A Right to be Depressed?

Jeremiah probably felt he had a right to be depressed. Read with me the following scripture that shows what he was going through during his ministry.

O Lord, You [b]induced me, and I was persuaded.

You are stronger than I and have prevailed.

I am [c]in derision daily.

Everyone mocks me.

8 

For when I spoke, I cried out.

I shouted, “Violence and plunder!”

Because the word of the Lord was made to me

A reproach and a derision daily.

9 

Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him,

Nor speak anymore in His name.”

But His word was in my heart like a burning fire

Shut up in my bones.

I was weary of holding it back,

And I could not.

10 

For I heard many [d]mocking:

“Fear on every side!”

“Report,” they say, “and we will report it!”

All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying,

“Perhaps he can be induced.

Then we will prevail against him,

Jeremiah 20:7-10

He is known as the weeping prophet by some. He was constantly under attack by those he loved He didn't marry and have children because God had forbidden him to do this. He was lonely and felt defeated during his life. And yet, read what the next few verses say in that passage:

But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One.

Therefore, my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail.

They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper.

Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.

You who test the righteous,

And see the [e]mind and heart,

Let me see Your vengeance on them.

For I have pleaded my cause before You.

 

Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord!

For He has delivered the life of the poor

From the hand of evildoers.

Jeremiah 20:11-13

Isn't just like us as believers in Christ Jesus, to complain, feel sorry for ourselves and to be sad when things aren't going the way we want them too. 

I think Jeremiah was struggling much the same as we do in our lives today. We go from being thankful to God, to asking him why he is letting hard things happen to us. It can be so bad, that we can often let the sadness take over our lives. 

And we might wish that we had never been born.

And let the man be like the cities

Which the Lord overthrew and did not relent.

Let him hear the cry in the morning!

And the shouting at noon,

 

Because he did not kill me from the womb,

That my mother might have been my grave,

And her womb always enlarged with me.

 

Why did I come forth from the womb to see [f]labor and sorrow,

That my days should be consumed with shame.

Jeremiah 20:14-18

God doesn't want us to live like that. To be depressed and sad. And yet he knows us inside and out. What we are and are not. Because of course, he created us in our mother's womb. Psalm 139:13. And not only that, but he gave us his Word. To study, to understand what he wants for us. And to know that He loves us. That should be the most wonderful thing of all to mediate on in the darkest of moments. 

Jesus loves us. And he wants to spend eternity with us! Wow, what a thought! To be able to live with Him someday! Because Friend, not everyone will be able to say that. Because it will be their choice. Not God's. 

Thanks for coming by today. I won't be here tomorrow but hope to on Tuesday. And I don't know yet if I will continue on the same line because I have covered these subjects before. So as always feel free to roam around my posts and read what looks interesting but also important to your life. God bless you and yours!