Cold weather has descended upon Wisconsin, and I spend most of my evenings bundled up in blankets – specifically, my bright red Christmas one, with the fuzzy white trim. Sometimes I’ll have a mug of hot tea as I curl up in a corner with a book. There’s just something about blankets that bring a sense of comfort and safety, especially when it’s cold and somewhat nasty outside.
Sometimes, in our spiritual lives, we experience cold weather. Like sleet from a winter sky, the icy darkness of depression blows in from who-knows-where and invades our heart and soul. When this happens, as it often does to me, I have found there are certain Biblical truths that are like blankets in cold weather – warm, comforting, and safe.
My thoughts on this particular subject come from years of experiencing both the deep darkness of depression, and the beautiful gift of God’s grace in times of need. In light of that, I’d like to share some of the truths I’ve learned in hopes that it will be helpful to those suffering from depression. My prayer is that this will strengthen your faith and encourage your soul.
God is not disappointed.
First, God is not disappointed in you. When I have a flare-up of depression, one of my first thoughts is: “oh, here we go again. I am such a failure. God must be so disappointed.” But He’s not. Did you know that it is absolutely impossible to disappoint God? Disappointment comes when something that you wish for doesn’t actually happen. When the concert you were going to go to got cancelled, you feel disappointed. Maybe angry. When you drive all the way across town to go to a special restaurant, only to find it closed, you’re disappointed. Humans get disappointed because things happen to us that are unexpected. We plan, and when the plan falls apart, we experience disappointment.
The thing about God is that He already knows everything that’s going to happen. He knows the beginning, the middle, and the end of everything. The things He expects to happen are the things that do in fact happen. Psalm 139:1-3 says: “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.” He KNOWS when you are experiencing depression, and He is not disappointed when the thing that He knows is gonna happen actually happens. He expects you, in that moment, to be exactly in the place that He planned for you all along. God cannot, ever, be disappointed in you. Even when you’re going through depression.
God is always with you.
Second, God is always with you, even in your darkness. Read Psalm 139:7-12: “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost part of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” Even when you’re going through the worst time of your life, when it seems like it’s never gonna end, that there’s no light at all, truth says there is hope. He is there. He is always there. He never leaves. Never. Even when I try to leave, He stays with me (Heb. 13:5). It’s a promise. There’s no getting away from God. You’re His. Even when you have depression.
Faith is not lost.
Third, faith is not lost just because you experience depression. Faith frequently feels fragile. Often, we think we’re failing because our faith is weak. But even weak faith is faith. Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains (Lk. 17:5-6). The point Jesus made is that it’s not the size or amount of faith we have that matters, but the basis of that faith (Mk. 11:20-24). Who do you believe? What do you believe about Him? Let me tell you – when I have a bout with depression, sometimes the only faith I can muster is to whisper “Jesus” through my tears, and cling to His promise that He’s there, even though I can’t feel His presence and I can’t hear His voice. And that’s okay. Because it’s still faith. And that’s really all we need in moments like these.
I have no step-by-step plan to follow when you’re suffering from depression. I just really want you to realize that God loves you. I mean, He really, really loves you. Psalm 139:17-18 says: “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” God thinks about us with precious, tender thoughts. Lots and lots and lots of precious thoughts. He never has a thought about you that is mean, or cruel, or judgmental. Every thought towards you is one of love, full of tenderness, compassion, and kindness (Jer. 29:11-14). There is nothing in your life He does not care about. There is nothing you need to hide. There is nothing…nothing…nothing that will separate you from the love of God (Rom. 8:38-39). Not even depression.
Victoria White is a graduate of Baptist College of Ministry and a member of Falls Baptist Church in Menomonee Falls, WI. She has a burden for young people to understand the Bible and to live for God in this world. She has 6 siblings and lives in Germantown, WI.
