Thoughts for Life: COMING OUT OF THE DARK PART 3

"(3) Count on God to come through. One of the promises I clung to while sitting in the darkness of depression was Psalm 107:13-14. “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.” The Psalmist promises that when you cry out to God, He will:

'lift you up out of the slimy pit'

· 'set your feet on a rock'

· 'give you a new place to stand'

· 'put a new song in your heart'

· 'use your pit so that others will see and trust God'.

God is drawn to broken people. Psalm 40:1 says 'He turned to me.' Notice it does not say David turned to God. Honestly, I doubt David had the strength to turn to God – so God turned to him. God heard the cry of David, and He will hear yours. I was angry at God but He never turned away from me. Instead, He surrounded me with His love and compassion and as Psalm 56:8 promises, He knew every tear I cried. 'You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.' You can count on God to come through.

(4) Be patient. ‘I waited patiently for the Lord.’ The word ‘patiently’ means ‘without tiring and with perseverance.’ To come out of the darkness takes time and requires patience. It took me many years to hit rock bottom. It took me two years to climb out of that pit and I am still climbing. Yes, I still battle depression from time to time. I have asked God to deliver me, but He has said ‘no.’ Do you know what my name, Mary, means -- bitter, but when broken, sweet. Depression keeps me broken and anything that makes me cry out to God can be counted as a blessing. When we come to the end of ourselves, God begins.

The story is told of a little boy who was walking home when he spotted a caterpillar struggling to get out of its cocoon. Feeling sorry for the helpless creature, the little boy ran home, grabbed a pair of scissors and ran back to cut the caterpillar free. He watched it spread its wings and try to fly, only to discover that it couldn’t. It is in the struggle out of the darkness of the cocoon that the butterfly’s wings gain enough strength to fly. Be patient. I don’t know if you are in a pit and need help or if someone you love is in that pit and you need to help them. One thing I do know is that the purpose of the pit is to purify then restore. Right now, surrender the broken pieces of your life to God and watch as he brings you out of the dark. Do not quit! Do not give up! God is at work in your life.

“And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns.” (Philippians 1:6)

Let’s Pray

Father God, my heart is filled with chaos and confusion. I feel as if I am drowning in my circumstances, my heart filled with fear and confusion. I need the strength and peace that only You can give. Right now, I choose to rest in You.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.”

Mary Southerland on Crosswalk.com (1/12//12)

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