Today I want to share from two different devotionals that speak to two different sides of a same issue! The first will be "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. This deals with depression, which is so widespread today:
Taking the Initiative Against
Depression
Arise and eat. —1 Kings 19:5
The angel in this passage did not
give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything
remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get
up and eat. If we were never depressed, we would not be alive— only material
things don’t suffer depression. If human beings were not capable of depression,
we would have no capacity for happiness and exaltation. There are things in
life that are designed to depress us; for example, things that are associated
with death. Whenever you examine yourself, always take into account your
capacity for depression.
... Depression tends to turn us away from the everyday
things of God’s creation. But whenever God steps in, His inspiration is to do
the most natural, simple things— things we would never have imagined God was
in, but as we do them we find Him there. The inspiration that comes to us in
this way is an initiative against depression. But we must take the first step
and do it in the inspiration of God. If, however, we do something simply to
overcome our depression, we will only deepen it. But when the Spirit of God
leads us instinctively to do something, the moment we do it the depression is
gone. As soon as we arise and obey, we enter a higher plane of life.
AMEN! Holy Spirit knows you far better than you know yourself, and infinitely more than any psychiatrist can, unless they are born again and filled with HIS Spirit! God has the answer for every situation that you will ever face! Jerry Savelle has this great advice in his website devotional:
PERFECT PEACE
“You will keep him in perfect
peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3).
You will notice that God has
given us a promise, but we must meet His condition. The promise is: He will
keep you in perfect peace. The condition is: if your mind is stayed on Him. The
mind plays a vital part in you walking in perfect peace no matter your circumstances.
I’m not talking about mind power.
I am talking about the power of God’s Word working in a faith-filled heart and
a renewed mind. As you renew your mind to God’s
Word and fill your heart with faith, you will begin to approach every situation
in your life without worry or fear.
“And do not set your heart on
what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. But seek his kingdom, and
these things will be given to you as well” (Luke 12:29 & 31, NIV).
Your mind can not be full of
negative voices, worry, or fear when you keep your mind on God. It is a choice
you have to make, regardless of your feelings. Put God first place in all you
do and think and you will walk in perfect peace.
Confession: I will keep my
mind on God and full of His Word. I refuse to allow worry or fear to be a part
of my life. I trust You Lord and follow after You above anything else.
AMEN! I LOVE when everything I hear or see in any given day all seem to line up with the other things I see and hear! God's got a wonderful system to get HIS glorious knowledge, Wisdom and understanding to us! AMEN! Now be a consistent DOER of the Word you see here and you will BEGIN to turn everything around to God's plan and purpose for you! And yours! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Peace!":