FEEL AGAIN

Day 8

Sunday, January 9 

Read:

17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:17-18 

Devote:

Once I started looking closer at the causes of depression and anxiety, searching for lasting solutions beyond medication, my investigation brought me back to God’s Word. Yes, I always believe the answers to any and every problem are within its pages. To be clear, I’m not saying that every solution is simply reciting a Bible verse or passively waiting around and trusting God to drop a remedy in your lap, particularly when dealing with depression and anxiety. But I do believe we are fundamentally spiritual beings in physical bodies who are created in the image of God. That means we need spiritual solutions as well as medical solutions. I believe there is healing wisdom and power in the Word of God. As a pastor, I haven’t been trained to address the physical aspects of depression, but I am equipped to guide you in seeking solutions for your spiritual health. And as I see it, your spiritual health affects all parts of your being, including the physical, emotional, and mental. So I went to God’s Word looking for solutions to depression and found an amazing story about a prophet named Elijah. He experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows—sometimes one right after the other. In fact, after one of his greatest spiritual victories, Elijah wanted to give up and take his own life. He ran away, isolated himself, and hid in a dark cave. Can you relate? But, God met Elijah right where he was. Rather than rebuke the prophet, the Lord invited Elijah to step forward, leave his cave, and embark on a divinely appointed mission. With a renewed sense of purpose, the prophet then became a mentor for a younger man named Elisha, and together God used them to change the world. Depression is a multidimensional problem that requires a multidimensional solution. Allow God’s Spirit to lead your spirit as you also care for body and soul. God helped Elijah restore balance in his body and soul and get his spirit back in working order. God will do the same for you—if you let him.

Journal:

List the dark caves you have been stuck in throughout your life.

Reflect:

How has God called you out of those caves?

Pray:

Lord, please help me out of the cave of depression. Please restore balance to my body and soul so that I can glorify you by living fully. Amen.

Author:

Out Of The Cave by Chris Hodges