For He reached us...

I. battle. depression.
      During worship at church last night, one of the leaders spoke of her family's battle with depression and how she, too,  daily battles the war in her mind.  I have never said those words outside of my own private home.  I have felt shame and guilt and embarrassment.  I am a Christian.  I love God.  For years I have heard depression is selfish.  Get over it.  Think positive.  Shake it off.  Usually a good friend would know something was off and pray and encourage and it would lift for a bit.  Not this time.
      This time I knew it was time to do more than "get over it".  I needed to admit the struggle (at least to myself) and "get through it."  For me there is a difference.  It may not go away.  I have often wondered why I battle.  Why me, Lord?  I read Your Word.  I pray.  Please deliver me from this.  I am gently reminded of the woman with the issue of blood who battled her affliction 12 years and Paul with the "thorn in the flesh" that was never named.  He came to the conclusion that "God's grace is sufficient."  This type of affliction is invisible.  You can't see it or touch it.  That does not make depression any less real for those who battle it.
      I have often related to David in the Bible.  When you read through the Psalms you hear the honest heart of a man who loved God deeply.  You also hear the cries of a heart that battled.  "Why so downcast O my soul... put your hope in God."  David spoke to his own heart, pulling himself up, with a reminder of Who our Savior truly is.  So I learn from the example of the saints before and I read God's Word.  Sometimes I just let it soak in quietly.  Other times I boldly declare it out, wielding it as weapon to fight the battle in my mind.  Today I am thankful. This battle I am currently in is coming to a close. I can see the "light at the end of the tunnel" and my peace is returning.  When I read in Colossians today my heart was encouraged.  The following verses really stood out to me:

Colossians 1  (13)"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, (14) in whom we have redemption and forgiveness of sins.
(17) He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.  (28) We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. (29) For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works in me.

Thank God He rescues us! Transfers us! Holds us together! He completes us! His power is mightily working in us! So even in our weakness... We proclaim Him!

Speak Life

      A few nights ago, while unable to sleep, I reached for my Bible and opened to Ezekiel 36.  God is speaking to Ezekiel concerning Israel.  He speaks of gathering Israel from among the nations and bringing them back to their land.  Verses 25 - 27 caught my attention:

"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.  Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."

      Although God is speaking to the Israelites, He does the same for those of us who have been "grafted in" to the Vine.  When I came to Christ, it didn't matter how "good" I was on my own.  My goodness alone would never be enough. So through the blood of Jesus I was cleansed and given a new heart.  Now, by His Spirit I can walk "in a manner worthy of the calling". 

       The next chapter really caught my attention.  I love Ezekiel 37 when God tells Ezekiel to "prophesy over these bones..."  This is such  powerful picture of God taking what is dead and dry and resurrecting it to life.  And, He used a person, Ezekiel,  to call the bones to life, to speak out what "was not as though it were."  That's what true faith is.  Anyone can look out and say, "It's dead here." and move on, but what about speaking out and believing for what could be. 

       I wrestle with that often in my own life.  There are circumstances in which I find myself looking around and thinking,  "Wow, it's dead here."  Then I hear the gentle voice of God, asking, "Daughter, can these bones live?"  Having seen my Father at work through the years, of course my answer is, "Oh Lord God, You know."  I do not doubt my Father.  I doubt me.  I doubt because, like the Israelites in chapter 36, my heart becomes hardened.  The cares of this life, with all it's disappointments, can make me shut down.  God by His Spirit reaches down and performs heart surgery.  He takes out my heart of stone and causes my heart to beat anew.  He opens my eyes to see what could be and not merely what is now. 

      I know there are a few areas in my life that I need to look at with fresh eyes.  I need to speak over those dry bones and tell them to live.  What about you?  Are there areas in your life that need the breath of God?  Speak life!