CATEGORY: Depression and Faith
Help, Lord, When I Read Your Word!
Knowing how spiritually frail I am, and with awareness of my tendency to hurry through personal devotions so I can get to tasks I mistakenly consider more urgent, I've been asking God to change my approach to my Bible reading. Put simply, I'm praying more before I...
How Many Times….??
Two Perspectives on Depression: One Bleak, One Reassuring The Misery of Melancholy Recently I reflected on the persistence of depression symptoms I've experienced over the years. How many times has a dark, thick fog of depression enveloped me, blinding me to...
Are You Watching for the Morning?
In the first of her 90 devotionals, titled "Beauty in the Broken," Vaneetha explains the Japanese art of kintsugi. This is the process of repairing broken pottery in a way that renders it more valuable than it was before the break. The artist doesn't hide...
Is It Okay To Be Weak and Needy?
As I pulled into my driveway, I saw it. A round, baseball-sized gray creature nestled against a brick retaining wall at the edge of the driveway. As I approached, the fledging baby blue jay looked up at me. How did he get there? Too young to fly. Other than tilting...
Rascal, You Skallywag, I Love You!
If you read to the end, you'll see that this is much more than a story about a man and his dog. What do you associate with rascal? Originally, the term referred to a rabble-rousing member of a mob. Apt synonyms included scoundrel, villain, trickster and...
The Awesome Power of Encouraging Words
May the true story that follows help you to see the heart-massaging power of well-timed words. Five Special Words That Sunday, the adult class teacher covered a chapter in 2 Timothy. He knew the material well, had a solid handle on timeless truths in...
A DEPRESSION-PRONE PREACHER’S THOUGHTS ON DEPRESSION
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) The renown preacher and pastor in England was known in his day as the "Prince of Expositors." Numerous books that he published remain in print, including commentaries, devotionals and an informative volume titled Lectures To My...
“But God”: The Ultimate Encouragement!
"But" is a conjunction with impact. It precedes a contrary opinion, or introduces a stark contrast to the start of a sentence. The term qualifies or completely negates what precedes it. "I know I promised we'd get away this weekend, but my boss expects this project...
What Does Depression Mean for My Faith?
How can she pack so much helpful information into a 60-page book? I pondered that question after reading Dr. Kathryn Butler's What Does Depression Mean for My Faith? (Crossway, 2024). And that page total includes Footnotes, Recommended Resources and a Scripture...
Praying In the Dark
Dear Heavenly Father, Right now, despair envelops me. Hopelessness makes me think I'll never smile or be happy again. It's as if there's a high humidity in my heart that leaves me gasping for breath, sapping my energy, draining me of motivation for things I...
A Prayer To Christ When I’m Tempted
I learned a long time ago that Satan is relentless with his temptations. None us ever reaches a state of invulnerability to his lures. No matter how long we've been a Christ-follower, or how long we've served Him faithfully with our time and gifts, the evil one...
The Scandalous Grace of Forgiveness
Have you ever thought, "Christ couldn't possibly forgive what I've done!"? Do you still feel guilty over a sin you repented of years ago? Is it difficult to forgive yourself, even though you acknowledge Christ's forgiveness? As a Christ-follower, do you engage in...
