Tag: Depressed

Oh, Poor Me….

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Discouraged, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-11-11
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Kings 19:13-14
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: 13-14 When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, “So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?” Elijah said it again, “I’ve been working my heart out for God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I’m the only one left, and now they’re trying to kill me.”

APPLICATION: Despite the awesome work by this prophet of God, yet Elijah was threatened by Jezebel, and in spite of the miracles performed through Elijah by the God of this universe, yet Elijah ran for his life and had himself a good old pity party. It seems like he may have felt that although God blessed others through him, he would really need to get in God’s face to receive personal encouragement from Him. In the Wilderness, an angel helped strengthen Elijah for his journey to Mount Sinai – the same place where God spoke to Moses. He found no ‘fireworks’ there when told by God to appear before Him. Instead, there came a very strong windstorm that seemed to have moved everything else except Elijah’s heart. Then an earthquake, followed by intense fire. For each of these things happening on their own, we might expect a miraculous touch from God, but in God’s very special plan He wanted to carefully get the attention of this saint while giving him his next assignment. We can identify, can’t we? Just go to that city-wide revival in that large city and know that the very popular evangelists there will be sure to invoke God’s presence and take you to the foot of the cross. Follow the path of other great evangelists and you will be blessed just like them. Friends, notice that God didn’t move in the ways that seemed miraculous to Elijah, but instead in a still, small voice. Are you getting into the Word of God each day and listening intently for the ‘still, small voice of God’? Perhaps it’s time that we stop chasing the ways of popularity that attract the crowd, and instead seek more one-on-one time with our Creator. God had specific instructions for Elijah that I don’t feel like He would have given to an evangelist for a huge crowd. God has our assignment also, dear friend. Seek Him while He may be found. Listen intently for what He tells you through His Word, through prayer, through other believers who have a close relationship with Him. and through the circumstances He brings into your life. Listen, and be willing to respond and obey – without fanfare, for His glory!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: In verses 15-18 God gave His orders to Elijah to go and anoint 3 different men. Oh, that we will not keep others waiting because of our laxity in searching out God’s will for us and following through on His commands.

PRAYER: It’s been said that what You have for us, God, no one can take it away from us. But Lord, I was reminded in this story of Elijah that we must seek the Lord while He is near, listen closely to Your still small voice, and follow in obedience as You command us to. There really is no time for retreating under a tree in the Wilderness having a pity party like Elijah. We serve the King of all kings, and Lord of all lords, there is no greater privilege available to mankind. You told us to ‘Be still and know that I am God’. Please help us to pin that on our foreheads for a constant reminder and to help us keep our chin up, even when it seems like the world is against us. Let the people see Jesus, and not our weak and sorry efforts to survive. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Discouraged? Sad? Here’s Hope!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Discouraged, encouragement, WorshipLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE – New Living Translation (NLT) ~ Psalm 42:11 ~ Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again – my Savior and my God!

THOUGHTS: One of the translations I compared as I read this verse, used the word ‘depressed’ in lieu of ‘discouraged’. Friends, I come from the background of a quiet and quaint little town, and while there were challenges with gossip, there was little to get stressed over. It seems like today, we have become such a ‘worldly’ people where we desire everything that our neighbor shows off, and we have become a people who refuses to say ‘no’, so we place way more stress on ourselves than we could possible handle calmly, that all we seem to hear about is friends who are discouraged, depressed, sad and even suicidal. It appears to me that David felt himself leaning towards a low in his life, and he shares with us how he felt his Physiologist advised him to handle this! When discouraged, seek God. Not to ask for a handout of encouragement or special blessings, but to praise God! When you are feeling sad, remember that it is not God who is making you sad, so praise Him for His daily goodness, and the people and things that He places in our lives to bring us joy! Friends, let’s learn to praise God in all of our circumstances. Let’s learn to encourage one another in love and good works, for this will not only lift them up, but it will lift our spirits and give us more reason to worship our God! Think of His rich blessings friend, and I believe you will quickly conclude that the reasons you might feel depressed, is really insignificant in comparison. God has provided the means to our happiness and encouragement, may we be careful to be a thankful people that will break out in constant praise and worship for His goodness! Friends, please know that I am not underrating depression, because I realize that there are some folk receiving serious help for this ugly decease. I am merely pointing you to God and to sing His praises in the midst of your storm, so that He would be glorified for the awesome work that He performs each and every day for His dear children. I am hopeful that when you follow David’s (the Psalmist) prescription, you will fix your eyes on Jesus instead of your circumstances.

PRAYER: Lord, you are so good to us, and yet we seem to overlook that, and instead groan in self-pity to a state of depression, and/or deep sadness. ‘Low’ times were evident even in the heart of David, yet he found peace and revival in lifting up Your most worthy and awesome name. My deepest prayer is that You might remind Your children how important it is to look into Your eyes and praise You, way more than to seek You with outstretched hands asking for more of Your kindness and mercy. Lord, may we learn to personally worship You more, and may we incorporate the help of our Christian Brothers and Sisters by joining them in corporate worship at every opportunity. I love You Lord, and I look forward to observing Your goodness and Your greatness, so that I might worship You with all my mind, spirit and soul. Please touch the hearts of my readers, so that their spirits might be uplifted because of times of praise and worship. You are worthy, oh Lord, and we are so needy! Bless Your holy name, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!