Tag: crucifixion

By Pastor Andrew Farland

I spent a year in Uganda doing mission work, caring for women with HIV, planting a brand-new church, and ministering to the people in the community. It was amazing to see how much God was doing among the Ugandan people. After that year in Uganda, my fight against depression and anxiety began. And when it started, it hit me hard.

Maybe you’ve experienced the same thing. You were living your normal life and out of nowhere, you were in the battle of a lifetime. You might be going through it right now.

I want to tell you how God prepared me for the challenges I would experience in my depression. I tell you this not to brag, but to encourage you. Over and over, God spoke one specific Bible verse to me.

The first time was when I arrived in Uganda and there was a notecard in my room with Joshua 1:9 written on it: “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.” The second way God frequently spoke to me was when I logged onto Facebook and saw only 1 message and only 9 notifications.

I believe God was saying, “I know what you’re about to go through. And when life rocks you, remember to be strong and courageous. You will lead yourself out of this. I am with you.”

I learned two big truths from this experience that you need to hear:

If God repeats something, He knows you’re going to need it. This will require some listening on your part. But, if you can find time to listen to God on a daily basis, you’ll give yourself a chance to hear him. I was able to recognize His voice through social media.

Before you head into depression, God will prepare you with everything you’ll need. I know this is difficult to understand when you’re already in the middle of your fight. But, trust that you have what it takes to get through it because your Heavenly Father has given you all the tools you need.

Today, if you’re struggling, stop and think about the work God might be doing in your life. Believe that He has prepared you. Believe that He is whispering truth into your life.

Deuteronomy 31:8
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

When I was young, my mom and I would pray the words of Psalm 23 together so much that I had it memorized.

As I got older, I began to realize that what seemed like a happy, fluffy prayer was actually a challenge from God about how big He is and how small we are.

In verse 2, the author says that God makes him lie down in green pastures, He leads him beside quiet waters, and restores his soul. Take a moment and focus on the words, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.”

God wants us to take time to recharge, away from distractions, to connect with Him. Some of my best moments over the last few years were when God took charge and made me lie down. I was too sick to leave my house and was forced to open my Bible. Those days were amazing because I spent the entire time with my Heavenly Father, refueling my soul for ministry.

Christians talk a lot about the free will that God has given them. They praise God for the grace that He gives freely to every man and woman on earth. Those are beautiful parts of the Christian faith, but what Christians usually forget is that God is both loving and sovereign.

God is in charge. What He says goes.

Now that I’m older, and I’m aware of the sovereignty of God, I think Psalm 23 is less of a suggestion and more of an order.

God says, “If you aren’t going to listen to me, I will make you do it!” And I believe He had to make me lie down and spend time with Him.

Remember this Truth today. If you aren’t willing to pause and recharge your soul, God will make you sit down! And trust me from experience, it’s a lot easier if you intentionally pause and meet with God before He has to force you to take a break.

Psalm 37:7
“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

Let’s play a game of “Choose your own adventure.”

Imagine yourself in a dark tunnel, running toward a bright light that seemingly never gets closer with each stride you take. In this scenario, you are running toward an unattainable “light at the end of the tunnel”

Now, imagine yourself running through a dark tunnel with a light illuminating the path 20 feet in front of you. You are unable to see the end, but, you have light along the way.

Which scenario would you choose?

If you chose the second one, you’re similar to me. I think it’s exactly how God works. As humans, we believe we need to make our way toward God, to run toward His light because we think He’s somewhere at the end of the journey. The truth is, though, that He’s in the tunnel with us.

God is not the light at the end of the tunnel. He’s the light in the tunnel!

I once met a WWII veteran who, after telling me some unbelievable war stories, gave me some incredible advice. He looked at me and said, “God’s arm is never too short.” When he was in battle, and it felt like the enemy was going to overrun his platoon at any time, he knew God was never far away.

Today, if you feel like your enemy is taking over, remember that God’s arm is never too short. His arm is never too far away.

Trust that even though you’re going through the fire, you won’t be burned.

Isaiah 59:1
“Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

Today, I am giving you some straightforward, blunt, honest advice.

You need to get out of bed.

I remember, during my most recent bout with depression and anxiety, how difficult it was to start each day. I had no intention to do anything and what would get me into the most trouble was staying in bed. If I didn’t take a single step toward movement, I would surrender until a new day arrived.

Maybe that’s not your problem. Maybe you get stuck somewhere else and, if you don’t push through the barrier, you make no progress the rest of the day.

If you can relate to any of these descriptions, you need to get out of bed today. I once asked my friend, who was also working through her depression, how she gets through the day. Her answer was awesome. She said, “I brush my teeth.”

There are two helpful tips that you can use to “brush your teeth,” to push through those moments when the weight of life feels too heavy to move.

Distract yourself. Get out of bed and do something spontaneous like help someone else When you do something for another person, you take the focus off of yourself and your own thoughts for a while. The idea here is that you stay busy completing a task for another person. This will help you both physically and emotionally.

Remember that you aren’t a tree. You aren’t rooted in the soil. You aren’t planted there. God has created you to be a free-thinking person with talents and gifts that He wants to see used for His Kingdom. As tough as it might be to believe it, you do have the capacity to get up and make progress today.

So, here’s your bluntly honest advice again. Get out of bed today and start moving!

Galatians 6:9
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.