Finding God In Your DepressionSample
Day 6
These days good news is a scarce commodity… at least so it seems. If you’re like me, you’re up-to-date on all the ills happening in and around your neighborhood and across the sea. None of it uplifts our spirits. And if we’re not careful, the everyday negative happenings contribute to the emotional weight we already carry. But Luke brings us good news that, if embraced fully, points the way to our healing and deliverance.
Pray
God, although I still struggle to see the brighter side of each new day, thank you for glimmers of light that have come my way.
Read
Luke, a doctor, writes about the good news that Jesus brings.
Luke 4:16-21
Reflect
Jesus tells the people that the prophet Isaiah’s words, spoken centuries before this moment, have now come true. They point to a chosen deliverer who would come bringing the good news of the gospel, proclaiming freedom for those who are suffering and oppressed, and freeing those who are held captive in various ways. In what ways does depression oppress you? Make you feel like a prisoner needing to be set free? What would it take for you to fully rely on Jesus to set you free?
Respond
Find an audio rendition of today’s reading. As you listen, imagine that Jesus is speaking to an audience of one—you. Ask God to give you courage to embrace the deliverance that Jesus brings.
Scripture
About this Plan
The Bible may seem an unlikely source to turn to for answers, but there’s no mistaking the face of depression as a psalmist cries out to God in anguish or as Job laments the day of his birth. Amid their pain and suffering, they find hope in God. Their accounts and the encouraging words of others in Scripture can help you navigate the murky waters of depression.
More