Depression and Spiritual Warfare

"Do not be afraid, Daniel.  Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them."
                                                                                                           Daniel 10:12

For Christians who are seeking the Lord depression sometimes comes as the result of spiritual warfare.  In the Old Testament book of Daniel we are told in chapter 10 that Daniel sought understanding from the Lord and that he mourned for three weeks.  Daniel's mourning is not described in detail but he at not "choice foods"  and had no meat or wine.  To me, this sounds a lot like symptoms of depression.

Later in the same chapter Daniel is visited by an angel who tells him he has come in response to his prayer but was delayed because he (the angel) was fighting the spiritual prince of Persia.  Then Michael, the chief angel, came to help so that the angel could come to answer Daniel's prayer.

When we are seeking the Lord and fall into depression we must remember that faith is not a feeling.  Faith is a gift from God that strengthens us in our inner spirit.  We may not feel the Lord's presence but, nevertheless, He is with us.  Feelings are deceptive.  It is Satan's goal to steal and kill and destroy our faith.  But Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).

The Holy Spirit is always at work within us to give us abundant life.  Depression may last for weeks but hang on.  Help is on the way.  Remember Daniel's story and know that even the great prophets of the Bible experienced depression.

Our Lord loves us and is greater than anything we feel.  He will never leave nor forsake us.  Hallelujah!  God is good and loves us when we're depressed and when we're not depressed.  Faith tells us He WILL answer our prayers.  Never, never, never give up!

And as always...To God be the Glory!  Amen.

Confidence in God

I am still confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the 

LORD

in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:13-14

No matter where the road may 

lead me

no matter how the path may

wind

Regardless of the up and downs

and hills that I must

climb

Of this one thing I can be sure

God will never let me 

down

He guides and always 

lights my way

His goodness does

surround.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, 

and He delivers them.                            Psalm 34:7

Praying the Armor of God

In the past I have blogged about remembering in the dark (the darkness and agitation of bipolar disorder) what Jesus has taught me in the light.  Part of what I have learned in the light is to speak God's word daily and to clothe myself in His mighty armor.

We, Christians, are in a spiritual battle.  In the New Testament book of Ephesians, Paul, tells us that to fight this battle we must be clothed in the armor of God  (Ephesians 6:10-20).  Therefore, I pray the word, clothing myself in His mighty armor using His own word, the Sword of the Spirit, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, as my defense.

Sweet Lord, I pray, clothe me in your mighty armor:  the helmet of salvation, the belt of truth, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the sword of the spirit.  That I might stand strong in the faith and do everything in love.

If I have blogged this before and you find me redundant please forgive me.  I feel so strongly about being prepared in God's word that I felt the need to write this again.  If you have not read this recently then, well, there you go.

To God be the Glory!  Amen.

Southern Heat

The heat ascends as if from the very ground
shrouding, winding, leaving tendrils
of wet warmth
to smother and engulf
threatening
molten lava seeking to inhabit
even the depths of my mind.

The Sixth Sense...The Sense of Humor

Sometimes things are funny just because they are funny.  Take falling for instance.  Now, I desperately try not to laugh when I see someone fall especially if they are hurt.  But just the sight is so hilarious with arms and legs going in all directions most of the time I can't help but snicker.

When I fall I usually end up laughing so hard I almost wet my pants.  Today, however, I did the "fallen and I can't get up" kind of thing.  Oh, I managed to get up---after the stars I saw faded and I rescued my flip flop to put back on my foot.  My wonderfully hard head broke my fall smacking first the sink, then the toilet, and finally the concrete floor in the tiny bathroom where I had fallen.

With my body sprawled in all directions I moaned and lay there trying to get my bearings.  I was lying on the floor in a tiny bathroom in a store in Sugar Valley.  Moaning, and moving, trying to determine if anything was broken, I was a bit taken aback when the store owner ( a tiny, little thing) stepped up to my line of vision and said, "I'm not gonna try to help you up."  "No,"  I responded, "just let me lay here for a minute and catch my breath."

A few minutes passed which seemed like hours and she came back.  "Do you want me to call the ambulance?" she asked.  Again I said, "No, honey I'll be fine," clearly lying through my rattled teeth.  I lay there for a moment more and thought, "What am I going to do?"

Then it came to me---a song I sing to my little grandson while I rock him to sleep called "Just a Little Talk With Jesus."  So I had a little talk with Jesus.  "Sweet Jesus," I prayed, "please help me get out of this floor!"  I have to say that's one of the quickest prayers I've had answered.  Within scarcely a minute I was off the floor finishing up my business and slowly getting the heck out of dodge.

Now when I think about it I just have to laugh.  Banged up a bit, bruised a bit, I still can only imagine the sight of me lying in that floor with that little lady saying, "I'm not gonna try to help you up."  She meant well and frankly I did not want to be moved at that time.

I say all that to say this.  Some things are just funny and most of the time falling is one of them.  Thank God for the sixth sense...a sense of humor!

To God be the Glory!  Amen.

The Butterfly

I feel like a butterfly who has emerged from its cocoon.  The darkness has abated and the light of God's love shines brightly in my heart and soul.  Jesus is the true light who has come into the world shining His light on me (John 1:9). 

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day who didn't know my mental health issues.  I've managed to hide it quite nicely, if I do say so myself  (basically by hermitizing).  At one point I finished my sentence with, "You know what I mean."  To my surprise she said, "No, I don't know what you mean."  We thanked God together that she had never experienced the deep well of bipolar, or any other, kind of depression.

I sometimes forget that not all people have bouts of depression.  For this I am thankful.  But for those of you who do know what I'm talking about you understand the beauty of color, the wonderful scent of honeysuckle, and the glorious sound of children laughing.

You understand the butterfly and its struggle to leave the darkness of the cocoon.  You understand the indescribable joy of emerging from the darkness into the light.  This is what I am experiencing now.  Thank you, Holy God, for the True light, the Light of Jesus that fills my soul and makes my heart sing.  Thank you God for reminding me over and over, "Remember in the dark what I have taught you in the light."

To God be the Glory!  Amen.

God Is My Hiding Place

For Christians with a mood disorder, prayer is the tool in our toolbox of coping skills that keeps us alive.  I am learning to pray, not my words, but God's word and that has made all the difference.  For instance:

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge.  I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.                                                         Psalm 57:1

These words from the Psalmist speaks to me in a very personal way.  Where can I run?  Where can I hide from the darkness of despair and depression?  I will run to God hiding in Him until the disaster of mood swings has passed.  When I pray to God His word, prayer becomes the very hiding place of God.  I wait knowing that in Him my soul takes refuge.


Everyone has a "thorn in the flesh" and bipolar disorder seems to be one of mine.  But I trust God.  He has sent me an understanding doctor who prescribes the medications I need.  God helps me to speak words of truth to my therapist digging deep to remove thorns of untruth showing me who I am and that I am loved by God just as I am.

And He is teaching me to pray His word planting seeds that will nurture and grow me despite ugly thorns in the flesh.  God is my hiding place and prayer is the vehicle that takes me right into His presence.

To God be the Glory!  Amen.