I knew the moment my eyes opened that I would have to fight my way out of bed. I lingered in the dark, stuck between a rock and a hard place. I couldn’t go back to sleep, but I didn’t want my feet to hit the floor either.
“Lord, I don’t want to do this today,” I whispered. How would I make it to work? I needed a miracle just to get to the coffeepot.
But why was I dreading the day ahead? Life has never been better. I’m married to a wonderful man, all my needs are met, I’m doing what I love by writing for the Lord, and I get to help set captives free by sharing the hope of Jesus. I’m very blessed.
For me, depression is irrational like that. It rears its ugly head unannounced and uninvited, always at inconvenient times when I have people to see, places to go, and things to do. Activities I usually love suddenly feel overwhelming. Simple conversation is daunting. Daily tasks like making a sandwich or showering seem impossible.
That might sound overly dramatic to someone who’s not experienced it. But if you know, you know.
In the past, I’ve allowed depression to stop me from living life. Everything was too much, no matter what it was. But since I’ve surrendered my life to Jesus, He enables me to push through the darkness and forge a way forward. I don’t deny the feelings, but I no longer let them rule me.
On difficult days, it’s a choice I make. I know I need to ask God for help (Psalm 30:2), and when I do, He encourages me with the quiet assurance that if I just take the first few steps out of bed and open His Word, He will meet me there.
That reminder was the nudge I needed. I rolled out of bed, shuffled to the coffeepot, and then sat silently before my open Bible, waiting to hear from the Lord.
God did not disappoint. He prompted me to read Psalm 42. Tears came as I read the words written thousands of years ago by someone in my condition. “Why am I discouraged?” the psalmist wrote. “Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you” (Psalm 42:5–6 NLT).
The psalmist didn’t know why he was suffering or how long it would last, but he knew what to do. And through his writing, he shared with us a prescription for a holy antidepressant: remember the Lord’s faithfulness (42:6), acknowledge His love and presence in prayer (42:8), put all your hope in God, and amid your sadness and despair, offer God praise (42:11).
Psalm 42 was the remedy my soul needed as I fought to function that morning. That holy prescription helped me to propel myself forward with renewed strength and enthusiasm.
At work, I repeated a song of praise in my heart, remembering all the good things God has done in my life. I recalled the miracles He’s given me and thanked Him for His presence in my trials. Before I knew it, the day was over.
God had responded to my praise by giving me the strength to do what I thought I couldn’t. I returned home celebrating a victory.
God put this chapter in His Word because He knew there would be days when His kids—you and me—might need a little extra help doing life in this broken world.
Are you discouraged? Praise Him anyhow. Surrender to Him your depression, anger, anxiety, lust, envy, or whatever else is hindering you. He will meet you in His Word, where He met me. God promises that our Helper, the Holy Spirit, will bring the scriptures we have written upon our hearts to our remembrance in times of need (John 14:26; Hebrews 8:10).
Praise will help you overcome, as will the One who is greater than anything you are going through (1 John 4:4).
Christina Kimbrel serves as VL’s production manager. Once incarcerated, she now ministers hope to those held captive by their past and current circumstances while sharing the message of healing she found in Jesus.
