Tag: Isaiah

  • When Depression Sinks Me

    I look normal, a little larger than life (in more than one way), but otherwise I look like everyone else. Yet, I have an invisible disability.

    I am a traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivor and struggle with many issues, including treatment-resistant, chronic, clinical depression. I also fatigue easily and can become overwhelmed under certain forms of stress, particularly when I’m not well rested. The fatigue problem is contributed to by the fact that my TBI impacts sleep.

    Mostly, with the help of medication, a team of doctors and lifestyle management, it stays under control. Yet at times, it can still sneak in, and the depression will sink me for anything from a few hours to months.

    There isn’t much I can do to make the problem lessen once it hits. I can remove myself from people and stress, rest, and that’s about it.

    When I’m resting, I turn to the LORD. Some favorite passages of Scripture have carried me through.

    But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Isaiah 43:1-7 ESV

    At other times, 

    No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 ESV

    I can also turn to other places, including promises for overcomers in Revelation and many of the Psalms.

    Where do you turn? Tell me in the comments.

    May you turn to Him no matter what you face and be blessed .

    Kevin.

    SUMMARY

    I live with an invisible disability that can sink me into depression for hours or months. When it hits, I rest and turn to the LORD through the Scriptures that carry me.

    TAKEAWAY

    When something sneaks in and sinks you, and there isn’t much you can do about it, you can still rest and turn to the LORD.

    God has called you by name and you are His. When you pass through the waters and walk through the fire, He is with you.

    Nothing in all creation can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus, so turn to Him no matter what you face.

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  • Determined – thoughts on the state of the world

    Jasper sitting at the base of a tree he chewed

    This is Jasper, a border collie-maremma cross. His temperament is by far more maremma than collie. he is very determined. He lived with us when we had the acreage, but when we moved to the city, he and Misty, the border collie, moved to a friend’s farm, where they live happily today.

    Border collies are hyperactive herding dogs that seem to have to work to live. Maremmas are livestock guard dogs that are content to lie on a raised area, surveying their kingdom and flock with regal authority until danger arises. Then watch out.

    Jasper is a master at regally surveying his domain until danger arises. Unless there’s a squirrel. A squirrel throws a switch in his brain, and he just must get them. Then he thinks he’s a hunting dog crossed with a beaver. 

    You can see from the picture that he has a squirrel treed and is determined to bring it down. Yes, he gets so excited that he gnaws the tree. 

    That’s determination…or madness.

    There’s a lot of that sort of determination come madness in the world. The world is determined to dethrone God and do whatever it wants. That’s bad enough, but they want everyone else to celebrate the insanity.

    What is evil is now considered normal, even virtuous, by many.

    The Bible has some thoughts on that subject. The prophet Isiah was inspired by God to write on the subject 2800 years ago.

    Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, who say: “Let him be quick, let him speed his work  that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!” Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!  Isaiah 5:18-23

    Paul opened his epistle to the church in Rome by talking on the subject (it’s worth taking a moment to read Romans 1 in full).

    For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Romans 1:20-23

    Such people are under the wrath of God. Still, there is hope they will see the light and turn back before it’s too late.

    Our job isn’t to hate or judge these people; it’s to love them. Loving them doesn’t mean that we accept or follow their view, but it does mean that we pray for them, meet their needs when we can, and treat them as our neighbours.

     We, too, were lost in our sin and enemies of God at one point, and in His mercy, He reached down and saved us. Let’s pray He does the same even for those we might consider our enemies.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Consider these posts

    General Revelation: Why No One Can Claim They Didn’t Know

    The gospel – great news

    Herded – an old border collie reminds me of the truth

    Close to the master