Depression

Day 1

Depression

Hello. This journey has been so awesome and I thank you for sharing in it with us. This week, I had a few words come to mind, but really wanted to see what God had planned for us and I believe this word was the one that I needed to share with you. Again, I learned many things from this study and hope that you are blessed by this word. When preparing this devotional, it did come to mind that we are all at different stages in our lives and that each and every one of us deals with depression in our lives. Maybe we do not suffer from it, but statistics show, we are affected by it. So, even if you do not think you need to read this because it may not pertain to you, this information may prepare you for a moment where God will use you in someones life.

Depression:

Websters Dictionary defines it as : An act of depressing or a state of being depressed: as a: a pressing down : (1): a state of feeling sad : (2): a psycho neurotic or psychotic disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies c (1): a reduction in activity, amount, quality, or force (2): a lowering of vitality or functional activity

My Bible refers to depression as worry and anxiety, sadness and sorrow. To be weary.

Lets see what it says.

Proverbs 12:25 - 25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.

Proverbs 10:22

22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.

Proverbs 15:13

13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Day 2

What the Bible says about Depression.

The Bible shows that depression often follows great achievements.

Judges 15:18

18 Then he became very thirsty; so he cried out to the LORD and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant; and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?”

Samson was physically and emotionally exhausted. After a great personal victory, his attitude declined quickly into self-pity- "must I now die of thirst?" Emotionally, we are most vulnerable after a great effort or when faced with real physical needs. Don't be surprised if you feel drained after a personal victory. During these times of vulnerability, avoid the temptation to think that God owes you for your efforts. It was his strength that gave you victory. Concentrate on keeping your attitudes, actions and words focused on God instead of yourself.

Depression often follows a spiritual victory.

1 Kings 19:3

3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

Elijah experienced the depths of fatigue and discouragement just after his two great spiritual victories: the defeat of the prophets of Baal and the answered prayer for rain. Often discouragement sets in after great spiritual experiences, especially those requiring physical effort or involving great emotion. To lead him out of depression, God first let Elijah rest and eat. Then god confronted him with the need to return to his mission - to speak God's words in Israel. Elijah's battles were not over; there was still work for him to do. When you feel let down after a great spiritual experience, remember that God's purpose for your life is not yet over.

Remember God's Goodness when Depressed

Psalms 42:5-6

5 Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and

6 my God!
Now I am deeply discouraged,

but I will remember you—

even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,

from the land of Mount Mizar.

Depression is one of the most common emotional ailments. One antidote for depression is to meditate on the record of God's goodness to his people. This will take your mind off the present situation as you focus your thoughts on God's ability to help you rather than on your inability to help yourself. When you feel depressed, take advantage of this psalm's antidepressant: read the Bible's accounts of God's goodness, and meditate on them.

What Society Says about Depression

At a recent MOPS meeting, I had a chance to learn more about depression and found many interesting facts. Society makes it hard for women to admit to depression. With many moms having to work and play the role of mother, they are often left with no time for their selves, not even enough time to meditate on God's will in their lives. Studies show that increasing levels of physical activity, getting enough sleep, the right diet, having a support system, alone time, enjoyable activities and sex can keep you from being depressed. The Bible goes one step further, reminding us that God is our strength and that He is the one we must call on when we are not feeling up to par. We must find time to call on our Lord and we must be able to speak to those who are weary in their time of need.

Isaiah 50:4

4[The Servant of God says] The Lord God has given Me the tongue of a disciple and of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He wakens Me morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as a disciple [as one who is taught].

Matthew 11:28-30

28Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]
29Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.
30For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

Day 3

So now is the time to share why I chose this word. I was given three words this week. Deliverance, Depression (or sorrow) and Direction. As I studied the verses about depression, this verse came up. So it was meant to be that those 3 words were used this week.

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

9Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10For godly grief and the pain God is permitted to direct, produce a repentance that leads and contributes to salvation and deliverance from evil, and it never brings regret; but worldly grief (the hopeless sorrow that is characteristic of the pagan world) is deadly [breeding and ending in death].

Do you believe that God will give us grief in order for us to repent and be delivered from evil? Why or why not?

Would you rather turn to God for your source of help in a time of need or to societies remedy, usually a hefty counseling bill, medication and feelings of isolation?

Is it fair to say that society views depression wrong? why or why not?

While I believe that it is always a good idea to get help when needed, could we be hindering people from their repentance, deliverance and salvation as a society?

Are you or someone you know struggling with depression, sorrow or anxiety? How could you share with them that God could be their source for deliverance from their ailment? How could God reveal to you His will concerning your physical, mental and spiritual well being?

After reading this, will you set aside some alone time for your self each day to refresh your spirit and meditate on God's goodness? Why or why not?

Day 4

Psalm 69:29

29 I am suffering and in pain.

Rescue me, O God, by your saving power.

Matthew 26:38

36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Confess any tendency to ignore the signs of depression in your life or in your friends or families lives.

Ask God to help you to see his greatness and will in your life and the lives of others.

Praise God for salvation and that his will is greater than anything we could even imagine. Praise him for those people in your life that you could call on when your soul is crushed with grief to the point of death.

Pray for God to use you in the lives of those who are hopeless and have not yet received the repentance, deliverance and salvation that even we do not deserve. Ask for direction in your life concerning the times of great achievements, spiritual victories and times of sorrow.

Day 5

Revelations 21:4

4God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more, neither shall there be anguish (sorrow and mourning) nor grief nor pain any more, for the old conditions and the former order of things have passed away.

John 16:20

20I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that you shall weep and grieve, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.

Praise Friday

Dear Lord, I praise you for your word, which is living and true to this day. I praise you for your deliverance from the depths of darkness. I praise you for the wonderful and loving God that you are. For you have a will that is greater than anything we can even imagine and I pray we will continue to walk down the path that you direct us towards, no matter how hard it may be. I know that we have all experienced some sort of sorrow or depression in our lives and ask that you help us to heal from those experiences to the point that we stand with our hands lifted high, in praise of your great love and mercy in our lives. Mostly Lord, I pray for each person that receives this devotional, Lord, would you give them strength and wisdom to be taught by you, to learn your ways and to be able to share your word in due time with those that will need you, that we may be able to teach those who are lost that only you can deliver them from depression. Amen.

Hannah

Day 1

Hannah
Her name means Graciousness or Favor
This is my daughters name.
Her character - Provoked by another woman’s malice, she refused to respond in kind. Instead, she poured out her hurt and sorrow to God, allowing him to vindicate her.
Her sorrow - To be taunted and misunderstood.
Many times my daughter, Hannah is misunderstood because of speach impairments (pray with me that she will no longer be frustrated in this area)
Her Joy - To proclaim God’s power and goodness, his habit of raising the lowly and humbling the proud.
Oh, boy, do we know it, she sure has a way of proclaiming God's power and goodness! Praise God for children who speak from their innocence, their heart.

Key scriptures - 1 Samuel 1:1 - 2:11; 2:19 - 21.

Dear Lord, help me to learn more this week, to find truth in your word and to seek you every day. Help me to find some time to bask in your love. This is a time of fruitfulness and new life, Spring is starting to birth beautiful, bright, colorful baby blooms and everywhere I look, I see your beauty. As I look upon my Hannah, help me to pray specifically for her and your purpose in her life. May I see her graciousness and Favor as you do. Thank you for my little flowers in my life and those big trees with roots buried deep. May I find a balance between learning from those you have made stronger than me and may I be an example to those who are weaker. Will you guide me in every thing I do, will you cause a rippling effect in my life so that you are seen through my actions.

Just for fun :
I asked my girls what they would think if we shared God with someone new everyday. What if we were able to share a priceless gift everyday so that even strangers will know God and rejoice in Heaven. My daughter said “well he is preparing a feast that we will all share when all those who know Him are finally with Him” Out of surprise, I said “we better talk to more people.”
What are you doing to make sure you will have a feast with everyone you have had the opportunity to share this priceless gift with?

It is spring, why not plant the seeds?, someone else may need to harvest them!

Day 2

Like Sarah and Rachel, Hannah grieved over the children she couldn’t have. But unlike them, she took her anguish directly to God. Misunderstood by both her husband and her priest, she could easily have turned her sorrow on herself or others, becoming bitter, hopeless, or vindictive. But instead of merely pitying herself or responding in kind, she poured out her soul to God. And God graciously answered her prayer.

Is there a situation in your life where the only one that understands is God. Have so many others misunderstood you to the point that you have been brought to your knees. I am the first to admit that I could use heaps more practice and knowledge in the area of communication. I am sure there are times others have thought I was drunk on beer or wine when I was just trying to communicate. How many different ways have you communicated with God? Do you do it throughout the day without ceasing?

Here are just a few examples of how you can communicate with Him, no matter what your circumstance: Request, the obvious way to come to Him. Even unbelievers do this. Many use it to cover all the bases and many use it selfishly, never giving the Glory to God when He does provide. I have seen both sides of this. As a part of an amazing army of believers who come together in belief that God can do all things. I also used to pray in hopes that if there were a God, he would make sure not to disappoint my selfish ways. Boy was that an eye opener when I came to know Him. I don’t always get what I want, Thank God!

Praise, this is a way to worship God. Just about anything can be a praise to God. To praise Him in the good times and bad is an act of obedience that takes faith.

Faith is the most meaningful of all ways to communicate. It is based in the heart. It is the believing what you can’t see, trusting what seems impossible into God’s hands. It’s loving Him unconditionally.

Worship can be done in many forms, it is an act of taking the focus off anything earthly and placing the focus on God alone. Music lyrics are commons ways to do this, poems, fasting, etc.

Confession is a way to show God that you know he knows all and that you want him to be a part of every part of your life. He knows it all anyway. Every healthy relationship has truth, even when it hurts. Consciousness of our own sinfulness. Sometimes we tend to confess to our friends, hairdressers, diaries, but the one that forgives waits for us to drop to our knees and humble ourselves.

Adoration is a way of expressing Gods great love for us. Yes this is done in words and deeds. If you love God you will treat him as your friend, your companion. You will express His love to others, yourself and Him.

Thanksgiving is a way to show gratitude. In everything, give thanks. (Col. 3:17; 1 Thess. 5:18). A prayer during a meal is always nice, but there are hundreds of other things to thank God for.
Dedicated Action is a way to show God to others. If you are in a relationship with God you will know He desires for others to meet your friend and companion, he wants to be shared with others. This is where you are so dedicated that you know you can give your life for others, you will put others before yourself.

Just remember: The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16

Are you aware of what you can do through prayer? God is present and listening. He is waiting. He can change the physical world through healing, parting seas, enlarging borders, preservation and sanctification of body, soul and spirit.

Dear Lord, thank you for leading me on this journey through your Word and how we should come to you for everything in every way we know how to express ourselves. We love you and pray you continue to show us how we should come to you and how we can intercede on your behalf.

Day 3

The more that I read about the women of the Bible, the more I see that I have it pretty good. In Hannah’s days, she was not a shinning star. She had many people counting on her to bear children. She didn’t just have to deal with the pain and emotions of infertility, she had to deal with the public responses. She was an outcast, not part of the group of women who were able to bless their families and husbands with children. I can’t imagine how she came to the Lord, I am sure she had no other place to turn, no one to confide in. But the very fact that she went to Him rather than anyone else, made her story one that has last thousands of years. Not the fact that she had enough faith to ask God for a child, but the fact that she went to Him above all others, recognizing that He had a purpose for her life and only He could do anything about her circumstance.

Read 1Samuel 1

What Response does Hannah’s childlessness cause in Hannah? In Peninnah? In Elkanah?

How have you responded to disappointments or failures in your life?

What impact did the reactions of those around you have on you?

Hannah stood in this very public place and poured out her pain to the Lord. Notice Eli’s reaction. Do you think she was unaware of the reaction others might have, or do you think she just did not care?

What caused the changes in Hannah after verse 18? Is there anything here that would make her sure she would now bear a son? If not, why then was she comforted?

When has God answered your prayers after a time of disappointment or difficulty? When have your prayers gone unanswered? How did God provide in those troublesome times?

How did God answer Hannah’s prayer? What is the significance of the name Samuel?
What was Hannah’s fulfillment of her vow? Why would Hannah’s vow be difficult for you?

Read 1 Samuel 2:18 - 21
18 But Samuel was ministering before the LORD -a boy wearing a linen ephod. 19 Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. 20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, "May the LORD give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the LORD." Then they would go home. 21 And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.

During the time Samuel was growing up, what do you think it was like for Hannah? What were her actions?

How did God reward Hannah for her faithfulness?

Hannah dedicated her son Samuel to the Lord by giving him up to the Lord and to the work in the temple. Are your children dedicated to the Lord? If so, what are you doing to help them grow up in him.

Dear Lord, I know I have dedicated each of my girls to you and as hard as it is to say, I know I could do better showing them how to serve you and worship you. How rewarding it would be to have all three of our girls seek you in their crisis’s. To know you are the only one worth going to for results. May you surround them with others that will encourage a daily walk and praise of you Lord. For them to love you first and foremost. Lord, I cry out to you asking you for protection on my children. Please don’t stop there, please bless those children that are part of the families represented in this devotional. Help each of us, young children or grown, to be prayer warriors for them and to trust them in your hands. Praise you , Lord for you are Almighty.

Day 4 & 5

Her legacy of prayer

In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life.” - 1 Samuel 1:10 - 11

Reflect on 1 Samuel 2:1 - 10

Praise God that he knows our hearts

Offer thanks for already answering so many of your prayers

Confess your tendency to pour out your heart to everyone but God, making him a last, rather than first, resort.

Ask God to give you the grace to trust his strength.

One way to build your confidence in God is to form a habit of remembrance. it’s so easy to forget everything he’s already done by being preoccupied with what you want him to do right here, right now. But by forgetting his blessings, you form a habit of ingratitude. By frequently thanking God for what he’s done, you build a habit of gratitude, which will also deepen your trust in God’s compassion, mercy, faithfulness, and power. Find a blank notebook or a lovely scrapbook that can become your Remembrance Book be a tangible way to keep God’s faithfulness in the forefront of your heart.

Father, Thank you for all the prayers you have answered in my life. You have answered all types of prayers. Those of desperation, small ones and big ones, evening and morning prayers, soft prayers and loud prayers. You have even caused me to pray for others and I have seen your hand upon them as well. May my own prayers be shaped according to your will and purpose. Work in my life so that I don’t come to you with all my problems, thinking you will solve them all, but rather, help me to come to you for everything, including praise and worship, even when the circumstances are not according to my own will. I love you Lord.

Naomi

Day 1

Naomi "My Joy" "Pleasant"

Her Character: Suffering a threefold tragedy, Naomi refused to hide her sorrow or bitterness. Believing in God's sovereignty, she attributed her suffering to his will. But her fixation on circumstances, both past and present, led to hopelessness. A kind and loving mother-in-law, she inspired unusual love and loyalty in her daughters-in-law.

Her Sorrow: To have lost a husband and two sons in a foreign land, far from family and friends.

Her Joy: To have returned safely to Bethlehem with her daughter-in-law Ruth, who would eventually rekindle her happiness and hope.

Ruth 1
Naomi and Ruth
1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.
3 Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
6 When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.
8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. 9 May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband." Then she kissed them and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, "We will go back with you to your people."
11 But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons- 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!"
14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her.
15 "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her."
16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, "Can this be Naomi?"
20 "Don't call me Naomi, " she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."
22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

Ruth 4:13-17
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth."
16 Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Day 2
Famine

Throughout scripture God uses famine to bring about his purposes.

In one of Scripture's most somber prophecies, Amos tells of the time when God will bring about another sort of famine:
"The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. ~Amos 8:11
In the past, God had always listened and responded when his people cried out to him, but Amos told of a time to come when their cries would be met with frightening silence.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" asks Paul "Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" (Romans 8:35). But then Paul answers his own question with that wonderful believer's cry of victory: Nothing, not even famine, will ever separate us from God's love.

Day 3

Ruth 1:19-22
19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, "Can this be Naomi?"
20 "Don't call me Naomi, " she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."
22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

Was the Lord at fault for Naomi's circumstances? Was he at fault for her bitterness over them?

Describe one situation for which you have held or do hold bitterness.

What is more important in life: your circumstances or your reactions to them? Explain your answer.

Day 4

Like Naomi, we may have trouble recognizing God's goodness and faithfulness at times. But he is still with us no matter the circumstances.

The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth." ~Ruth 4: 14-15

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. ~Psalm 71:20

"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten... You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. ~Joel 2:25-26

Day 5

But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." ~Ruth 1:16-17

Praise God for creating us with the power to form deep and lasting relationships.

Offer Thanks for the variety of friends God has given you.

Confess your tendency to be too busy to pay attention to your friends or too preoccupied with your won concerns to take time for theirs.

Ask God to make you a more loyal and loving friend.

Lord, thank you for the blessing of friends who, by sharing their lives with us, double our joy and halve our sorrows. Help me to cherish the friends you've given me and to become the kind of friend others will cherish; a women who listens, encourages, and keeps confidences; a women who knows how to laugh and how to cry, who is loyal, forgiving and loving.