Devotional Guide
For the week of September 11, 2005
CHRIST MADE REAL IN US
The curse of depression
To Read: 2 Chronicles 4-6
To Know:
³And Elijah came near to all the people, and said, How long will you go
limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if
Baal, then follow him.¹ And the people did not answer him a word.² (1 Kings
18:21)
Jamie was depressed. The reason was plain. She tried to walk with a foot in
two worlds. One of her worlds was real but the other was a world of her own
making. Jamie¹s counselor advised her to ignore the real world and focus
entirely on herself. It worked. Being of one mind freed her of inner
conflict. The next question was, how long would she be able to get along
with herself?
We live in a depressed culture. Entertainment, fast paced activity and
personal achievement help us mask the symptoms. Fun, frolic and a full
schedule hide the emptiness of life from sight. Christians living with a
foot in both worlds experience spiritual distress. When we are one person in
church and another once we walk outside, trouble will mark us. Depression is
the curse of a divided heart.
Spiritual awakenings are those times when vast numbers of people become
single-minded. Jesus said, ³Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
see God.² (Matt. 5:8) A pure heart is an undivided heart. It is like pure
wheat from which all the chaff is winnowed. We cannot hear what God is
saying until we are totally committed to the faith, and not to hear from the
God in whom we say we believe is depressing.
To Do:
The world is working overtime to convince us that we cannot survive without
all it has to offer. The truth is, this is a passing away world. We will
never successfully balance the world and the Lord.
To Ask:
Father, show me your glory that I might not be tempted to settle for the
glories of this passing world.
09155$-09155
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