If You Are Depressed
By W. C. Moore
Are you a Christian? If not, repent of your sins, and believe on Jesus, the Son of God, as your Saviour and Lord.
A. B. Simpson tells of a man who was very sick and he visited him one night. This man was supposed to be at the point of death, but he got really and truly saved, and was filled with joy, and it seems he could not help praising the Lord!
The next morning Brother Simpson went to this home with the thought of expressing sympathy, as he supposed this man had passed away. But the man got well – to the surprise of everybody!
We read in Nehemiah 8:10, "The joy of the Lord is your strength."
We read in the eighth chapter of Acts that Peter and John went down to Samaria where Philip was holding a revival, and one outstanding feature of the revival was "there was great joy in that city" (Acts 8:8, 14-17).
The Bible says, ''In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning YOU" (1 Thes. 5:18). And again, "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28).
Hear the psalmist: "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God" (Psa. 42:11).
If You Are a Christian
If you are a Christian and feel gloomy or sad – see what marvelous provision God has made for YOU! "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified'' (Isa. 61:3).
If the weather is cold and you put on your overcoat, you may have to keep it on quite a while before your body gets good and warm. So if you are sad or gloomy, you not only need to put on the garment of praise but you may need to keep it on perhaps a long time, till your soul and spirit get happy and glad in the Lord!
Spread the Blessing
Remember that the Bible says, "Ye are My witnesses" (Isa. 43:10).
So it is extremely important when God has blessed you and saved you and healed you and made you happy instead of sad – it is very important that we witness of these blessings to others that the blessings may spread and spread! Let us not be guilty of "eating our morsel alone" (Job 31:17).
Paul tells how Timothy and himself at one time were "pressed out of measure," and Paul wanted the saints to pray for them, for he adds, “Ye also helping together by prayer for us." Then Paul goes on to say, "Who comforteth us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God" (2 Cor. 1:1-11).
The Lord sometimes lets us go through sorrows and troubles so that we may be all the better fitted to comfort others who are in trouble.
We need to be filled with the Holy Ghost so that we will be powerful witnesses of all that God has done for us!
"Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).