Chapter 52—Depression (Part 4)
Christ Sympathizes (encouragement to a Christian suffering depression)—My dear aged sister _____, I am much grieved because you are sick and suffering. But cling to Him whom you have loved and served these many years. He gave His own life for the world, and He loves everyone who trusts in Him. He sympathizes with those who suffer under the depression of disease. He feels every pang of anguish that His loved ones feel. Just rest in His arms and know that He is your Saviour, and your very best Friend, and that He will never leave nor forsake you. He has been your dependence for many years, and your soul may rest in hope.
You will come forth with other faithful ones who have believed in Him, to praise Him with a voice of triumph. All you are expected to do is to rest in His love. Do not worry. Jesus loves you, and now when you are weak and suffering, He holds you in His arms, just as a loving father holds a little child. Trust in Him in whom you have believed. Has He not loved and cared for you all through your lifetime? Just rest in the precious promises given you.—Letter 299, 1904.
Not to Give Way to Depression—In the night season I was conversing with you. I was saying to you, I am much pleased because you are in such a good location and can be near to the Sanitarium. Do not give way to depression, but let the comforting influence of the Holy Spirit be welcomed into your heart, to give you comfort and peace….
My sister, if you would obtain precious victories, face the light that emanates from the Sun of righteousness. Talk hope and faith and thanksgiving to God. Be cheerful, hopeful in Christ. Educate yourself to praise Him. This is a great remedy for diseases of the soul and of the body.—Letter 322, 1906.
Atmosphere of Depression—Let the ministers through whom God is working come up to the conference with cast-down nerve, growing in depression, and I tell you, they have an atmosphere about them like a thick blanket of fog covering a clear sky. We need to cherish faith. Let the lips utter, “My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”
We must reveal a sense of a present Saviour, a firm trust that Jesus is at the helm, and that He will see the noble vessel safe into harbor. We are to know that it is impossible to save ourselves or any soul. We have no power to bestow salvation upon the perishing. Jesus, our Redeemer, is the Saviour. We are only His instrumentalities and dependent every moment upon God. We are to magnify His power before His chosen people and before the world for the great salvation which through His atoning sacrifice and His blood He has conferred upon us.—Letter 19a, 1892.
I Will Not Be Depressed—I am sometimes greatly perplexed to know what to do, but I will not be depressed. I am determined to bring all the sunshine into my life that I possibly can.—Letter 127, 1903.
I have much to make me sad at heart, but I try not to speak discouragingly, because someone who hears my words may be sad at heart, and I must not do anything to increase his sadness.—Letter 208, 1903.
By Faith Reach Through the Darkness—If I should look at the dark clouds—the troubles and perplexities that come to me in my work—I should have time to do nothing else. But I know that there is light and glory beyond the clouds. By faith I reach through the darkness to the glory. At times I am called to pass through financial perplexities. But I do not worry about money. God takes care of my affairs. I do all that I can, and when the Lord sees that it is best for me to have money, He sends it to me.—Manuscript 102, 1901.
https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/78.571#621
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for the privilege of trusting You in every situation, especially in those designed to depress and rob the spirit of abiding joy. Please bless us to really believe that You love us and mean to do us good, that we might cease to fear or be depressed about anything. Please bless us to trust You as a child trusts a loving parent. Please bless us to fully embrace the power of Your grace to obey Your commandments, to show our love for You in action, and to be always a living witness for You that we ourselves and others might be uplifted and encouraged in rightdoing. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, please bless us to be all You would have us be and grant us the mind and love of Jesus that others might be drawn to You through how we live and what we say. Because we ask all these in the Awesome name of Your Son, Almighty Jesus the Christ, our Savior, we say Thank You and Amen.
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DID YOU KNOW THIS…?
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 KJV—The WORD OF GOD—It’s the only flesh that is safe to eat (meditate on) to live forever!]
Visit this link to watch today’s Sabbath service livestreamed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/UcheePinesInstitute. Invite your family and friends to join us online beginning at 9:15 am Eastern Time.
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Do you feel sorrowful, disconnected—without a place to feel at home or useful? I pray this might show you the way forward. Watch…
https://www.youtube.com/live/2QB6fcwVuws?si=fsEvZU-rkI-BngfD
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I coordinate wonderful health and worship events and conferences online and onsite as a gospel medical missionary at Uchee Pines, a total plant-based health retreat, where doctors and practitioners specialize in lifestyle medicine. For event details, visit https://www.ucheepines.org/events
Therefore, if at any time you fail to receive this post as a text, please visit
https://baiom.org/author/audreystovall/
where devotionals are first posted daily (almost without fail). From there devotionals are publicly shared to my page on FB, LinkedIn, and Signal (in My Story), and to a response-restricted group on WhatsApp (once again when I am able to find the time to successfully rebuild it).
NOTE: These began as daily texts to encourage my academy roommate and dear friend of nearly 50 years, until she suddenly passed March 2023. Now I continue to compile and send them to anyone who will receive them and to her family in honor of their mom. Lately, I have begun featuring consecutive chapter portions of a select Bible-based book.
If you agree to continue receiving them, then this is my personal gift to you; and in this way, I not only honor God but the memory of a very dear friend whom I desperately miss.
My personal prayer is that God will bless me to find ways to multiply this gift, so that we all may be encouraged to be found faithful in the sight of a Holy God, whenever Christ returns or our eyes are shut in the sleep of death.
It is a prayerful process that leads me to share from my personal study.
So please feel free to forward to your loved ones or to anyone, as God leads you. I’m calling them Barb’s Devotionals.