God, our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ give us the grace and peace we need to meet the demands of each trial we face in life (1 Corinthians 1:3). We end up praising our merciful Father who is the source of all comfort for us. Then, we can comfort others when they are troubled with similar life’s challenges (2 Corinthians 1:4).
We have no need to fear or to be discourage, because the Lord personally goes before us to champion our cause. He is with us and never fails or abandons us (Deuteronomy 31:8; Hebrews 13:5). We cannot imagine what God has prepared for those of us who love Him with our whole heart (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Many in God’s world-wide family are suffering (1 Peter 5:9). We learn from experience that we can give Him all our worries and cares because we know without a shadow of a doubt that He cares about us all (1 Peter 5:7). If we live before Him in humility, He lifts us up in His timing and way (1 Peter 5:6).
God invites us to stand firmly against Him when adversity threatens to topple us over. We live steadfastly in Him, our Champion, and allow His word to fill our mind and heart. This allows Him to shower us with His blessings and strengthens our faith (John 15:7). His love conquers all our fears, insecurities, weariness, etc.
He gives us strength to continue facing each new day with His hope and joy within us. Joy floods our soul with each new morning and is a side-effect of serving our King Jesus and showing care and giving help to others as His Spirit directs us.
Depression is the great killer of motivation, joy, and hope. However, as we walk in His ways and follow His timing each moment of the day, our Father God gives meaning to our life – even in the hardships we experience. He gives us the inspiration to help others that He puts into our life.
We do not pursue our own goals and plans, but we live each day by following His peace in every decision we make and every action we take. He prevents us from over-extending our self by taking on tasks that He does not give to us. We do not compare our self to others, but we simply please our Father God.
Prayer:
Father God, we all have weaknesses that cause us to fail even when we do our best. We tend to belittle and condemn our self when we make mistakes or compare our self to other people. Thank You for keeping us on Your straight and narrow road and helping us to make Your will the center of our focus and decisions. Living a life of praise to You will improve our outlook and attitude.
Remind us to adopt healthy habits and to take breaks during the day which allow our soul to catch up and refuel. Teach us to find something about which we can be grateful regardless of how frustrating, irritating, or hurtful our day plays out. Help us to learn that making a daily list prior to bedtime of five things for which we are grateful, allows our mind to concentrate on these ideas all through the night.
Thoughts for the Day:
Focusing on the current moment of time allows us to decide if we are okay, or if we need to repair or change some aspect of our life. Adopting healthy habits and attitudes helps us to overcome depression and to live in the victory that God gives us through prayer and His Word. These coping skills take time and practice, but they are worth the effort because they allow us to thrive in the presence of God within us.
