Lessons from David

 

This morning in my quiet time I was reading Psalm 42, and this is the psalm where David is questioning “why is my soul downcast within…”

It is a very sad psalm, and I’ve even heard people speak on it saying that the sadness mentioned in here, the “deep crying out to deep” is talking about depression. Whether this is true or not, I am not 100%, but I can definitely see where people get that from. So as i was reading, I started just journaling what thoughts came to head with this passage, and started thinking about depression.

Depression is such a common disease these days, almost anyone you speak to has either gone through depression, or is currently depressed. Some say they are clinically depressed and takes meds, and other’s don’t even know it and just live in that state of mind, and other’s get over it.

I have extremely strong opinions concerning depression, simply because I have dealt a lot with it, within myself and some people whom I care deeply about, but I am not going to get into that right now. What I want to get into, is talking about the Power of the Holy Spirit.

 

I encourage you to go and read Psalm 42 either before or after you read this. To see if you can gather, what I gathered.
I believe that David was probably depressed when he wrote this psalm, but I also think that he gives us an extremely great example of how to deal with depression, or sadness.

First, he is thirsty and panting for the living God. (v1)
If you are sad/depressed, and not thirsty for God to move and to be near you…check yourself.

Second, he remembers the better times, the times God used him and when he was walking in his call…(v4)
Its easy in times of sadness/depression to just think about all that your sad about, all the bad stuff in life and in yourself and even in other people. But the New Testament sooooo many times tells us to set our minds on things above (colossians 3), to look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (hebrews)…numerous times in numerous ways.
We cannot turn our hearts and minds against God in these moments…we can choose what we remember and what we don’t remember ultimately. If we want to remember better times, we will. If we want to stay in the depressed state of mind that is not honoring to God, we do.

Thirdly, David HOPES in God. (v.5,11)
Hope is a feeling. it is also an incredible word, and an incredible feeling. It helps bring life, and helps us to look forward, instead of looking backward and inward. It forces us to look past what is going on, and to what can happen, deliverance, newness…
And this isnt a hope that is rooted in the people around you, or yourself, this is a hope that is rooted in God, who can work all things out for the good of those who love Him. (romans 8:28)

 

My opinion, is that the best remedy and advice for sadness and depression is to have these 3 things. A desire for God, to remember all that He has done and those better days, and lastly, to HOPE IN GOD.

The mind is a powerful thing, but the Bible tells to be of a sound-mind (2 tim 1:7), sober-minded (2 tim 4:5, 1 peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:8) and to take every thought captive and make it OBEDIENT to Christ(2 Corinthians 10:5). Therefore, we can…because we have the Holy spirit alive in us, enabling and working in us! )(John 14:26To say that you can’t take every thought captive, that you can’t be sober and sound minded, is to limit and belittle the power of God.
Which i’m pretty sure is a sin….it’s called unbelief…..

To end, all of this(hoping in God, taking every thought captive…), takes work. I think this is where a big problem is, especially in America…because we are an extremely lazy culture. (proverbs 13:4)Therefore, we for the most part, don’t want to do the work that its going to take us to be whole, to allow Christ’s power (Holy Spirit) to reign in us, because it’s hard.
Lazyness is a sin. and if you dont hate sin, and want to turn from it, you might want to make sure your saved.

Take sin seriously, take God seriously.

 

“…Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.”
Psalm 42:11

Seasons of Life

 

Everything in life, runs by seasons.
You have Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.
We all have our favorite season(s).
And for the seasons that we don’t like…we can’t control them. We can’t make them move faster. We just have to endure them.
Like we endure the weather and can’t change that, we have to endure some of life’s circumstances and trust God. and know that a greater(more favorite, more enjoyable) season, is on its way!

So if your like me, and hate winter…endure it. For Spring is just around the corner. And we get those moments where you wake up, and it looks and smells and even looks like Spring…and even though it may just be a teaser and winter is still there, look at it as a joy and a hope and a glimpse into what God is bringing your way!

So if your not enjoying the season of life you are in right now spiritually, endure it. keep pressing on. keep running the race. For another season is just ahead. We can’t say how long it will be, but God is with you through all of the seasons you go through. Giving you hope in the wintry, cold, dark seasons.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…”  Hebrews 12:1

Work

 

”Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
Colossians 3:23

This past week has been a really weird week work wise for me. It was quite difficult for me to do a good job at my work and be disciplined and not want to waste time while at work.

I even find that with leadership sometimes too. Some weeks are harder than others, and there are times when I don’t want to lead and don’t want to take the time to do all that is required of me in leadership and my roles.

This past week, has also been a week when ive realized that I dont have a right to ever want to be lazy in the call God has given me and the work He has given me to do. If He has called me to lead, than I need to always lead. In any physical work that I do, I don’t have a right to complain. If its work I don’t know how to do, or a work that is not my favorite, I need to do it with a grateful heart praising God for the ability to learn and the ability to do.

So whatever your work is, whether it is spiritual/kingdom work or earthly/physical work, it is all for the glory to God. and should be done for His glory and the fame of His name.

we are not here for ourselves, or for men, but for God.