Victory Over DepressionSample

Healing

When a wound is first inflicted, touching it can be very painful. As the wound heals, it becomes no longer painful, though a scar may remain. Healing from wounds inflicted by depression is possible. Focusing on positive and encouraging material actively changes your mind and your brain over time. As believers we know that the Bible promises healing of all sickness, illness, and disease. We are told to ask in prayer for healing and then give thanksgiving in faith for what we asked (1 Thessalonians 5:18). King David did this often. He began many songs, or Psalms, with an honest account of his feelings, but then he seemed to abruptly turn the focus from himself to his God, offering praise for things that God had already done and for the future things he had faith that He would do. Many have noticed benefit from turning their hurting hearts towards helping others. Again, this takes the focus off of you, ultimately helping with your healing process and that of others. For some, you will experience healing swiftly. For others, the process may take longer and a medicine or other intervention is helpful. 

The story is told of a man who needed surgery to repair a badly injured knee. The man asked the surgeon, “How long would it take the knee to be completely healed after the surgery?” The surgeon replied, “I will do the surgery, but it’s up to God to do the healing.” I think that was a wise response. There is a limit to modern medicine. Providers do the very best we can for our patients, but we do not have all of the answers. I believe that where we end in our abilities, that is where God begins. There are a host of scriptures on healing of illnesses recorded in the Bible, including wise sayings about depression. Meditate on these scriptures until they are engrafted in your mind and on your heart.

We hope that you have found this devotional helpful in your journey of healing. The content in this devotional is taken from the book Victory Over Depression With and Without Medicines by Dr. Bergina Isbell. You can find more information about the book at https://bit.ly/vodbook and Dr. Bergina at https://bit.ly/drberginahome.