Depression...?

I'm experiencing times of depression these days. .... not usual for me...and I am surprised at my feelings. Maybe I am watching too much news. It is depressing to see how ignorant much of our population is!

I think it depresses me because  it makes me feel discouraged. Are we too far gone to be rescued? At least this generation seems to be....but that can't be the whole story!

God never wants us to give up. It is always too early to give up, He tells us!

So I  turn to Scripture - 
Joshua 1:9 is a good place to start: "Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."  

Very familiar words.... "discouraged" means "without courage."

So discouragement is sin...right?

 Lots of good news in this verse.

Then I turn to Ephesians 6:13: "Therefore put on God's complete armor, that you may be to stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and having done all [the crisis demands] to stand firmly in your place."

That helps me...yes, times are hard, and as the angel told Daniel and John - things will be worse...evil people will grow more and more evil...but good and wise people will continue to stand firm....

And we must be like those people. We must stand firmly as God's people, knowing that the victory is coming...Amen and amen!

We must continue to battle, if we can't battle offensively, we can
still stand and defend!

Then there's Winston Churchill, who, during World War 2, counseled his countrymen: "Never give up. Never, never, never, 
never, never, never, never give up!"  

Yes, Churchill certainly had a way with words! He used "never"
8 times in those two sentences....reminding us it is always too early to give up!

We must keep fighting...with God's full armor - until He calls us home or comes for us!