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For me, it has not
been enough
to simply focus on God, praise Him, and
so on. Helpful, yes, but not healing. I
actually had to take a step back and look
at myself, first—to understand what was
going on at the “heart level,” so that I
could formulate a plan of attack. I’d
like to share some of the Scriptures that
God brought to my attention through this
study, and how this revelation was
helpful in defeating depressive moods
when they occurred.
Proverbs 4:23: “Above
all else, guard your heart for it is the
wellspring of life.”
We
see here that the heart is a point of
potential weakness. While our life in
Christ flows from the heart, where there
is life, there is also danger of death.
What God means for good, the enemy can
use for evil. It is essential that we
“guard our hearts:” take care of them,
watch over them, and protect them. When
negative emotions attack, we must be on
our guard. We must have our weapons at
the ready. Our only weapon is the Sword
of the Spirit—the Word of God! So choose
those Scriptures that are powerful for
your situation. Have them ready—print
them out, hang them up, memorize them,
sing them. Do whatever it takes to make
that Word immediately available to you
when you need it.
Psalm 139:23-24:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts. See
if there is any offensive way in me, and
lead me in the way
everlasting.”
This Psalm was so
comforting to me, because it reminded me
that God does
know my
heart. He knows that I am struggling. He
knows that I have the will to praise Him
and serve Him, but that I am weak. When
there is an offensive way in me,
He will
lead
me in the way everlasting. Sometimes it
is necessary to encourage yourself as you
come face-to-face with negative emotions.
Don’t let them rule over you! Instead,
remember that God knows your heart and
knows that you have the will to honor and
serve Him. When your offending emotions
and anxious thoughts conflict with your
desire to walk in godliness, the Lord is
willing to lead you in His
paths.
Listen to the audio excerpt
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