Wednesday 23 October 2019

From Depression to Hope

"(11) Our bones are dry, our hope is lost and we ourselves are cut off.'    Ezekiel 37:1-14.  NKJV

God had led Ezekiel to walk through the valley of dry bones. There was nothing there except very dry bones. God asked Ezekiel if these bones could live and then asked him to prophesy to the bones, that they would indeed live. It must have seemed a hopeless situation to Ezekiel but he was willing to trust God. He obeyed God and all of a sudden, there was a rattling of bones as they began to form together and sinews and everything else was put on them. Eventually, they were complete but they had no breath in them. Again Ezekiel was told to prophesy to them - to breathe new life into them. He did this and a miracle was complete, this vast army, that was once a heap of old, dry bones, stood, mighty in valour. A study of this passage will give you the whole idea of what was happening.

Basically, God spoke to Ezekiel, Ezekiel obeyed and that is it in a nutshell. These bones were going nowhere. It was ridiculous to believe that they could mount up as a mighty army, but they did. And it comes down to obedience.

Take a glance at our text again:


'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost and we ourselves are cut off' v11

This is basically how a person who is suffering from depression, feels. I know, I've been there along with many others. It's a place of darkness and no particular hope, it can appear that there is no way out and no future, things will not change. However, with God, broken things are mended - dead things are brought back to life. Hope is not lost. There is a future. 

Many men of God in the bible suffered depression. King David and Elijah spring to mind. However, obedience was the main thing that got them back on their feet. Deep down within them, was a will to survive and obeying God, brought that survival to the surface.

You may be feeling this way at the moment. There may be marital problems, family breakdown, financial and work issues. There may be more that I've not mentioned. However, let me encourage you, God is bigger than dry bones; He's bigger that hopelessness; marital and any other problems. He is the King of kings who can help you sort this out right now, if you're willing.

Obey God and speak to the problem - whatever it is and walk in hope once again.

Pray this prayer:

Lord Jesus
I believe that you are calling me to stand up again, to breathe new life into myself. I speak to this problem that is holding me back............................... In Jesus' Name, I break the power that this has over me and command it to leave my body, mind and spirit right now. 
I stand a new person, full of hope, before You now.  In Jesus' Name, Amen

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard


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