Someone posted the following description of depression on Facebook
and I had to respond with good news and encouragement. I see these kinds of
expressions so often that I’m quite sure many of us need to look at these
things from the perspective of God’s love, and grace, and mercy, to help us in
our time of need.
The good news is that, anything that anyone thinks or feels
of anxiety, fear, depression, worry, failure, loneliness, caring, numbness, or
anything else that would describe our broken soul-condition, the promises of
God for freedom in Jesus Christ apply.
When Jesus said that the weary and burdened could come to
him for rest, he meant that everyone who is weary and burdened with such things
as this (including the underlying culprit of sin), can come to him for rest, specifically,
rest for our souls.[2]
God says, "Humble
yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time
he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”[3]
Everyone who comes to Jesus for soul-rest, and is willing to cast all their
anxieties upon him, coming to know him as the Father who cares for them in
their anxieties, will see God lift them up.
The psalmist of old said,
"I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog,and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord."[4]
When we do this individually in our times alone with God,
and make this a significant characteristic of our corporate times of prayer
(even when just 2 or 3 are willing to do so), God hears our cries, he draws us
up from the miry pit, he sets our feet on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, he
puts a new song in our mouths, many people hear our testimonies of what he has
done, and others will put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
I share this as a way to sing the new song of praise that
invites us all to admit the true condition of our souls (including what is
described in the post above), and experience the soul-rest that comes when we
yoke ourselves to Jesus Christ and learn from him.
© 2016 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)
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