It won’t stop the sunrise.

Depression sucks and it doesn’t pick favorites. Depression is natural. It comes from a place of deep sadness and grief and can be caused by a lot of things in our daily human lives. The loss of a loved one, the loss of a friends, a break up, a tragic event, a life change we weren’t expecting… So many things and so many triggers and it has been felt all over the world for thousands of years.

Psalm 34: 4-10

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
    He freed me from all my fears.
 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
    no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
    he saved me from all my troubles.
 For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
    he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
    Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
    for those who fear him will have all they need.
Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
    but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

Depression is often difficult for us to know how to handle because we feel like we need to handle it on our own. What I feel like it is important for us to understand is that when depression sneaks it’s way into our lives we are not broken or outside of God’s love. He is right there with us to help us carry our sorrows and if you surround yourself with the right people, they too with be right there with you to help carry your emotions. In Psalm 34, in Him we can pray and be answered. We can be freed from fear. We can seek help and find joy. In desperation we can pray and be heard, We can always take refuge in Him.

There is another time in scripture that we can see God’s people face this emotion. David, he was a hero and a man after God’s own heart, expresses to God that he feels lost, forgotten, empty and that even his bones ache within him. You see Job (poor poor Job) who seems like he has it all and is often times considered a righteous man ends up finding himself in a place where he wonders if there is a rhyme of reason to the pain that he feels. And of course, in the infamous, shortest verse of the bible, we even see Jesus himself weep and is moved in his spirit.

John 11:35

“Jesus Wept.”

There is so much power in that small verse. If you are unfamiliar with the story, Jesus is called to go to the home of his friend Lazarus. By the time Jesus gets their his friend has been dead for four days. The bible says that Jesus looks around at his mourning family and is moved in his spirit and begins to cry hard. The powerful phenomenon happens just a few verses later when Jesus raises His friend from the dead. This is powerful because Jesus himself knew that He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead but He still decided to take a moment and weep with his friends and those around Him. We believe in this moment that God was being intentional. He was reminding us that even though He is all knowing, He knowns that we are not. As a loving God, He steps into our pain and chooses to experience what we experience.

If you find yourself in a moment or season of depression, God is near, He is with you, and He is the great comforter.

Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

“…Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” We can always go to God in times of need. When our burdens are heavy. When we are weary and can no longer carry these things alone, we can walk with God and Christ and be revived. We can also go to our family and loved ones for support and understanding but we must also go to Him in prayer and seek refuge in Him alone and those who believe will find favor in Him.

I want to remind you again that Jesus weeps with us and wants to take away our sorrows. It’s okay to embrace the sadness on the hard days but don’t let the darkness consume you. There is light and there will always be another day. Another sunrise to look forward to.

with love,

c.p