Freedom from Depression

UV 679/10,000 Freedom from Depression “But as for you, O Jacob My servant, do not fear, nor be dismayed, O Israel! For, see , I am going to save you from afar, and your descendants from the land of their captivity; and Jacob will return and be undisturbed and secure, with no one making him tremble.” Jeremiah 46 v 27 “Jacob” in this context means any believer in the God of Israel. In whatever we do and say, we are serving the Lord. He gives us the servant’s wages: we need not be afraid for there is no power greater than God on Earth or in Heaven and hence, we need not fear any one, neither the wicked and powerful on earth nor the powers of darkness. He will redeem us from all our captivities. The greatest captivity that mankind faces through the generations is the captivity of sin and eternal death. The Lord our Redeemer God saves us from the captivity of sin and death forever. He promises to save not just us but our descendants as long as they too serve and obey the Lord. He is our proximate help and shield 24x7x365x360 degrees. The Lord protects us not just from our fears. He frees us from the spirit of disappointment and depression. The spirit of despondency is replaced with the spirit of dependency. We find our fulfillment in the Lord, not in chasing our dreams and goals. There is no disappointment whether our goals and dreams are realized or not. We need not regret the mistakes and blunders we have made in our past. The Lord will turn it to something of profit for our eternal destiny. We need not be depressed about our failures or about the opportunities we have missed in life. The Lord will take the sting out of failure and cause our souls to prosper on account of these setbacks in our lives. The word dismay means things that can cause us to break down. We will be broken before the Lord but yet we will not be broken-hearted. His grace will quickly fill the gaps and cracks in the broken jar of life. On account of the above two blessings: freedom from fear and freedom from disappointment, He gives us a sense of absolute security where we no one can intimidate or threaten us. When we tremble at God’s Word and His presence, no one can make us tremble. We are not scared at the prospect of either death or defeat or failure. We are not overwhelmed by circumstances. We should always walk so close to the Lord that nothing disturbs our minds or spirits. Satan aims to disturb us by bringing all kinds of negative thoughts and worries but the Lord defends us and neutralizes these anxiety and panic attacks. When the Word of God pierces like a double-edged sword our hearts and minds, our thought patterns change leading to change in our life patterns too. Faith that is used as a life-encompassing shield is exercised or used through our breathing prayer constantly. The Lord has given us each all the armament and equipment to lead a victorious life. A victorious life is a life free from sin, a life free from fear and regret, a life free from guilt, a life free from fear of death and defeat, a life free from worry and anxiety, a life free from sadness and depression. A couple of weeks ago, a colleague’s daughter took her own life due to depression. By the year 2020, the World Health Organization has predicted based on surveys that 40 per cent of the world’s population would suffer from depression. That prediction came before the current world-wide recession. Imagine the rate of depression after its onset. Depression causes crime rates to rise and suicide rate to increase tremendously. Health and productivity would be adversely affected. The Word of God has already revealed the antidote for depression. It is the lack of hope that things will improve which causes depression. The Word of God restores that hope. In fact, as we believe in the Word, things will not only improve- they are already declared good by the Lord. Our belief will now give birth to the new reality. Prateep V Philip