The rational and the remedy for depression ... some personal
experiences (part 2)
 

In my case, it was supposed that after my plane crash ... the
overwhelming problems and painful times pushed me towards a depressive
state (that I might have been already pre-disposed towards.)

But I have NOW come to believe, (especially since Jesus has revealed
that the world's [root] sin is unbelief, (John 16:9), ... that the
lack of faith (as the root of all my sins), and then the resulting
fear that arose in the face of the new overwhelming circumstances, was
the foot-hold satan used to ensnare me, and my family. 'The wages of
sin is death'.

BUT ... 'the GIFT of GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE through JESUS, MESSIAH and LORD!'

God's remedy was to cause faith to arise ... to replace that fear
...in the midst of even more awesome circumstances 7 years later, when
our 14 year old daughter, Tamara was hit by a car and then 6 days
later died. And then 2 weeks later I found that I was also as a dead
person to the rest of my family - having been already partially
deadened to them by that depressive condition subsequent to the plane
crash.  (And then a few months later ... losing my job.)

But through all ... and because of all ... I sought the Lord with all
my heart.  And He heard me, as He promised to ...

De 4:29  But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou
shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy
soul.
30  When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon
thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and
shalt be obedient unto his voice;
31  (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake
thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers
which he sware unto them.

Isa 55:6  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him
while he is near:
7  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy
upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Jer 3:12  Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say,
Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause
mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I
will not keep anger for ever.
13  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed
against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers
under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the
LORD.
14  Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married
unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and
I will bring you to Zion:

Jer 29:12  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto
me, and I will hearken unto you.
13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me
with all your heart.
14  And I will be found of you, saith the LORD:

and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all
the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith
the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused
you to be carried away captive

De 30:1  And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come
upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee,
and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the
LORD thy God hath driven thee,
2  And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice
according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children,
with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;
3  That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have
compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the
nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.

And now, this is my new goal ...

What time I am afraid,
I will trust in thee.

In God I will praise his word,
in God I have put my trust;

I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. (Psalm 56:3,4)
 

FAITH is the result of the HOPE that is kindled in our hearts by
hearing the truth of the GOOD NEWS that God is able to make all things
work together for our good if we will love HIM and get in line with
His good purposes to save us and our family ... as the WORD says
'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy
house.' (Acts 16:31)

So HOPE kindles FAITH, and then the obedience that comes from faith,
turns our heart towards our new loved ones going before us to heaven
... and especially to our mutual Saviour and ever faithful Friend ...
Jesus.

Now the end [i.e. the GOAL] of the commandment is charity [i.e. GODLY
LOVE] out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith
unfeigned: (1Timothy 1:5)

And where peace, love and joy fill our heart ... it is hard to stay depressed!

'And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.'

Romans 4:
16  Therefore IT IS OF faith, THAT IT MIGHT BE BY grace; TO THE END
the promise might BE SURE to all the seed; not to that only which is
of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is
the father of us all,

17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,)
before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and
calleth those things which be not as though they were.
18  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father
of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed
be.
19  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now
dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness
of Sara's womb:
20  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was
strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able
also to perform.
22  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

23  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him
that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our
justification.

1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ:
2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we
stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that
tribulation worketh patience;
4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Faith, Hope and Love ... and the greatest is God's LOVE.

May we all more and more freely say: ' We love Him because He first loved us. '
(1 John 4:19)

Shalom shalom,
 

David
~~~~
dwzavitz@gmail.com