Hi Steemians! For today's #bibleliteracychallenge I've chosen a great message about dealing with depression: Psalm 32:3-5.
Most of us probably know someone who suffers from depression. Many of us can probably tell stories of people whom we know that have either turned to drugs, sex, some other deviant behavior to cope. And then there are the saddest stories of all- the stories of those who gave up and turned to suicide.
I chose the image in this post because for many people the semicolon tattoo represents a tormenting struggle with depression. The psalmist knew this torment also, as he writes:
"When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer."
The next verse offers what we should do: confess our sins to God and repent of any sins in our lives. Repentance doesn't simply mean we should toss up a prayer to whatever God might be in the sky, hoping to score some favor with the Big Man Upstairs.
No, repentance is a deliberate decision to turn and reverse our behavior, to align our actions with God's will. It involves praying to a God you know is listening- not a god you hope might be listening.
Be sincere in prayer. And if you pray and are not sure God is listening, I urge you to persist in praying until God hears you and the fullness of His peace upon you makes you know that your prayers have been heard by Him. James 5:16 says:
". . . the fervent prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
Surely, when we're depressed we don't feel "righteous" at all. That's why we confess our sins and allow God to make us righteous before Himself, right then and there. There's no 3-day or even a 24-hour waiting period. It's an instant acceptance by God. Just keep praying and don't stop until you know God has heard your prayer.
"I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,'"
"Transgressions" comes from the Hebrew word, pesha, and marks a rebellious act. If we rebel against God, we should expect depressing circumstances. In verse 9 of the same chapter, the psalmist urges:
"Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you."
In other words: Don't make God have to tame you.
IMPORTANT:
Sin is NOT Always the Cause of Depression.
I want to carefully say that sin is not always the cause of depression. Do you remember the story of Job? Job's depression was not caused by sin. Further, the assertion by his friends that somehow Job's calamities were a result of hidden sin angered God:
"My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as My servant Job has." -Job 42:7
There are other physiological, psychological, and physical conditions which can cause depression, too.
If you or anyone you know suffers from depression, urge them to first seek medical advice and then to examine themselves honestly before God. Counselors should be carefully chosen. I recommend "nouthetic" or biblical counselors who will address issues from a biblical perspective.
You are invited to Join the 30-Day #bibleliteracychallenge!
I invite you all to this 30-day Bible Literacy Challenge! The goal with the Steemit 30-day Bible Literacy Challenge is to help you to memorize at least 1 Bible verse per day for 30 days.
Who's with me?
How to do the 30-day Bible Literacy Challenge:
Resteem and upvote this post (if you'd like to).
Create a photo of a Bible verse you've written down or typed, along with the #bibleliteracychallenge tag and your Steemit name. For those who may need a little help, I use Canva to create the photos with text overlay.
Don't forget to add the title Bible Literacy Challenge and tag your post #bibleliteracychallenge
Somewhere on your post indicate which day you are on in your own personal challenge. For me, this post marks day 6.
Don't forget to resteem and upvote to encourage biblical literacy!
