Steps out of depression, part IV

 

The next step we need to encourage others to take (or to remember to take ourselves) is to seek the Word of God. The psalmist puts it this way:

Send out Your light and Your truth, they shall lead me; They shall bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places. (Psalm 43:3, NASB)

The Message translates it this way:

Give me your lantern and compass, give me a map, So I can find my way to the sacred mountain, to the place of your presence, To enter the place of worship, meet my exuberant God, Sing my thanks with a harp, magnificent God, my God. (Psalm 43:3, MSG)

Light and truth . . . . lantern and compass . . . .  we can find many verses that illustrate what the psalmist is telling us here.

Jeremiah said that it is not possible for us to stay on the right path all on our own:

I know, Lord, that a person’s way is not in himself,
Nor is it in a person who walks to direct his steps. (Jeremiah 10:23, NASB)

The psalmist told us that God will direct our steps:

Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

Psalm 19 speaks of the Word of God being able to restore our soul, rejoice our heart, enlighten the eyes -- surely this is a formula that will begin to lighten the darkness of our depression!

The Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold;
Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them; In keeping them there is great reward, (Psalm 19:7-11)

In our New Testament, Peter tells us what the Word can do for us:

And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. (II Peter 1:19)

A lamp shining in a dark place . . . . the morning star rising in our hearts. Poetic words to describe the wonder of His Word and how the Holy Spirit can use it to give us hope and peace.

We know that Satan uses depression to cause believers to be ineffective, and to pull their feet aside from the path. The best way to fight both Satan and the depression is to fight them with the Word, and ask for a fresh indwelling of the Spirit each day.

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. (John 16:13)

Again, we may not feel like it when we are depressed, but we still should read God's Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to shine a light into the darkness that we feel -- a darkness of the heart and mind. God's light and truth will lead us to His dwelling place, and little by little, the solace of His presence will work in our hearts. God Himself will again become our joy.