Did you know that one in five people will experience depression at some point in their lives?
Not long ago, this was a statistic I thought applied only to others. But then out of the blue, I became one of them.
And as I struggled through the darkness, I felt isolated. Alone. Ashamed. Surely a Christian shouldn’t feel this way… right?
Maybe you’ve felt the same way.
But as I turned to Scripture and to the biblical heroes I thought were so invincible, I discovered they understood depression more than I thought…
Moses once felt so overwhelmed by his responsibilities that he said to God, “I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me” (Numbers 11:14–15, NIV).
Worry so intense that Moses preferred death? That’s the horrible power of anxiety.
Then there’s David. He begins Psalm 13 with, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever…How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?”
King David – powerful warrior, passionate worshiper, and man after God’s own heart – dealt with debilitating depression.
As I read those passages and others in my dark moment, I felt the black cloud part, letting fragments of light in. This is the magnificent message of these timeless stories of Scripture – the assurance that we’re never alone.
These great heroes of the faith endured painful, disappointing seasons… just like us. And they discovered that God is faithful to meet His people in their pain and lead them through to healing and growth.
That’s the hope I want to share with you in my newest book, Reignite. So keep reading in your PowerLiving newsletter to find out how you can request a copy.
And know that friends like you are always in my prayers.
