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DEPRESSION
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but we must ask in faith, believing
God's promise (Prov. 2:6; James
1:5) .
God knows no one can eliminate
fear with unforgiven guilt hanging
over one's head. God promises to
forgive every sin, if we repent truly
and turn from sin
(1
John 2: 1-2).
Once we have done this, we must
go on, " ... forgetting those things
[sins and mistakes] which are
behind, and reaching forth unto
those things [spiritual goals and
godly character] wbich are befare"
{Phil. 3: 13).
You may feel you made sorne big
mistakes in life. What's wrong witb
admitting you're not perfect? No
one else is eitber! You can repent.
God will forgive you. Life is a
learning matter. Learn by your
mistakes. Don't let them destroy
you.
Right now maybe you or a loved
one is sick with a serious illness.
God can intervene and heal. But if
God doesn' t choose at this moment
to intervene to restare full recov–
ery, is this life all there is? No,
thank God there is a resurrection of
hope for all wbo have been called
and faithful ("Precious in the sight
of tbe Lord is the death of bis
saints"- Ps. 116:15).
But there is more good news.
There is also hope for those who
never had their minds opened to
understand God's ways. You don't
have to endlessly grieve over the
death of a young person cut off
early in life, or tbat of a loved one
who never had God's calling to
comprehend God's laws and ways.
If
you really understand God's
great master plan, you know all will
be resurrected and given an oppor–
tunity to repent, overcome them–
selves and enter God's kingdom.
Our free reprint " Is This the Only
Day of Salvation?" explains this
great hope.
Tap God's Spiritual Power
" Happy is he that hath the God of
Jacob for his help ... ," said King
David (Ps. 146:5).
God reveals his hand is not
shortened that he cannot intervene
in our lives to help us with our
problems.
It
is our sins, our lack of
14
faith and willingness to obey his
ways-it is our wrong priorities
that cut us off from God and bis
powerful help and intervention–
until we repent (lsa. 59:1-2).
God wants those be calls now to
start living by bis spiritual laws of
love, to salve their present prob–
lems and fears in life.
The apostle Peter taught Chris–
tians to cast "all your care upon
him [God]; for he careth for you"
(1 Pet. 5:7).
The Bible reveals God is the God
of peace, the One who leads and
guides and heals his people. He is
the God of wisdom and under–
standing, the God of merey and
forgiveness, the God who gives vic–
tory over death, who offers hope to
those who have never known hope.
" 1
[God) dwell ... witb bim who is
of a ... bumble spirit ... to revive
the heart of the contrite" (lsa.
57:15, RSV).
These are the spiritual resources
and power that the god of this
world-Satan (11 Cor. 4:4)-has
blinded most of humanity from
understanding or believing. And
why? So they won't grasp the great
purpose of their lives. So they can't
experience the power of God to
change their lives according to
God's will. So they won't have real
hope and faith in this world of fail–
ing hopes and immense difficul–
ties.
We have our part to do. "Keep
thy heart with all diligence; for out
of it are the issues of life." "A
sound heart [or mind] is the life of
the ftesh.. .." "He that hath no
rule over bis own spirit is like a city
that is broken down, and without
walls" (Prov. 4:23, 14:30, 25:28).
We must build and strengthen
right character.
But tbe Bible gives us another
warning: " ... try the spirits wheth–
er they are of God: because many
false prophets [inftuenced by spir–
its from Satan] are gone out into
the world"
(1
John 4:1) .
How can you tell God's Spirit
and teaching from a false spirit or
teaching? God's Spirit leads one to
obey God's laws.
It
leads one to
live
the kind of lije Jesus Christ
lived!
We start to conquer fear and
worry by turning from tbe thinking
and living that causes our fears and
worries. We then ask God for for–
giveness and merey for our sins and
weaknesses, each asking him to
" put a new and right spirit within
me" (Ps. 51:10, RSV). We then
exercise that spiri t, develop that
attitude-which is the right way
we should be thinking and living–
even in the face of difficu1ties or
wrong attitudes of others.
We build confidence and faith in
God by drawing clase to God in
daily prayer and study of God's
Word. "Draw near to God and he
will draw near to you ... ," admon–
ishes James 4:8 (RSV). We must
act on what we know God wants us
to do, having
fait h
that God will
work out what we need in our
lives.
This growth process is summed
up in
11
Peter l :5-7. And God
inspired the apostle Paul to write to
remind true Christians, "For God
hath not given us the spirit of fear;
but of
power,
and of
!ove,
and of a
sound mind"
{11 Tim. 1:7).
Ahead for You-Growing Faith?
We are nearing the end of this age
of human misrule. Satan knows the
end of his 6,000 years of sway and
deception is close at hand. Great
difficulties and trials are prophe–
sied to try all humans that dwell on
the earth.
God has chosen to allow this suf–
fering to show rebellious mankind
the horrendous end results of
breaking bis laws. But the good
news is, God revea1s a way for the
world ultimately to escape these
affiictions and fears.
Befare humanity would destroy
itself from the earth, Jesus Christ
will return to restare God's govern–
ment on earth and usber in world
peace. A shattered earth and
broken humanity will need healing
of body, mind and spi rit.
God will then fulfill the proph–
ecy: "The Lord bui lds up J erusa–
lem.. .. He hea ls the broken–
hearted, and binds up their
wounds" (Ps. 147:2-3, RSV).
Christ, then, as he does now, wil1
offer to yielded humans the ulti–
mate solution for fear and depres–
sion: "And ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free"
(John 8:32), and " ... men ought
always to pray, and not to faint"
(Luke 18:1).
o
The
PLAIN TRUTH