Devotional: Combating Lies 5

Good morning all! It's time again for a Sunday Devotional. My series right now is looking at different lies that we may believe about ourselves, and how to combat those lies using scripture. Here are number one, number two, and number three , and number four if you are interested!

 

The fifth lie is this: I am depressed/hopeless

Ah, a nice little fun devotional for you this morning. 

Actually, that was me being sarcastic. 

This is probably not going to be a fluffy little post about unicorns today, so sorry about that. I want you to know that if you're feeling this way, the fact that you are depressed or hopeless is not the 'lie'. The lie is that you need to continue living in a snare of depression. I feel like all of us are connected to this in some way. Either we know someone who is struggling with this, or we feel it ourselves firsthand. This world is full of so much garbage that it is difficult not to feel hopeless when we look around us and all we see are news stories about homelessness, corrupt government, human trafficking, etc. It can make a person feel so small and insignificant, and also as if God has forgotten us at times. I assure you He has not. Whether you struggle with these feelings on a daily basis, or just once in a while, it's worth it to take a look through these passages-and there are so many more scriptures about hope that aren't even included in this list. That's how important it is :)

 

The truth is: I have all the hope I need in Christ

 

Key Scriptures:

Romans 5:5- And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 15:13-May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 27:13- I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Psalm 31:24- Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Hebrews 6:19-20a -We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,  where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.

The language in these verses is amazing. 'You may overflow with hope', 'hope as an anchor for the soul', 'God's love has been poured into our hearts'. I just think about what all of these things have in common-water-namely the Living Water of Jesus Christ. He is washing us clean of our insecurities, of our depression. I had a long talk with my sister this weekend about the enemy putting lies in your path and using them to discount all of the wonderful, amazing things that God is using you for. I think this is where some of the hopelessness and depression can enter in. You try and try to be this perfect person that you can never attain, and all the while the devil is telling you that you are ugly and useless while simultaneously throwing more problems your way. He's not very nice. I just want to encourage you that when you are struggling, there is SO MUCH hope in the love and arms of Jesus Christ. He will pour out His love onto you. All you need to do is seek Him, and ask for it.

God Bless, 
KJA