Mercy For Those Struggling With Their Faith

Bono’s bold take on Jesus: You’ve probably never seen a celebrity declare their faith this

Today is the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the largest amphibious invasion in history.

The Allied invasion force included 5,000 ships and landing craft, 11,000 planes, and almost three million allied soldiers, airmen and sailors. Despite such numbers, the location and timing of the invasion was still an enormous gamble. The Nazis fully expected such an invasion, they just didn't know precisely when or where it would be.

Despite the enormous logistics involved, the gamble worked and by the end of June 6, 1944, 156,000 Allied troops were ashore in Normandy. The human cost was also enormous – over 4,900 American troops died on D-Day. That number doubled over the next month as they fought to establish a foothold in northern France.

There were five beach landing zones on the coast of northwestern France, divided among the Allies. They gave each landing zone a name. Canada was responsible for “Juno.” Britain was responsible for “Gold” and “Sword.” And the U.S. had “Utah” and “Omaha.”

The Nazis were dug in with bunkers, machine guns, artillery, mines, barbed wire, and other obstacles to tangle any attempt to come ashore. Of the five beaches, Omaha was by far the most heavily defended. Over 2,500 U.S.

soldiers were killed at Omaha – the beach so famously depicted in the opening battle sequence of the 1998 movie, Saving Private Ryan. The real-life assault on Omaha Beach included 34 men in that first wave of attack who came from the same small town of Bedford, Virginia.

The first Americans to die on Omaha Beach were the men from Bedford.

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America has a national D-Day Memorial, but many people don't know about it

America has a national D-Day Memorial, but many people don't know about it. Maybe that's because it wasn't a government project and it's not in Washington DC. It was initiated and financed by veterans and private citizens.

It's tucked away in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the small town of Bedford, Virginia. Why is the memorial for one of the most famous days in modern world history in such a tiny town? Because, as a proportion of its population of just 3,200 at the time, no community in the U.

S. sacrificed more men on D-Day than Bedford.

There were 34 men in Company A from Bedford. Of those thirty-four, 23 died in the first wave of attacks.

There were so many at once that she had to enlist the help of customers in the pharmacy's soda shop to help deliver them all.

Among those killed in action were brothers Bedford and Raymond Hoback. Bedford was the rambunctious older brother with a fiancée back home that he couldn't wait to return to. Raymond was the quieter, more disciplined younger brother who could often be found reading his Bible.

He fell in love with a British woman during his two years in England training for D-Day.

in that opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan, Bedford and Raymond barely made it down the ramp of their Higgins Boat in the swarm of bullets and hot steel before they were cut down in the wet sand.

Bedford and Raymond Hoback's mother, Macie, learned of both their deaths from two separate telegrams, the first on a Sunday morning, the second the following day. Their younger sister, Lucille, remembered her mother's devastation, and her father walking out to the barn to cry.

The day after D-Day, the killing field of Omaha Beach was already transforming into the massive supply port that would help fuel the American drive all the way to Berlin over the next year. A soldier from West Virginia was walking along the beach when he saw something jutting the sand. He reached down and pulled it out. He was surprised to find it was a Bible.

The inside cover was inscribed with: “Raymond S. Hoback, from mother, Christmas, 1938.” The soldier wrote a letter and mailed it with the Bible to Raymond's mother. That Bible, which ly tumbled from Raymond's pack when he fell on D-Day, became Macie Hoback's most cherished possession – the only personal belonging of her son that was ever returned.

These men, many of them barely their teens, didn't sign up to march to the slaughter of course. They had hopes and dreams just you and I. Many of them signed up for adventure, or because of peer pressure, and yes, a sense of honor and duty.

Many of the Bedford Boys first signed up for the National Guard just to make a few extra bucks per month, get to hang out with their buddies, and enjoy target practice.

But someone had to be first at Omaha Beach and that responsibility fell to the men from Bedford.

Over the last several years, the D-Day anniversary gets increasingly sad. Because each year, there are fewer and fewer men alive who were actually in Normandy on June 6, 1944. The last of the surviving Bedford Boys died in 2009. Most of the remaining D-Day veterans who are still with us are too frail to make the pilgrimage to France for the anniversary ceremonies they used to.

It's difficult to think about losing these World War II veterans, because once they're all gone, we'll lose that tether to a time when the nation figured out how to be a better version of itself.

Not that they were saints and did everything right. They were as human as we are, with all the fallibility that entails. But in some respects, they were better. Because they went, and they toughed it out, and they accomplished an incredibly daunting mission, with sickening hardship, heartbreak, and terror along the way.

So, what does the anniversary of D-Day mean in 2019?

In one sense, this anniversary is a reprimand that we've failed to tell our own story well enough

In one sense, this anniversary is a reprimand that we've failed to tell our own story well enough. You can't learn about the logistics of the operation and above all, the human cost, and not be humbled. But as a society, we have not emphasized well enough the story of D-Day and all that it represents.

How can I say that? Because of an example just last weekend, when common sense got booed by Democratic Socialists at the California Democrats' State Convention. When Democratic presidential candidate John Hickenlooper said during his speech that “socialism is not the answer,” the crowd booed loudly.

When did telling the truth about socialism become controversial?

Sure, socialists, and communists and other anti-American factions have always been around. America certainly had socialists in 1944.

They are agitating to reform America using the authoritarian playbook that has only ended in death and destruction everywhere it is followed.

Ask a Venezuelan citizen, or an Iraqi Christian, or a North Korean peasant why D-Day still matters in 2019.

The further we move away from caring about pivotal events June 6, 1944, the less chance of survival we have as a nation.

At the same time, the D-Day anniversary is a reminder that we're not done yet. It's an opportunity for us to remember and let that inform how we live.

Near the end of Saving Private Ryan, the fictional Captain Miller lays dying, and he gives one last instruction to Private Ryan, the young man that he and his unit have sacrificed their lives to rescue in Normandy. He says, “Earn it.”

In other words, don't waste the sacrifices that were made so that your life could be saved. Live it well. The message to “earn it” extends to the viewer and the nation as well – can we say we're earning the sacrifices that were made by Americans on D-Day? I cringe to think how our few remaining World War II veterans might answer that.

Honor. Duty. Sacrifice. Gratitude. Personal responsibility. These used to mean a lot more

Honor. Duty. Sacrifice. Gratitude. Personal responsibility. These used to mean a lot more. I don't want to believe it's too late for us to rediscover those traits as a nation. I want to believe we can still earn it.

The challenge to “earn it” is a lot of pressure. Frankly, it's impossible. We can't fully earn the liberty that we inherited. But we can certainly try to earn it. Not trying is arrogant and immoral.

And to tout socialism as the catch-all solution is naïve, and insulting to the men those from Bedford who volunteered to go defend freedom. In truly striving to earn it, we help keep the flame of liberty aglow for future generations.

It is necessary, honorable work if freedom is to survive.

“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Álvaro Serrano/Unsplash

July 9, 1944 Somewhere in France

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Hoback:

I really don't know how to start this letter to you folks, but will attempt to do something in words of writing. I will try to explain in the letter what this is all about.

While walking along the Beach D-day Plus One, I came upon this Bible and as most any person would do I picked it up from the sand to keep it from being destroyed.

I knew that most all Bibles have names & addresses within the cover so I made it my business to thumb through the pages until I came upon the name above. Knowing that you no doubt would want the Book returned I am sending it knowing that most Bibles are a book to be cherished.

I would have sent it sooner but have been quite busy and thought it best if a short period of time elapsed before returning it.

You have by now received a letter from your son saying he is well. I sincerely hope so.

I imagine what has happened is that your son dropped the Book without any notice. Most everybody who landed on the Beach D-Day lost something. I for one as others did lost most of my personal belongings, so you see how easy it was to have dropped the book and not know about it.

Everything was in such a turmoil that we didn't have a chance until a day or so later to try and locate our belongings.

One would hardly think there was a war going on today. Everything is peaceful & quiet.

The birds have begun their daily practice, all the flowers and trees are in bloom, especially the poppies & tulips which are very beautiful at this time of the year.

Time goes by so quickly as it has today. I must close hoping to hear that you receive the Bible in good shape.

Yours very truly,

Cpl. H.W. Crayton

Источник: //www.glennbeck.com/2015/03/31/bonos-bold-take-on-jesus-youve-probably-never-seen-a-celebrity-declare-their-faith-like-this/

Bible Verses About Having Strength During Hard Times

A week or so ago I put together a massive post with well over a hundred bible verses about money and talked about how we need to make sure that we always put God first in our lives before money – and everything else.

We can easily allow money to become our master, and God can quickly move to the background if we’re not careful.

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Matthew 6:24

One thing that occurred to me in the midst of listing all those verses, however, is that I never really touched on a topic that seems to be especially important right now in the midst of a double dip recession when so many people are having a hard time.  The idea of looking to God for strength in the midst of hard times.

Bible Verses About Strength

Today I decided to bring together some encouraging and challenging verses talking about how and where we need to find strength in the midst of turbulent times. I hope you find them uplifting as well.

Where Do We Find Strength?

Where do we find our strength? In the Lord our God!

Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.

Nehemiah 8:10 Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Exodus 15:2 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him—  my father’s God, and I will exalt him!

Psalm 9:9-10 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Psalm 34:10b Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Isaiah 26: 3-4 Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace—because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock.

1 Chronicles 16:11  Seek the LORD and his strength;  seek his presence continually!

Psalm 32:7-8 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Exodus 33:14 My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.

Deuteronomy 31:8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Psalm 34:17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.

Isaiah 30:15 In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.

Don’t Worry Or Fear, Find Your Strength In Him

It can be so easy to give into worry, fear and despair, but with Him we can find strength, and look forward to wonderful things.  He gives us hope!

Isaiah 43:1-3 Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord you God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Luke 12:25-26 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[a]? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Philippians 4:6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 27: 1-3 The LORD is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me,it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;though war break out against me,even then I will be confident.

Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Psalm 145: 18-19 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Isaiah 12:2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

God Gives Us A Spirit Of Strength And Power

Through faith in Christ we are given a spirit of power, love and discipline, and for that reason we have nothing to fear.  We can hold onto his promises and be confident that he’ll see us through even the darkest of days.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Psalm 138:3 When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.

Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Psalm 62:1-2 My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Psalm 112: 1, 7-8 Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord. They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord. Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid.

Psalm 91:1-2 You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God in whom I trust.”

Psalm 112: 1, 7-8 Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord. They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord. Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid.

Hard Times May Come, But He’s There With Us Through Them All

Though we aren’t promised an easy life, we are told that Christ will be there with us when we believe in Him, that he won’t give us more than we can handle with His help,  and even our hard times can be used to glorify God.

2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

Philippians 4: 12-13 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation . . . . I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.

1 Peter 5: 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Hebrews 4:16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Deuteronomy 31:6,8 Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

 Strength In Christ Our Lord And Savior

As the verses above illustrate, we’re told to call on Jesus Christ, and that he will hear us and give us strength, hope and a grace sufficient to carry us through.  He will be our ever present help when we’re in need, and he can give us a peace that passes all understanding.  For me that’s extremely encouraging.

How about you?  Do you have any favorite bible verses about strength, and where you can find it? Did one of the verses above stick out more than the others for you?  Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Want to find more verses on Strength in the Bible and don’t have your own? Get a free Bible.

Источник: //www.biblemoneymatters.com/bible-verses-about-having-strength-during-hard-times/

Struggling to Forgive My Ex-Husband: 4 Lessons I Learned from the Savior

As a theatrical composer, I am very used to looking at a story through a character’s eyes and placing myself in their shoes; I feel the emotions that they would feel so I would know what they would say and how they would say it.  If a character is going to break into song, they better have a good reason, and I’d better know what it is.

But, looking through my own life with my own eyes is much, much harder.  I think that’s true for all of us; it’s much easier to see someone else’s problems than our own.  Sometimes, though, the Lord will tip the perspective just enough so we can see our life through His eyes as He sees us.  I had an experience that a few years ago that taught me about forgiveness.

Meeting with My Ex-Husband

It was a meeting I was not looking forward to, as we hadn’t met face to face since the divorce, but this involved the children and I felt I needed to speak to my ex-husband in person.

  Because of past history and my own lack of self-confidence at that point, this was not an easy thing for me to do.

  In fact, I wasn’t even sure I could muster the courage to pull it off, but I had made the arrangements, and now it was time.

As I showered to get ready for this meeting, all the things I never got to say to him welled up inside of me,  and the hurt and pain turned to anger as I worked up a lather in more ways than one.  It was as if the years of pain, betrayal, manipulation, lying, and deceit paraded before my eyes, taunting me, and belittling me.  I was wracked with a pain that shook my very soul.

A Comforting Voice Saying the Impossible

Suddenly, in a small voice deep inside of me, I heard these words: “A lot of filthy water has passed under the bridge that we’ve just crossed, but I want you to know, I forgive you.” What?! Forgive him? But what about this?  And what about that?  Who’s keeping score?

The words came again: “A lot of filthy water has passed under the bridge that we’ve just crossed, but I want you to know, I forgive you.” I stopped to catch my breath, and the tears welled up where the anger had been.

  I started to cry, and then started to sob a deep, soul-wrenching sob that went deep down to that place where the pain was attached to my very soul.

When we stood to leave from our meeting, I stopped to face him and heard myself say those exact same words: “A lot of filthy water has passed under the bridge that we’ve just crossed, but I want you to know,” and my voice caught with emotion, “I forgive you.”  There.  I said it.  And I meant it.  No matter what happened from that point on, no condemnation of him would come from me.  It was over, and I was free.

Lessons Learned from the Savior

It was obvious to me that only the Savior could have taken the hurt and replaced it with sweet peace.  It is precious, but so difficult to achieve.  Why? Because we have to let go of the scales of justice and let the Lord be the judge, trusting that He will make everything right in His way.

I had the privilege of setting “The Beatitudes”* to music awhile ago, and I had the same experience in writing this work as I have had when working on musicals, namely, I saw the scene through the character’s eyes, and in this case, it was Christ’s eyes, and the eyes of those who heard Him for the very first time.  These passages taught me much about forgiveness.

We have to keep in mind the setting, of The Sermon on the Mount, as related in Matthew chapter 5, which contains what is known as “The Beatitudes.

”  The Lord’s audience had many who were looking for a Messiah who was a mighty military leader who would lead them Roman captivity.  Instead, here was Christ teaching of “the poor in spirit,” “the peacemakers,” and “the merciful.

”  He was teaching them to take the “high road.” Here is what I personally learned about forgiveness from His teachings:

1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” To be poor in spirit does not mean to allow people to use you or abuse you.

  Being poor in spirit refers to being humble and teachable, such as being taught that you need to forgive someone, and then doing it.  Just because you forgive someone does not mean that you need to allow them to hurt you over again.

 When we are teachable, we gain access to “the kingdom of heaven” and the power to do things we could never do on our own, forgive someone who has hurt us.

2. “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

” Often times, we think of mourning only in terms of grieving a death of a loved one, but it can also be the death of a marriage, or the death of an ideal, or a disappointment, failure, or heartache.

  When that mourning is the result of being wronged by another person, the way to be “comforted” is to forgive and to allow the sweet peace of the Savior to fill your aching soul.

3. “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”  In the eternal laws of heaven, there is a penalty for every wrong; there is no mercy inherent in the law of justice.  The only way that mercy is introduced into that equation is through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

  He pays the price for our mistakes and allows the Father to have mercy on us and forgive us.  However, we are strictly warned that in order to receive the benefits of the atonement, specifically His mercy, we must offer the same benefit to others.  To be forgiven, we must forgive.  To receive His mercy, we must be merciful.

  That is how the atonement works.

4. “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” When I forgave my ex-husband, it was not well received.

I could not give him peace or bring peace to myself; only the Savior can do that.  If we forgive others, He can forgive us, and we become His children.

We can’t always choose what kind of water goes “under the bridge” of our lives, but we can always choose to either cross safely over it, or wallow in it and run the risk of drowning.  Forgiveness is the “high road” that leads to peace and safety through the Savior, Jesus Christ. 

*Note: Cathy Neff’s musical setting of “The Beatitudes” is part of a Musical Treasury called “The Ministry of Christ,” which is currently being featured on Kickstarter.com. 

See more from Cathy Neff at cathyneff.com.

Источник: //www.ldsliving.com/Struggling-to-Forgive-My-Ex-Husband-4-Lessons-I-Learned-from-the-Savior/s/81961

Words of Hope for Those Struggling with Depression

Jeni is depressed. The weight of life weighs heavily on her soul and she sees no way of escape. She says she lives in a confusing, dark, and dense jungle. And so it is. She tries to explain but slowly defaults to her “you have to be there to understand me” mantra.

In a sense she is right, but this should not discourage you from helping her lift the mental chains that have created her lethargy toward life. Her zeal is nearly gone as a besieging army of hopelessness surrounds her.

She does not live in the confidence of the Psalmist: Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. – Psalm 27:3

This is her depression. This is her hopelessness. This is where she needs you. As you listen to her depression you must hear what she cannot hear. Jeni lives according to her feelings rather than the truth claims of the Word of God. This is what I call an unbelieving believer (Mark 9:24).

What She Feels is Real

Trusting in her feelings is all she knows. It is what she feels and that is more substantive than the vagaries of faith. Which is easier for you to trust: that which you can feel or that which you can’t?

Feelings may be elusive and detached from the Word of God, but they are real and feel-able. You can experience feelings, but faith is a totally other animal and when you’re in the throes of confusion, feelings can carry a lot of weight.

Unfortunately, too many times the weight feelings carry will take you down to the depths of depression. This is what has happened to Jeni. When you talk to her about the bold claims of Jesus Christ she says it has more of a pie-in-the-sky ring to it than hope for her soul.

Remember: faith is un-feel-able and she is listening to you through a feeling filter, not a faith filter. It’s trying to explain color to a color-blind man. He cannot see what you see. The glory of color is elusive to him.

Though the solution is clear to you, it is not clear to her. She is an unbelieving believer. Helping her to get to the solution of Jesus alone, through faith alone will require much patience and gentleness from you.

You who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:1-2

She needs to know who Jesus is and what Jesus can do. Another way to say the same thing is to say, “She needs to have a clear and practical understanding of the gospel.”

Sadly, these truths are nothing more than echoes on the outskirts of her life. Somehow the gap between what she is feeling and what the Bible prescribes for her soul must be closed.

Listen Carefully to Her Depression

There is no other technique or prescription or any such thing on earth that can bring her her confusing, dark, and dense jungle. One of the better articles you’ll read on depression is by Ed Welch, from CCEF.

In his article, Welch identifies a person Jeni as living by her feelings or emotional state rather than faith in Christ alone. He suggests the way you care for the depressed is found in faith solutions rather than feeling solutions. I completely agree.

Feelings are descriptive (how she feels) and can be helpful in bringing clarity to what is going on in her mind, but feelings are not solutions that provide a roadmap her jungle. This is an essential understanding of feelings.

I never dismiss a person’s feelings when counseling with them. I listen to their feelings. In the case of Jeni, I would be listening to her depression, which is what her feelings would be describing.

However, I would not be basing my faith solutions in her feelings. I would see her feelings as the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. If I’m listening correctly, I would hear how her feelings are revealing a lack of trust (faith) in God–her feelings reveal her mind or her thought life.

Jeni needs to be carefully and gently brought to believe and act on what God says rather than giving herself over to how she feels. Initially, this will be hard for her and it will require learning a new way to live; it is a workout for the mind.

Where you want to be careful is not to dismiss her feelings, because at this point her feelings is all she has to rely upon. To dismiss, make light of, or try to take her feelings away from her would be the equivalent of pushing her an airplane with no parachute.

Remember, she does not have your faith. She does not have your filter. She is the color blind man struggling to grasp your perspective on the glory of color.

Feelings Versus Scripture

In Welch’s article, he puts feelings and Scripture up against each other as though they were in a debate. He does this to make his point that Scripture has to always trump our feelings and it does. Feelings cannot ever win over the Word of God.

Any other result says God (His Word) cannot be trusted; God is not telling the truth, and you must rely on your feelings. Feelings and faith are not coequal. One must lead the other. What you feel may be real to you, but your real feelings can deceive you if they are not rooted in the Word of God.

If you will not trust God’s Word but will trust in your feelings, then God and His Word will not be your solution. In such cases, your oscillating emotions will be your guide, which the Bible implies is a roller coaster. You will be unstable in all your ways.

For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. – James 1:5-8

Trusting what you feel in the moment is not the same as trusting the Word of God. Each of us must make this distinction because we’re all prone to live by what we feel versus what we know–or what we should know from God’s Word.

When I feel responding in anger to my wife, I must stop right there on the spot and repent of these unbiblical feelings and trust God’s Word. I cannot allow my mind to be subjected and controlled by feelings that are not controlled by Scripture.

If I don’t do this, I will go off on my wife, giving her a piece of my emoting mind. However, if I learn a new way of thinking, according to the Word of God, over time, and through much prayer and practice, I can yield this new way of thinking to the Spirit of God.

This is what Jeni must learn to do too. Her responses, born a new belief system, must rule her mind more than her feelings. The Word of God, empowered by the Spirit of God, encouraged by the people of God, is the roadmap she needs in order to be led her jungle of depression.

There is a Battle for Your Mind

This is a sanctification process which is not un any other struggle in which we battle. Nearly all of our struggles are battles in our minds, for our minds. There is a battle for her mind. This is what Paul was teaching us in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6. He warned us about the nature of the battle.

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. – 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Her feelings have always held sway over her, but God wants to retrain her mind according to His weapons, which are the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and the community of God. These are divine weapons, not according to the flesh.

Physical Components to Depression

Jeni’s belief system needs to be reconstructed. Her main problem becomes a matter of faith. Though there may be some physical elements to depression, the key still rests in who she will ultimately trust.

It could be there will be symptoms of depression she will struggle with all her life. Are any of us in perfect physical health? Do any of us have perfectly free and unencumbered minds? No. We’re fallen people in a fallen world.

If the goal is optimal health from birth to grave, then there is no help that will satisfy you. If the goal is to find grace for your situation, regardless of what your situation may be, then there is strength for your weakness (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Regardless of the physical components of depression, which is a debatable subject, if she responds to her feelings–what she feels in the moment, she will be a slave to her feelings. If she responds according to the Word of God, she will have victory, even in her weakness, whatever her weaknesses may be (2 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

God’s Word is not designed to make us perfectly healthy and mentally whole. That is not the goal of His Word for fallen people in a fallen world. The goal of His Word is to give us victory even in our weaknesses. Is God’s grace sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9)?

I think sometimes, some people crave personal victory and interpret it as being healthy, whole, and problem free. That is not a promise from the Word of God. Being strengthened by God, while living in a body of death is a promise from God (Romans 7:24-25).

This kind of faith releases you from falling prey to the argument that depression is a disease and the Word of God does not speak to it. The Word of God does not speak to my chronic back pain, but it teaches me how to have victory while debilitated.

A Few Mind-Reorienting Texts

One of the things a counselor would want to do for Jeni is begin the reorientation of her mind to the Word of God. Quite frankly, she needs to be brainwashed and since our culture has no qualms about brainwashing us, I have none either.

With brainwashing not an option, it comes down to what you want to wash your brain with and the Word of God is my preferred washing tool. Here are three helpful texts to suggest to her to memorize.

You could then begin a process of teaching her what these texts mean. Memorizing the Bible is not magic. These texts are just words, that’s all. However, if you walk her through what they mean, pray through them, asking the Spirit of God to practicalize them to her heart, then you will see the beginning of change.

He is a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. – Psalm 1:1-3

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12;1-2

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. – Philippians 4:6-8

Pertaining to this last passage, be sure to read my article and accompanying Mind Map called, Mind Mapping Stinking Thinking – Thoughts on How to Change Your Mind.

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