lose hope, and it will rob you of the joy of living.  I say it often and I will say it again…the Word of God warns us that we must be very serious about the guarding of our hearts and minds for this is where the issues of this life flow from.
Maybe you are not dealing with depression but you know someone that is.  Know this…your prayers for that individual and the words you speak to them can be such a blessing and help to them.  Proverbs 12:25 says 
that a good word cheers you up. If you are in a position to speak the Word of God or just an encouraging word to someone who is down in the dumps, those words are able to  lift them up.   It is those words that could enable someone to finally see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.   It is those good words spoken that are able to deliver and set someone free!
 
The good Word that we need to continually hear is the one that we speak and purpose to deposit into our own hearts by reading the Word of God. We need to make a diligent effort each and every day to deposit God’s Word that we may nourish our spirits.
Today Lord we ask that you help us to look to your good Word. We ask that you help us to see your words more clearly in our hearts that we can flee from anxiety and worry, and experience the life giving force that Your Word brings to our hearts.   We ask that You put words on our hearts to speak to that one that is heavy in heart that we may minister Your life giving love and encouragement. In Jesus Name, Amen.