1 Chronicles 14:13-15 (MSG) And then the Philistines were back at it again, plundering in the valley. David again prayed to God. God answered, “This time don’t attack head-on; circle around and come at them out of the balsam grove. When you hear a sound like shuffling feet in the tops of the balsams, attack; God will be two steps ahead of you, slaughtering the Philistines.”
In the Battle
- The Enemy Attacks
- The Enemy comes back.
- Plunders
- Most of the time he attacks in the valley.
What to do when you are under attack?
- Pray
- Enquire from the Lord.
- Obey the Lord.
- Listen to the Sound of Victory
- Attack the Enemy
The Result
God move ahead of You.
God will be two steps ahead of you, slaughtering the Philistines.
In the midst of the Battle The Enemy Attacks
He strategy is”
3. Depression
Definition of Depression
Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home.
Depression symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can include:
- Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
- Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Loss of energy or increased fatigue
- Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., inability to sit still, pacing, handwringing) or slowed movements or speech (these actions must be severe enough to be observable by others)
- Feeling worthless or guilty
- Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
- Thoughts of death or suicide
What does the Bible say about depression?
Proverbs 12:25 (NKJV) “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.”
ANTS is an acronym for automatic negative thoughts. We all wrestle with automatic negative thoughts from time to time, but if you are struggling with depression, you will experience a lot of negative thoughts taking up residence in your brain. Thoughts like, “I don’t belong”, “I am not very smart”, “no one cares about me”, “nothing I do matters”, and many other negative thoughts create an internal loop which repeats over and over in your mind. Take a moment and see if you can identify any automatic negative thoughts that ruminate in your brain.
Though the Bible doesn’t use the word “depression” except in a few translations and verses, it’s often referenced by other similar words, such as “downcast,” “broken-hearted,” “troubled,” “miserable,” “despairing,” and “mourning,” among others.
Examples in the Bible
David was troubled and battled deep despair.
Psalm 38:4 (NLT) “My guilt overwhelms me— it is a burden too heavy to bear.”
Psalm 42:11 (NLT) “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!
Elijah was discouraged, weary, and afraid.
After great spiritual victories over the prophets of Baal, this mighty man of God feared and ran for his life, far away from the threats of Jezebel. And there in the desert, he sat down and prayed, defeated and worn:
1 Kings 19:4 (NLT) “Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
Jonah was angry and wanted to run away.
Jonah 4:3 (NLT) “Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”
Jonah 4:9 (NKJV) “Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
Job suffered through great loss, devastation, and physical illness.
Job 2:9 (NLT) “His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”
Though Job maintained his faithfulness to God throughout his life, he still struggled deeply through the trenches of pain:
Job 3:11 (NIV) Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?”
Job 3:26(NIV) “I have no peace, no quietness, I have no rest, but only turmoil.”
Job 10:1 (NIV) “I loathe my very life, therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.”
Job 30:15-17 (NLT) I live in terror now. My honor has blown away in the wind, and my prosperity has vanished like a cloud. 16 “And now my life seeps away. Depression haunts my days.17 At night my bones are filled with pain, which gnaws at me relentlessly.”
What’s true about all of these stories and many others is this: God was with them. Close and near to them
Psalm 34:18 (NLT) “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”
Isaiah 40:29-31(NLT) “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. 30 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 61:1-3 KJV “The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. “
