Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. (Psalm 37:4-5)
Many times I encounter people who are struggling with depression or grief that cannot seem to break free from it. When questioned, they will explain how they do not want to be around anyone, do anything that is productive, or even go to church. With no intervention, they spiral downward to deep depression to the point where sometimes they no long want to live.
Once, I ministered to a lady whose husband left her to be with a much younger woman. The events leading up to the discovery of his affair and leaving of his wife were pretty devastating, especially to their children. However, the lady had read today’s Scripture verses and was determined that God would make her husband return to her because it was the desire of her heart. As we worked through her grief, I gently explained to her that the key to this verse was the word “delight.”
When you look at the origins of the word delight, it communicates the idea of being soft or pliable. In the context of verse four, we learn that when we are soft or pliable with the Lord, He will change us. We see this same idea in Philippians 4:6 where we are told. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” The word supplication has the same root as the word supple, which is used to describe something that is soft and pliable. Together, these verses communicate to us that when we draw close to God through His Word and prayer, He remolds our minds and thoughts to be like the mind of Christ. When we have the mind of Christ, our thinking changes our desires. With changed desires, we are able to trust Him. When we trust Him, He will bring to pass our new desires in accordance with His perfect will.
Over the next few months, the lady drew closer to God in prayer and study and her desire to have her husband back changed. It changed in that she wanted Him back despite having grounds for divorce, but only if he was committed to being a Godly husband and father. A year later, she was granted her desire when her husband returned. He committed to being a Godly husband and father and their marriage was restored. Not every broken marriage turns out this way, but God is faithful in that every person who delights in Him and trusts Him with the results are never disappointed with the outcome. May we do the same in all things to God’s glory.
Good devotional on depression. I have tendency toward depression due to my medications that fight the nerve damage in my head from the shingles virus. I have to take 13 pills from two medications daily to fight nerve pain. I preach weekly, but really have to fight daily this depression “pull.” Do you have any suggestions? I read my Bible daily and pray, but the medications keep me mentally dull. Thx, Johnnie.
Thanks for sharing Johnnie. As for the medication you are taking, you should check with your doctor. Some medications used for neurological damage can have physiological depressive side effects. Likewise, some medications can cause depression. On the other hand, when is the last time you had aa routine physical? I have seen people with hypothyroidism and adrenal gland issues struggle with depression because they do not seem to have the energy to be engaged and active beyond what they must do to get through each day. Again, talk to your doctor as there are many complicating factors. As far as Biblically, there are numerous things. I once had a lady that had severe depression over several decades. She was in and out of mental institutions, on multiple meds, and even had electroshock therapy. Over a period of several months we met weekly and established changes in her life. Obviously church, Bible study, prayer, Christian fellowship, etc were foundational. But, we also looked at her entertainment choices, weekly schedule, and personal ministry involvement. She had no routine schedule to do things, she spent her days in a dark quiet house, and she kept to herself. We developed a daily schedule, started playing Christian music or radio during the day, and I had her set up an appointment each week to visit a shut in. We also created a journal of upsets and a journal of blessings. The journal of upsets listed times she got upset about something, what happened, what emotion she was experiencing and what she was thinking. We compared her emotions and thinking with the works of the flesh (red flags) and fruit of the Spirit (green flags) in Galatians 5. When she experienced red flag times we focused on what she was thinking. It ALWAYS was not on Godly things. We incorporated firestorm prayer (Philippians 4:4-9) with engrafting of the Word (James 1:19-end) when her thoughts were not green flag. These things as well as other Biblical interventions delivered her from her depression. After several months she went back to her doctor to wean her off her meds. The journal of blessings was a daily assignment to write down a blessing in her life each day. We also added reading a chapter of Proverbs for each day of the month. There is much more, but there has to be a sense of purpose and direction each day that keeps your mind off of your depression and on things that are edifying and in service of others. Obviously, we have not met and there are other screenings I would do, but these are incorporated in nearly every case with great results. Blessings to you, I hope this helps. We could arrange a time to talk if needed if you would like to hear more. Our church is at http://www.selahmountain.org