What do you think the world would do if today's top newspaper headlines
read something like this:
Cure For Discouragement and Depression Found!!
Do you think there would be a single copy left to buy?? Sometimes it amazes
me what is on the headlines and covers of magazines found near the check-out
lines of the grocery store. The most foolish sounding articles are written
and published and people actually flock to purchase such empty-headed
nonsense! Nevertheless, the topic we are considering today is not a foolish
one and many people, even Christians, would be interested in reading.
As a matter of fact, today I'm going to e-mail you a free copy of the
cure for discouragement and depression! You don't even have to go to the
store to pick it up, just open your Bible and turn to 2 Corinthians chapter
1 and let's begin in verse 3.....
"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of mercies, and the God of all comfort;"
Notice how the apostle Paul describes God in the beginning of our "article"
today! He begins it by praising the Lord. He calls God "The Father of
Mercies, The God of ALL Comfort." That's qualification enough to get me
to want to keep reading the rest of the "article", how about you? Many
times we continue reading those foolish, worldly articles because of the
"juicy tidbits" our flesh wants to uncover. Well, I'm here to tell you
the Word of God contains the best information of all! The Lord Himself
is the publisher of such good news for our souls…
Why do you think he began his letter by praising God? I daresay it is
because Paul had come to know the Lord this way personally, as merciful
and as his very own Comforter. I hope that can be said of you and I today
as well! How about it, dear lady? DO you know the Lord as the Father of
Mercies, The God of ALL Comfort? If not, what has prevented such a thing
from occurring in your life?
2 Cor. 1:4, "Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be
able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith
we ourselves are comforted of God."
Sufferings abound in this life and I'm sure you've all faced troubles
at one time or another. In the above verse, we find what God does when
we are troubled, troubled in such a way that it can lead to great discouragement
and depression, so common among people today. Yes, the Lord of the universe
comforts us!! Imagine that… No wonder Paul said in verse 3, "Blessed be
God"! Every tribulation that Paul experienced - and we know they were
many - God comforted him in. There was not one tribulation experienced
by him where Paul did not meet God's mercy and comfort in a very real
and personal way… How about you??
Psalm 71:21, "Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every
side."
Ladies, the Lord involves Himself in our troubles, and yes, even permits
them! Why would this be so?? Our troubles are permitted for a glorious
purpose and that purpose is "...that we may be able..." This is the purpose
for my troubles and your troubles! The Lord uses our sufferings to teach
us how to be comforters, to make us useful in His service. Beware of one
thing though… If you do not allow the Lord to comfort you, you will never
know how to effectively comfort others! As a matter of fact, you won't
even care to… Are you letting God comfort you in your troubles, dear lady,
or are you mad at Him for your difficulties, having shut Him out and hardened
your heart? Can you really be a comfort to others with a hardened heart
toward God??
Job 6:10, "Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself
in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the
Holy One."
Whatever the method, whatever tool of comfort is present in your life
today, this is the one you will share with others, for it will be the
only way you know how to comfort! So then, what are you comforting yourself
with? Is it of God?? What are you recommending for comfort to others who
are troubled? A drink? Food? Pills for depression and anxiety? Romance
novels? Shopping? A vacation? A divorce? As I said before, life is full
of troubles and I know you are experiencing them the same as I am. I know
too, that you are accessing some form of comfort in your life. Is God
enough for you when sufferings abound? Take an honest look at how you
comfort yourself and see if you are truly allowing the Lord to be your
Comforter, for there is no real comfort apart from God. The sweetest comforts
are in Him…
Verse 5 says, "For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation
also aboundeth by Christ."
The higher we climb, the farther down we can fall, amen ladies? Yet, the
greater the trouble, the greater the comfort with God, because our God
is greater than all! He is the cure to any size discouragement and depression!
I'm not talking about getting just a little sympathy from Him ladies,
I'm talking about getting some strength from His Spirit and wisdom from
His Word to handle the troubles that flood your soul! After all, they
were no accident, but designed by His very own hand… We are not victims
of "fate" but rather children of a loving God who will not place upon
us more than we can bear. Why is it when trouble comes, we forget this
simple truth and fall into discouragement, depression and self-centeredness?
Do you really trust the Lord??
2 Cor. 1:6-7, " And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation
and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings
which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation
and salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are
partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation."
Ladies, spiritual maturity is going to be necessary if you want to experience
victory over discouragement and depression as a child of God and become
useful in His service. The ability to endure suffering comes as a result
of Christian maturity… Are you spiritually mature enough to handle afflictions
today, dear lady? Are you making any effort towards becoming spiritually
mature so that you CAN endure, or have you simply given up and given in
to depression and pouting because it is an easier path to take? Spiritual
maturity is evidence of your faith and trust in God. Without these, you
won't be very useful, amen? The Lord must work IN you before He can work
THROUGH you to comfort others. Will you let Him? It's high time we all
grew up, don't you think?
1 Cor. 13:11, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as
a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish
things."
Growing up spiritually means to come to the place where you can be others
minded instead of self-centered. We find that the main reason Paul endured
suffering is for the sake of others! He was persecuted for his beliefs
and he handled those persecutions with the mindset of being an example,
an example of how to suffer maturely and in a Christlike fashion. Though
he was pressed out of measure, above strength, even to the point of despairing
of life, Paul did not give up and choose death! It is then He looked to
the Lord to be his comforter and made it through...
2 Cor. 1:8-9, "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble
which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength,
insomuch that we despaired even of life: [9] But we had the sentence of
death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God
which raiseth the dead:"
So dear lady, are you looking for that blessed consolation, the comforting
hand of God, or are you still in the habit of trusting in yourself to
get through the tough times? Are you very much comfort to yourself?? You
see, when you fix your attention on the Lord and not on yourself, you
are able to rise above your despair! Rise and Shine, that is! :-) You
and I can "know" what to do and store that information in our minds, but
"living" what we should do is letting it take root in our hearts, getting
it into our character and then maturing as a result of application.
2 Cor. 1:11, "Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the
gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given
by many on our behalf."
Ladies, this is precisely the way the Lord would have us help one another
in difficult circumstances. Both the trials and mercies that come our
way should end in good for ourselves AND others… Do you pray for others
you know are discouraged and depressed? Do you bestow the gift of comfort
upon them, the gift of consolation you received and thanked God for? Only
when you first have confidence in the Lord yourself, knowing that He alone
is the cure to discouragement and depression is this possible! Remember
back to a time when someone helped you through difficult circumstances....
I know I greatly appreciate the godly encouragement I've received in my
life! Why not be there for that one you know has been experiencing hardship
recently? Let the Lord use you to be an encouragement to others. Exhibit
toward them the same comfort God exhibited toward you! What message are
other people reading by your life, dear lady? It should be the best "article"
they've ever read…
"Cure Found For Discouragement and Depression!!"
Found in the God of ALL comfort.....
God Bless, Pam Isaiah 60:1&2 Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello Back to Top
