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The last few days, okay I'll admit it; the last few weeks I have been doing everything in my power to keep my feet from sliding down into the cavernous hole that has been set before me. I've known that hole far too well with all its stench and hopelessness. Like a scared rabbit I’ve quivered at the thought of falling into that pit once again; once inside the hole all hope of freedom seems lost in the darkness.
For anyone who has ever dealt with depression, they can relate to the twirling thoughts that forever condemn and torment; to the lack of energy as the life blood is drained, and the heaviness that slumps us down, even to our very core. Even in our dreams there is no peace. When lying in the dank darkness of the pit, sometimes even whispering a prayer takes every bit of our strength. Silence seems to rule the pit, for often prayer cannot be found. My name was carved many years ago into the dirt walls of the sulfurous cavern, along with many other silent sufferers.
Yet, I am thankful to God. Several years ago he rescued me and set my feet upon solid ground. He delivered me from the cup set before me; and from my squandering captors. Now He calls me by name. He delights in those that He loves and sings songs over them. For those who have tasted the foul breathe of the enemy God exchanges beauty for ashes and joy for mourning. (Isaiah 61:2-4)
“The Lord, your God, is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
Yes I was set free. Stubborn however is the captor who refuses defeat. Thus he still tries to haunt my thoughts.
“If you have been set free, why do you struggle so much?” the voice questions. The carrot dangles before me. I have come to recognize the dangling trick but sometimes fail to ignore it and begin to entertain the questions as if they are my own. The anxiety then follows, so do the fears and guilt. Let’s face it; does it take much in today’s world to feel the angst, the pressure, the fear and the guilt? I've had to pull away from much noise; the cable news and even Facebook can unload too much negativity. Then there are the shorter days which are known to cause Seasonal Effective Disorder for many. Our lifestyle and diet can affect our mood as well, but it is our thought life that has the greatest impact.
Some days the temptation to listen to the liar is greater. Some days his voice seems louder, he knows our weaknesses. He is crafty and his ways are ever so subtle. The Bible says he roams around like a lion looking for someone to devour. In my world he slithers, sending suggestions of condemnation and hopelessness. "You will never change, this will always be afraid. F-A-I-L-U-R-E." Sadly, I have never truly understood the greatest ramification of giving into his words, his accusing voice; and it is not that I may fall into the pit. Oh no, his voice serves and even greater purpose.
"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." Matthew 6:24
We cannot serve two masters. I’m thankful my master, Jesus, tells me there is no condemnation for those who are in Him. Yet sometimes I find myself wandering outside the protection of voice and refuge and wonder how on earth I got there.
Do our thoughts really matter to God?
The Bible tells us that as followers of Jesus, we are to take captive every thought and stronghold that comes against the knowledge of God; and that we must put on the mind of Christ. It tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers, authorities and the power of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (2 Corinthians 10:4-6, Ephesians 6:12)
What thoughts do we entertain? Lately I have been stuck in the rut of odorous contemplation, better known as stinkin’ thinkin’. Beware, ruts can get pretty deep and sometimes difficult to climb out of.
Today I had an epiphany, a revelation. The truth will set us free. The truth is: not only do those damaging thoughts cause us pain; they turn us away from the God we hope to serve.
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” Psalm 139:23
The Lord knows our thoughts and in his love he beacons us to think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy that we may have peace. (Philippians 4:8-9) He is the Prince of Peace.
This is the character of God. He calls us to love him, honor him, magnify him and serve him in all we do. He longs for our undivided attention. Yes we magnify with our thoughts. Yes we even serve with our thoughts! When we host a party, or “entertain” do we not serve those whom we are entertaining?? Whom have you served with your thoughts recently?
The lies that have twirling about, twisted with just enough truth to catch my attention are for the very purpose of serving the enemy! Yes indeed, he knows my feeding ground and he aims for us to serve him and if we fall into the pit in the process, even better for him!
Oh I know the pit but I had no idea that by giving into the temptation to entertain such thoughts meant I was actually serving the very enemy of the lover and rescuer of my soul.
What have I been feeding on lately?? So much noise! Much has been calling for my attention and I have missed the quiet calling of the one who loves me dearly. His words give life.
He calls to me, His love so great, so amazing. He isn’t the ultimate ‘kill joy’ that the world would have us to believe. He calls us and warns us because he does not want us to fall captive. The voice of the enemy may pull but the voice of the lover nudges, and He longs for our love and his promises are great.
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring you back from captivity.” Jeremiah 29:13-14 (italics mine)
It is his love alone that we must dwell upon, and in his very presence we find great joy. For worship is the true antidepressant, where true healing is found.
When the accusing thoughts and guilt come our way, God tells us to simply draw near and submit to him, to resist the devil and he will flee. James 4:7
If we simply will abide in Him he will produce the fruit we long for in our lives.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man (or woman) abides in me and I in him (or her) he will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
So when the accuser stands knocking at the door claiming we are not good enough or don’t DO enough; we must remember the words of the one whom we long to serve and stop striving. Trying does not make us good enough, trusting does. We must be still and know that He is God.
“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind is stayed on you, leans on you and hopes confidently in you” Isaiah 26:3 AMP
His words, not the words of the enemy; His words alone are full of promise and hope.
“When I said, ‘my foot is slipping,’ your love O Lord supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your comfort brought joy to my soul.” Psalm 94:18-19
Our thoughts DO matter. They give life to whatever it is we choose to magnify; who’s voice we choose to bow to. We must remember that Worship begins with a single thought. Choose you this day Whom YOU will serve.
“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.” Psalm 27:8
The last few days, okay I'll admit it; the last few weeks I have been doing everything in my power to keep my feet from sliding down into the cavernous hole that has been set before me. I've known that hole far too well with all its stench and hopelessness. Like a scared rabbit I’ve quivered at the thought of falling into that pit once again; once inside the hole all hope of freedom seems lost in the darkness.
For anyone who has ever dealt with depression, they can relate to the twirling thoughts that forever condemn and torment; to the lack of energy as the life blood is drained, and the heaviness that slumps us down, even to our very core. Even in our dreams there is no peace. When lying in the dank darkness of the pit, sometimes even whispering a prayer takes every bit of our strength. Silence seems to rule the pit, for often prayer cannot be found. My name was carved many years ago into the dirt walls of the sulfurous cavern, along with many other silent sufferers.
Yet, I am thankful to God. Several years ago he rescued me and set my feet upon solid ground. He delivered me from the cup set before me; and from my squandering captors. Now He calls me by name. He delights in those that He loves and sings songs over them. For those who have tasted the foul breathe of the enemy God exchanges beauty for ashes and joy for mourning. (Isaiah 61:2-4)
“The Lord, your God, is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
Yes I was set free. Stubborn however is the captor who refuses defeat. Thus he still tries to haunt my thoughts.
“If you have been set free, why do you struggle so much?” the voice questions. The carrot dangles before me. I have come to recognize the dangling trick but sometimes fail to ignore it and begin to entertain the questions as if they are my own. The anxiety then follows, so do the fears and guilt. Let’s face it; does it take much in today’s world to feel the angst, the pressure, the fear and the guilt? I've had to pull away from much noise; the cable news and even Facebook can unload too much negativity. Then there are the shorter days which are known to cause Seasonal Effective Disorder for many. Our lifestyle and diet can affect our mood as well, but it is our thought life that has the greatest impact.
Some days the temptation to listen to the liar is greater. Some days his voice seems louder, he knows our weaknesses. He is crafty and his ways are ever so subtle. The Bible says he roams around like a lion looking for someone to devour. In my world he slithers, sending suggestions of condemnation and hopelessness. "You will never change, this will always be afraid. F-A-I-L-U-R-E." Sadly, I have never truly understood the greatest ramification of giving into his words, his accusing voice; and it is not that I may fall into the pit. Oh no, his voice serves and even greater purpose.
"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." Matthew 6:24
We cannot serve two masters. I’m thankful my master, Jesus, tells me there is no condemnation for those who are in Him. Yet sometimes I find myself wandering outside the protection of voice and refuge and wonder how on earth I got there.
Do our thoughts really matter to God?
The Bible tells us that as followers of Jesus, we are to take captive every thought and stronghold that comes against the knowledge of God; and that we must put on the mind of Christ. It tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers, authorities and the power of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (2 Corinthians 10:4-6, Ephesians 6:12)
What thoughts do we entertain? Lately I have been stuck in the rut of odorous contemplation, better known as stinkin’ thinkin’. Beware, ruts can get pretty deep and sometimes difficult to climb out of.
Today I had an epiphany, a revelation. The truth will set us free. The truth is: not only do those damaging thoughts cause us pain; they turn us away from the God we hope to serve.
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” Psalm 139:23
The Lord knows our thoughts and in his love he beacons us to think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy that we may have peace. (Philippians 4:8-9) He is the Prince of Peace.
This is the character of God. He calls us to love him, honor him, magnify him and serve him in all we do. He longs for our undivided attention. Yes we magnify with our thoughts. Yes we even serve with our thoughts! When we host a party, or “entertain” do we not serve those whom we are entertaining?? Whom have you served with your thoughts recently?
The lies that have twirling about, twisted with just enough truth to catch my attention are for the very purpose of serving the enemy! Yes indeed, he knows my feeding ground and he aims for us to serve him and if we fall into the pit in the process, even better for him!
Oh I know the pit but I had no idea that by giving into the temptation to entertain such thoughts meant I was actually serving the very enemy of the lover and rescuer of my soul.
What have I been feeding on lately?? So much noise! Much has been calling for my attention and I have missed the quiet calling of the one who loves me dearly. His words give life.
He calls to me, His love so great, so amazing. He isn’t the ultimate ‘kill joy’ that the world would have us to believe. He calls us and warns us because he does not want us to fall captive. The voice of the enemy may pull but the voice of the lover nudges, and He longs for our love and his promises are great.
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring you back from captivity.” Jeremiah 29:13-14 (italics mine)
It is his love alone that we must dwell upon, and in his very presence we find great joy. For worship is the true antidepressant, where true healing is found.
When the accusing thoughts and guilt come our way, God tells us to simply draw near and submit to him, to resist the devil and he will flee. James 4:7
If we simply will abide in Him he will produce the fruit we long for in our lives.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man (or woman) abides in me and I in him (or her) he will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
So when the accuser stands knocking at the door claiming we are not good enough or don’t DO enough; we must remember the words of the one whom we long to serve and stop striving. Trying does not make us good enough, trusting does. We must be still and know that He is God.
“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind is stayed on you, leans on you and hopes confidently in you” Isaiah 26:3 AMP
His words, not the words of the enemy; His words alone are full of promise and hope.
“When I said, ‘my foot is slipping,’ your love O Lord supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your comfort brought joy to my soul.” Psalm 94:18-19
Our thoughts DO matter. They give life to whatever it is we choose to magnify; who’s voice we choose to bow to. We must remember that Worship begins with a single thought. Choose you this day Whom YOU will serve.
“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.” Psalm 27:8
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