On x.com a man posted the following:
âIâve been in the depths of despair with depression. A state where nothing matters. No one can say anything to convince you otherwise. For those of you whoâve also been there or who are there now, what advice would you give others about how to speak with people in this state?â
Within the character limit imposed by X, I posted the following:
âI’ve been there. So many replies to your question, you probably wonât see this. I donât know you, nor you, me. But here goes. God is real and he is sovereign. He calls me to be his and desires to bless. At the same time, he has his time and purpose. I will wait on him.â
More needs to be said.
A life that is worth living is found in God. Joy is the great hallmark of the Christian. It comes in second place in the fruit of the Spirit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5.22-23.
If the suggestion is valid that after love we should insert a colon, so that everything afterwards explains what love is, then joy is at the head of the list.
Depression is a âstate where nothing matters.â Itâs the place one reaches after plans are frustrated, relationships are devastated, dreams are decimated, or trust is betrayed, and no framework exists to deal with the turmoil of life.
The message of Christ crucified provides that framework.
From the vivid portrayal of Christâs suffering, Galatians 3.1, joy springs forth, for it demonstrates, as nothing else does, the love of God. To ignore or reject it is âfoolish.â The rush toward self-justification only seals our doom. The cross is the master stroke of the God who is light and light. It brings it all together, as it brings us all to himself and to each other. And it pulls us out of the mire of emotion and the deep well of despair.
¶ The heavy snow across the US provided a fine opportunity for fellowship. One brother wrote the following to his congregation:
Wanted to let everyone know that I have a small chain saw and 4-wheel pickup. If you have an immediate need and the roads are blocked with downed trees, let me know. I might be able to get to you. If you are without heat, let us know, and we will find you a place with heat. ⊠there will be needs in the days to come. In times like these we will share what we have with each other as they did in the first century. Let us know your needs so we can help. Remember, God is good and together we will be fine.
¶ Faith sustains us in every moment, even the darkest valleys. Perhaps thatâs why Psalm 23 is precious to us all. Hearts hurt and souls reel from disaster, death, and sickness, not to mention persecution, but seeing faith in action inspires those of us who are near to the suffering. Later, our time will come as well, in some form. Let us learn now, from all who have suffered before us, and especially from the Lord Jesus Christ.
¶ AI is all the rage at the moment, both among people in general and in the financial markets. Decades ago, sci-fi writers loved to write about the take-over of the world by robots. And wasnât there a film along these lines recently? Never fear, the human spirit will not so easily be vanquished.
¶ Church growth studies seem now to be passĂ©, itâs become a race to see who can bring in people from other groups or congregations by a better, more stirring program. Itâs one thing to swell, quite another to pull someone directly from the fire of hell.
¶ You have to love Kevin Mooreâs approach in âEvangelism for Introverts: the âBlurt It Outâ Approach.â It bears wide imitation by those who are tongue-tied or otherwise challenged to share the Gospel with the lost.
¶ In December I finished writing 366 devotional meditations, done over the past year, gathered them in a book, and offered them free in PDF format to those interested, for use in 2026. Grateful was I to have been able to keep up the discipline of writing them. Oh, all in Portuguese, sorry.
¶ Our restored Forthright Press domain is now active, thanks to our son Joel. Over the next few days, all the books will be placed on the site for ordering, besides the two already up. Whatâs there works. Weâre open to serve!
Image: easy-peasy.ai
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