How God reaches out to us when we’re depressed
“I waited patiently for the LORD; And he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay.
And he sert my feet upon a rock, making my footsteps firm.
He put a new son in my mouth, a song of praise to my God:
Many wil see and fear, and he will trust the LORD.” Psalm 40: 1-3
Yesterday I shared a post about how I love collecting stones. I’ve collected them everywhere we’ve traveled.
Well, that got me to thinking about the verses in the Bible that reference stones and rocks (apparently people often use the two words indiscriminately).
Bible verses using the words “stones” and “rocks” are some of my favorite. If you’ve ever suffered depression, Psalm 40:1-3 is likely one of your “go to” verses. It has been for me.
I used to read this verse and picture God lifting me out of the pit of depression. Then I would imagine him gently placing me on that rock. And no matter how the waters surrounding that rock churned and splashed, they never touched me. I was safe.
I was safe because:
God is my rock. He’s solid and immovable. He provides a safe place for me to stand until the waters calm down.
Another verse:
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:2 (New International Version)
For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. (Psalm 27:5)
I believe in imagery. I believe this is what God intended when he provided such images as these. Our imagination is as much a part of our spiritual life as is any other part of our being.
The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed imagine yourself being lifted out of the clay that is sucking you into the pit; imagine strong arms lifting you up and carefully placing your feet on a hard, solid surface. This isn’t some “puny” rock; it’s a BIG rock. There’s no danger you will fall off. Imagine how safe you now feel.
Stay on that rock for as long as you need. Wait for the waters to calm down before you step off and if you don’t get too far before you feel the ground giving way beneath you, imagine this picture again.
God bless and I hope you have a good day.
