Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. (Psalm 42:5)
Depression. Millions suffer with it each year. Something happens. There is a loss. Your emotions take a nosedive. You can’t help it. Spinning, spiraling, out of control. Hit the dirt with the payload. WHAM! I’m down. And to top it off . . . I don’t even care.
You love Jesus, but you feel awful. There is this heavy, black, and weighted cloud of doom all around you. You read the Word . . . stare at the blurry pages. You try to pray . . . nothing happens. God feels long distance. Doesn’t He love me anymore? Have I done something wrong? Whatever happened to the excitement about the Lord, about life, about anything I used to feel?
Every day I just try to maintain and survive. It’s a chore to get up. Can’t wait to go to bed. Can’t sleep or sleep too much. Novels boring. Nothing appealing. Don’t say much. Feel detached. I fake a smile. Try to distract myself. Got to keep busy but can’t keep focused so it’s back to that empty feeling again. Oh Jesus . . . help me!
I will My child. I love you. You are everything to Me. I took the weight of the world on my shoulders and died for you. I felt separated from my Father and cried out “why?” I went down to the depths of hades for you, so you would never be separated from me. And I rose again to lift you to me forever. Nothing will ever separate you from My love. I promise.
You feel so sad right now and can’t shake yourself free from those terrible feelings. That’s okay. I’m still here. You can’t feel Me, but I have promised to never leave you or forsake you. This sadness will lift from you. I have heard your cry. Hope in me. You shall yet praise Me for the help of My countenance which is ever toward you and favorable to you.
When you were a child you would run to your father or mother when scared or hurt. Their arms would feel so tight around you and you would feel safe and secure. Now run to Me. I will hold you with a grip that can never be broken. I have promised I will never, ever let you go. I have loved you with an everlasting love. How low can you go? Never lower than My everlasting arms which are underneath you holding you up. It’s not a hole you are falling into . . . it’s My hands, my nail-pierced hands that took the scars of life for you.
Louie