Jesus Can Chase the Blues Away!

"Let this encourage those of you who belong to Christ: the storm may be tempestuous, but it is only temporary. The clouds that are temporarily rolling over your head will pass, and then you will have fair weather, an eternal sunshine of glory. Can you not watch with Christ for one hour?"  - William Gurnall

Rollo May, an American psychologist and author, said that, "Depression is the inability to construct a future." When one is suffering from depression, everything else is put on hold.

Depression is one of the world's most prominent emotional illnesses. Here, in the United States, thousands are hospitalized annually with depression, and even more go untreated.

Most of us suffer occasionally with some form of depression, ranging from a mild case of the blues to a severe case of psychosis. People who lived in Jesus' day were no exception.

Even two of Jesus' disciples struggled with a bout of depression. They had good reason to. They had followed Jesus because they thought that he was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament.

But, the crucifixion in Jerusalem completely shattered their idea of the Messiah. They journeyed from Jerusalem to Emmaus, and as they went along they shared their disappointments (Luke 24:13-14).

Their demeanor was extremely sad. Then, during the course of their travel the risen Christ joined them, but they didn't recognize him. In a post-resurrection appearance Jesus ministered to the mood of these disciples (Luke 24:15-16).

Jesus dealt with their depression by explaining the Scriptures to them (Luke 24:27). This is a great tip for us, too. In times of struggle we can turn to the Bible to learn what God has to say.

You see, the disciples failed to know the Scriptures. In this case, an explanation of the events was available to them in the Old Testament, but their own prejudices kept them from understanding God's word.

In many instances, our despair of life comes from a failure to understand and apply Scriptures. Jesus clarified the Scriptures to these two depressed disciples. He related Old Testament passages to himself, showing them that he is the theme of Scripture, and the anticipated Messiah.

Discovering Jesus in the Scriptures is the secret to the Bible's meaning. Through reading the Bible, we come across the living Christ. He's the shot in the arm we need to help us make sense of life. And, if we trust his Word, he can chase the blues away, too!

Scripture: Psalm 34:17-18; Matthew 11:28; Isaiah 41:10; 1 Peter 5:7; Jeremiah 29:11

Prayer: Dear Lord, You are my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? You are the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? I ask you Lord, whom I seek after, that I may dwell in Your house all the days of my life, amen.  -adapted from Psalm 27

Have a blessed day!

Genevieve