1. “A mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness or inability to experience pleasure combined with symptoms including poor concentration, indecisiveness, sleep problems, changes in appetite and feeling guilt, helplessness, and hopelessness ... “.
2. “Extreme gloom, feelings of inadequacy and inability to concentrate.”
The devil is working overtime to keep us from being all we can be in Christ. He appears to be a malevolent force that should strike fear in the hearts of all men, but in reality, he is nothing more than a toothless lion. He is a defeated foe who, in desperation, will try anything and everything to drag us down. It certainly doesn’t have to be that way, but when we allow the circumstances around us to disrupt our connection with God chaos ensues.
We’ve all dealt with depression at one time or another in our lives. We may not have recognized it as such, but it can cause anyone to get stuck in the mud so to speak. We allow things or people to derail us from the track we are on by taking over the positive nature that the Lord infuses in us and replaces it with negativism. The devil wants us to be frozen with fear or indecision or guilt or hopelessness. I’ve become temporarily stagnant, like a brackish pond with no fresh water source feeding it. I have looked at life and events that are taking place around me and it has occasionally caused me to feel a sense of both helplessness and hopelessness. However, we all know THAT is not from the Lord at all. It’s why we pray. It’s why we read our Bibles. It’s why we attend church service. To snap us out of our malaise and stand us upright again.
Depression doesn’t need to be debilitating. It only takes a shift in our focus … off our circumstances and on to the Lord of life. God is aware of our comings and goings and knows when we are down or feeling without hope. He always provides a way out of it, but we must remain attentive to His voice. How can we do that when we are depressed? A simple 3-word prayer can do the trick … “Lord, help me!” and He most certainly will.
Anxiety and depression don’t need to defeat us or even stop us in our tracks. God is far greater than anything the devil can throw at us. Listen to this: “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:17-18) “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) When depressed or despondent, God is your answer. Don’t give the devil a foothold in your life. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In His name & for His glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
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