Depressed? Good News that Can Help You - Pt.2

by Pastor Jim Campbell

   As we continue this month on the subject of depression, let me very simply summate on what depression is.
   It is a feeling of hopeless sadness that can be brought on by many things, including tragedy or feelings of hopelessness created by people or circumstances, making us believe that we are boxed in.
   Clinical depression is that same feeling but it has progressed to where we cannot shake or rid ourselves of it. It exists for long periods, and can worsen, unless we have mood enhancing drugs and long term therapy.
   Depression is not confined to just a person either, even nations can suffer depression. God describes Israel’s depressive lost hope by the prophet in??

(Ezekiel 37: 11b)

   “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off…”

   Even our nation had a great depression in the 1920’s, 30’s as a prime example of a nation depressed. Depressive situations spread throughout millions of people and suicides rose, along with people committing desperate acts of crimes and violence. 
   What does God have to say about depression? It is amazing to me how complicated seemingly insurmountable problems in people such as depression, Jesus and the Bible simplify in treatment and healing. Then why not? We’re talking about God and His book that knows everything and created everything, and on top of that, He has all power over everything, every situation and everyone!
   As I stated in the first previous printing of this article, what basically is depression in God’s viewpoint? “Depression is a result of losing our faith in God, in life, and in people.” Sometimes it may be just one or two of these but often it involves all three. Therefore when you reestablish your faith in God, your hopes in life, and with people, can return.
   I know what it is like to suffer from depression or to go through severe bouts of depression. Many years ago I became so depressed I believe I was in the throes of a nervous breakdown. My face twitched when I even thought of continuing quite literally. I felt a deep darkness within, a void that seemed to be empty of God and even me. God seemed to be no where around or even close.
   But through prayer and discipline of my will to the word of God, and believing that God was my deliverer, I remained faithful to the discipline of daily prayer and I quoted God’s word aloud to myself daily. After weeks of this depression, I finally surrendered my will entirely to him and told God if this was his will for me to have a nervous breakdown, so be it. I would go through whatever he wanted me to go through.
   When I gave everything up, after doing what I felt was all I could do, God came down and did what I could not. He healed me almost instantly and I have never again been in that state. God has healed me so well that when later episodes of life brought what I term normal depression, I could handle it instead of it handling me.
   And depression no longer incapacitates me; in fact the depression that tries to attack me passes quickly because of what God has done for me. Our scripture from the first article of (2 Corinthians 1:8 – 11) is so appropriate when God deals with depression. In (V8) Paul states God’s deliverance for this depression and who delivered him and his party??

   “He (Jesus,) has delivered us from this deadly peril, and he will deliver us…On Him (Jesus,) we have set our hope…”

   The answer to your depression if you are suffering right now is to concentrate on the God within you who has all power, to believe on Jesus and his name, and affirm daily that He can do everything. (See the steps in the first article “How to Battle Depression”.) Remember if he did it for me he will do it for you too. He is no respecter of persons. God bless you and my prayer is for your deliverance and continuing comfort through these trials.

In Jesus,
Pastor Jim