Tag: crucifixion

By Pastor Andrew Farland

I pray that these daily devotions in 40 Days of Hope have been encouraging to you and that they have brought light into the dark rooms of your life. On the last day of this series, I want to tell you a story that started this entire journey. I tell it to you not to act like I’m more spiritual than you, but to reinforce one of our major themes: When we absolutely need Him, even if it doesn’t feel like it, God is near and waiting for us to lean on Him.

Two years before I got sick, I went to a concert by a band called Sleeping Giants. Front-man, Tommy Green, after playing one of my favorite songs, shared his profound, personal story with the audience. He said that he had recently realized his need to fully rely on God, that he couldn’t do anything without Him.

As simple as it was, Green’s words convicted me. For my entire life, I believed that knowing God was a good thing. But, I had never had an experience in which I had to trust God to work miraculously in my life. So, at the Holy Spirit’s prompting, I prayed, “God, I want to be the kind of person that needs you. I want our relationship to be one in which I fully rely on you for everything.”

Fast-forward to the middle of my depression. I was sitting in my bed, contemplating my day when God’s voice hit me square in the heart. He said, “You asked for this.”

God reminded me that I had asked for a moment, a big event, out of which only God could pull me.

Wow. Writing about that morning, when God spoke to me, gives me chills.

I’m on the other side now and I can tell you that, if you keep pushing forward, you will find your way. If anything, I hope the past 40 days have given you the encouragement you need to persevere. Let’s close our time in prayer together.

Father,

I am imperfect. I am messy. And I feel lost. Thank you for loving me even when I am weak and vulnerable. Please continue to teach me how to seek you in the darkness and not listen to the enemy’s lies. Give me the ability to focus on the positive, to believe that healing is on its way, and to stay connected to you when it’s so easy to pull away.

Thank you for your grace that was ultimately shown to the world when Jesus took our sins away on the cross.

In His name, we pray,

Amen.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

I have talked a lot about my story and how I was able, by God’s grace, to overcome some serious obstacles. But, I want you to know that the storm still tries to get in. I am under no illusion that I will never experience a season of strong depression again. But, as I sit here with clarity of mind and gratefulness to God for helping me through the toughest battle of my life, I want to spend several days sharing with you what He has done in my heart, mind, and, soul as a result of that experience.

There will come a day when you feel a subtle shift that causes you to recognize you aren’t shouldering as much weight as you used to. You will suddenly be able to remember what you were like and how you felt before you got sick: the movies that made you laugh, the friends that gave you life, or the food that put a smile on your face. There will be the day when you can authentically thank God that you are getting better. It happened to me very slowly and I believe it will happen to you, too.

The way I spent my days was the first significant change I noticed. For months, the mere thought of getting out of bed, going to the grocery store, or going for a walk was emotionally draining enough to keep me inside. Then, when my subtle shift occurred, I found the motivation to play tennis like I did before I was sick. I started weightlifting and working on my physical health through diet and exercise. The most important change was that I could feel again and find enjoyment in the activities I used to appreciate.

Today, I want to give you a bold truth. Your breakthrough is coming. You will find joy again. You will be able to feel again. God is working in your life and I promise that, if you stay the course and focus on your physical, emotional, and spiritual health, God will do the rest of the work.

Isaiah 43:19
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

The Dow Jones goes up and down, sometimes predictably and other times at the whim of whatever the President says or does. If you talk to people who have spent decades investing in different companies, they will tell you that the market is a rollercoaster full of ups and downs, twists and turns.

If you think about it, your battle with depression and anxiety is a lot like the stock market. You spend days climbing upward, believing that you’re close to some sort of breakthrough, only to be thrust into a free fall with no end in sight. Honestly, not knowing if I was improving or getting ready for a downfall was one of the most difficult parts of my struggle. And, now that I have come through my bout with depression and anxiety, I daily wonder if the bottom is going to drop out.

Talk to those same people who have invested in the stock market for years and they will tell you that the rollercoaster doesn’t just go down. It also goes up! They would tell you that, typically, if you keep your money in something like a mutual fund for a long time, you will make money.

Be encouraged today by what I’m about to tell you. Your experience with depression and anxiety is going to be a rollercoaster full of mountains and valleys. But, trust me. If you stay the course and take consistent steps forward, you will look back one day and see that after every time you fell, you got up and moved even closer to healing.

Your stock is going to go up!

Matthew 24:13
“The one who endures to the end will be saved.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

I’ve never felt more alone than during my depression. And I’ve never felt more cynical. I judged people who were just enjoying their dinner at a restaurant or gray-haired men and women on the playground with their grandkids. I looked at them and believed that they couldn’t actually be happy. They must have been faking it.

The best way to describe me during that time was that I was a shell of myself. I went from being happy, positive, non-judgmental, and extroverted to being negative, judgmental, and introverted. It came on quickly and after a while, I started to forget who I really was.

Let me be candid with you today. I existed in a shell of myself for so long that I began to think I did something wrong. I began to believe that I had no purpose and that, if it’s possible, I had literally lost God. Maybe you feel like that today. The only logical reason to be experiencing such pain is that your God must be punishing you or at the very least, He’s disappeared on you.

I remember those thoughts being very real. What was the one thing that brought me back to reality? Having a friend to talk to who had gone through the same struggles as me.

Hearing the words, “Me too,” was extremely powerful. From the very first time my friend sympathized with my experience, my cynicism faded and I started seeing the world through a clear lens.

Today, start seeking out someone who has gone through depression and is now on the other side. If you have trouble finding that person, go to a professional counselor and ask him or her to point you in the right direction. This is essential for your healing process.

Proverbs 27:17
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.