Have you ever been tempted to be depressed? This psalmist did, too:
Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my [sad] countenance, and my God.
Realize that the enemy of your soul KNOWS you by the words that you speak and the things that you do! He CANNOT read your mind! He sends thoughts of defeat, rejection, hopelessness, fear, guilt, worry and any other negative thought that is contrary to God's Word that he can come up with because he is HOPING that you will receive some of them and fall into that state of mind! THAT is one of the ways, or devices, that he has to use his one and only weapon, the LIE! You and I must do what David did and encourage ourselves in the LORD! 1 Sam 30:6:
6 David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God. AMP
Paul encouraged Timothy in these same things in 2 Timothy 1:6-7:
6 That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the gift of God, that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. AMP
How DO we stir up that gift? We spend time in His presence by spending time in His Word, time in prayer and time in Praise and Worship! The next time the enemy sends thoughts of defeat, immediately cast them off and speak what God's Word says about you! Put on your favorite Worship music and give praise and glory to the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! He is worthy of our praises AND He is present in them (Psalm 22:3)! NOW you have the enemy on the run! He will go about looking for someone that he CAN defeat (1 Peter 5:8), but it will NOT be YOU! AMEN! Here, to help you with this, is Hillsong Live with "Closer":
Shalom in Him!
