Day 19: Hills and Valleys
Read: Psalm 30:1-5
I have a friend who has struggled with severe depression. High school was a really dark time in his life. He would cut himself on a regular basis, and he battled with regular suicidal thoughts. In time though, God restored a level of peace and restoration to his life. His mental health today is significantly better than what it used to be. God has put it in his heart to help others who are still dealing with crippling issues related to mental health. He is studying human services major and is working on developing a counseling website dedicated to helping people who struggle with depression and anxiety.
One of the biggest reasons we should rejoice in Christ is because of His faithfulness. It is a huge part of His character. Jesus promised us in His word that He would never leave or forsake us. And the longer you walk with Him, the more evident this truth becomes. In times, when we feel completely lost, broken, or helpless, God is near to us, even when we don’t realize it. Sometimes we might not feel his presence at all when we are going through hard times. But as our passage from today states in verse 5, “weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” This means that although God will bring us through hard seasons that will shape our character, He will always see us through them and will be faithful to usher us into new seasons of life in his timing too.
When God brings us into new seasons of abundance and joy, we are able to look back on the trying seasons of our lives and see clearly how God was at work within us and was writing our story. God never wastes our pain and it is during the trials of our lives that God often grows our character the most. My friend never would have been able to help other people deal with issues regarding mental health unless God had brought him through a season where he had struggled with it himself.
Whenever we are in a place of discomfort, uncertainty, or even depression, we can still have deep, unchanging joy because we have the knowledge that God is with us even when we can’t feel it. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” He is in it with us for the long hull. Life is not a sprint, and He is fully aware of that. He sticks by our side through the hills and valleys.
We all go through extremely challenging seasons of life. Maybe you are going through one of those times right now. If you are, remember that God is with you, which is the most incredible blessing you could ever have. Ask God to help you become more aware of His presence in your life.