Have you ever wondered why discouragement often comes right after a spiritual victory?
You finally see God answer a prayer. You experience a breakthrough. You make progress in an area where you’ve struggled. You have a wonderful time with the Lord.
And then, unexpectedly, discouragement comes crashing in.
Why does that happen?
That’s exactly what happened to Elijah.
One moment, he was standing on Mount Carmel watching God send fire from heaven. The next, he was hiding in the wilderness, convinced he was alone, that nothing was changing, and that his ministry had failed.
What happened?
How could a man who had just witnessed one of the greatest miracles in Scripture become so discouraged that he asked God to take his life?
And perhaps more importantly, what did God do for Elijah—and what does that teach us about our own seasons of discouragement, disappointment, exhaustion, and spiritual fatigue?
Today’s reading provides hope for anyone who feels weary, overwhelmed, or ready to give up.
No matter what the battle or who the enemy is, we are not to look at the size of the enemy, but at the size of our God! So, if you’re struggling with anxiety about everything going on in our nation and the world or with the circumstances of your life, there is a better way to process it all. Today, we’ll look at how we can refocus on the bigness of God and respond biblically.
Are you tempted with discouragement? Do you feel like caving in or giving up? Do the news reports and other things going on around you have you anxious and worried? Maybe it’s your family’s finances and the general uncertainty of life? Maybe it’s health concerns, family problems, or something else. Or maybe it’s your own unsettled heart. What does God’s word say about discouragement, and what will help?
Worry, anxiety, distress, and depression seem to be everywhere. Yet even in a troubled world, some people possess a deep sense of peace and stability.
What’s the difference?
We often assume our peace—or lack of it—is primarily determined by our circumstances. If the difficult person would change, the financial pressure would ease, our health would improve, or the world weren’t such a mess, then we could have peace.
But Scripture points us in another direction.
Today’s reading raises an important question about the relationship between the choices we make, our willingness to obey God, and the peace—or distress—we experience as a result.
And there’s an even more sobering issue.
Jesus said there will be people who stand before Him convinced that they belong to Him, only to hear the terrifying words, “I never knew you.” Isaiah described people who called themselves God’s people but whose lives told another story.
So, is it possible to think we’re right with God when we’re not? And could the same truths that help answer that question also help us understand where genuine peace comes from?
Today and in the next post, we’re going to talk about guilt, what it is, and why we experience it? We’ll look at how the world views it, some examples of guilt in the Bible, and we’ll get the biblical perspective on it. Finally, we’ll discuss what we as Christians should do about it?
Today we’re going to talk more about how a failure to handle the events and responsibilities of life in a biblical way and other sins can cause feelings of depression. Then we’ll talk about how, as believers, we should respond to feelings of depression.
There are numerous reasons why a person might feel depressed. We can be depressed because of a loss or a setback, because of a lack of sleep, or because of illness. And I don’t have to tell you ladies about hormonal issues. And, sometimes, there is no known cause other than living life in sin-cursed bodies in a fallen world. It’s, also, true that a failure to handle the events and responsibilities of life in a biblical way can cause feelings of depression. But we must be very careful about making assumptions where others are concerned.
Depression, if you’ve ever suffered with it, you know it can be a dark, discouraging place to be. At its worst, it’s been called the “dark night of the soul.” But there is hope for those experiencing discouragement, depression, and hopelessness.
Today we’ll start looking at people in biblical times who experienced feelings of
Depression, if you’ve ever suffered with it, you know it can be a dark, discouraging place to be. At its worst, it’s been called the “dark night of the soul.” So, does the Bible have anything to say to those suffering from depression?
Christians and depression: We don’t often think both of those words should describe us. Yet, for some us, that is or has been our experience. Robert Somerville has written a great resource, describing a dark time in his life, the stories of others, and the hope found in Christ, the Gospel, and the Word of God.
