03/30/2025
⭐The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.--Psalm 34:7 (NLT)
⭐Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my hope in God and keep praising him --Psalm 42:11 (NCV)
⭐You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head --Psalm 3:3 (ESV)
⭐He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love.--Colossians 1:13 (NKJV)
In the not-so-distant past, I was paralyzed by depression. I totally shut down: I spent weeks in bed, slept 20 hours a day, cut off all communication with family & friends, and lost ALL hope. The absolute worst thing I did, however, was sever communication with God, my Creator. I didn't pray, I didn't read, I didn't think, I didn't listen; I just didn't. He knew I was suffering. He felt my pain. But nothing happened. He didn't reach out, scoop me up, and tell me everything was going to be alright.
You see, God is a loving, caring, gracious, and merciful God. He is light and love and truth and lots of other things, but there is one thing He is NOT: Pushy. He will never force himself upon you. (Some people, however , do) He will NEVER force you to do anything. Sure, He will ask you and suggest to you, but in the end, what you do (or don't do) is entirely up to you. As it is written in Matthew 7:7-8; ⭐ "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." (NKJV). A relationship with God requires action on your part; you need to do something in order to develop and continue a relationship with Him. Think about it though: In order to form a healthy and beneficial relationship with ANYONE requires action and consent. Folks we know who are pushy, demanding, and forceful are deemed abusers, stalkers, and psychopaths. Am I right? God is NONE of those! He will stay connected with you as long as you want Him to! The more you stay connected to Him, the more you ask Him, the more you seek Him, the more you will receive and find Him! Needless to say, I am no longer suffering from debilitating depression. Sure, I still struggle with sadness and low moods sometimes. We all do. But unlike in times past, I no longer have low months or weeks or even low days. I have low moments. Yes, you heard that right, MOMENTS. Now, whenever I have low moments, negative moods, or unproductive thoughts, I reach out to Him! And whenever I ASK Him to, He DOES reach out, scoop me up, and tell me that EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT!! I am "plugged in" to Him, and as long as I don't pull out the plug, we will ALWAYS be connected! Storm clouds and rain no longer rule my life. I won't allow them to. Sure, there are still storms, and rain is going to fall. Think about it, though. Without rain, NOTHING will grow. Nothing vibrant with life and light and love ever stops growing! So embrace the rain; it WILL stop, eventually. It's up to you, however, how you handle the rain. And as long as you stay plugged in to God, you don't have to handle the rain alone.
--SLB; 2025
