Through the Valley

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, 

for you are close beside me. Psalm 23:4

In light of recent news, Robin William's tragic death, I felt compelled to write about this. I see so many disheartened people on Facebook, Twitter and in person also. What really rattled me was when my neighbor said "When you hear news like that, it shakes your faith. He was one of the happiest people and he still decided to end it. What hope is there for the rest of us?"

Let me answer that question with all due respect to my neighbor and Robin Williams.... There is tons of hope!!! So much so that it overflows!!! So many Christians just don't know how to tap into it. Robin Williams knew how to make people laugh and be funny and we need to remember happiness is merely an emotion. We can never allow whether we are happy or not about the people in our lives or our circumstances to dictate who we are. We need to find our JOY in the Lord and that is our strength! Our strength to get up and make it through another day whether we feel like it or not. I've heard Joyce Meyer say "You can wake up feeling depressed, but you can make a conscious choice not to stay that way." 

Trust me I have learned this through experience!! I have walked through this valley more times than I would like to think about. But I don't give satan any glory through it, I give God the glory. Because I walked through it, with Him and came out the other side. I have had to talk myself into realizing life is worth living. I have had to work out my salvation, as the Bible says some of us do. I have sought the answers to questions such as, Why am I here? What good could I possibly ever bring to this world? What makes me worthy of God's love?

I am here because of Jesus Christ! He took my sin, my shame, my guilt and it died with Him on the cross. But because He defeated death, I have the victory in Jesus and you do too. I have heard people say depression is a disease of the brain. I like to think it is a virus planted there by a demon so sick he likes to sit there and whisper lies into our heads disguising it as our own voice. In Revelation it even speaks about satan being up in heaven accusing us in front of God all day long. We need to be speaking so much scripture into our lives on a daily basis and wielding our Sword of the Spirit that when our mind tries to tell us something bad about ourselves we don't even believe it! We need to start telling that negative internal dialogue to shut up! We need to replace it with who God says we are!

If satan thinks he can take take you out with condemning and self-defeating thoughts he will do it! Don't give him that pleasure or that option! If you are suffering mentally, it is because there is something spiritually lacking. It was confirmed in my spirit that the reason satan put me through so much hell and torment was because I was a threat to him! Let me tell you, I went through some spiritual warfare just building up to write this. 

Every time I hear of a terrible story like Robin Williams on the news it breaks my heart. It breaks my heart because they have not received the hope I have found in Christ. I want people to know there is light, freedom and blessing at the end of this tunnel. It is the whole reason I am writing my book. To share in depth, my story of deliverance and freedom. I am still a work in progress but God is showing himself to be faithful and true to His Word, so there I will dwell, there I will abide, because nothing in this world can offer me what He can. 

I want demons to shake when I get up out of bed, I want discouragement to leave when I claim the name of Jesus and I want depression to be a faint memory that will never again rule over my life. We have a decision to make about what we will allow to steal our peace and joy. Guard it carefully! Once you give it away it opens a foothold for the devil to come in and reek havoc in our lives. 

I read a good quote by Jeremy Taylor, "It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers that his helper is omnipotent."Let's remember who our God is and reveal the devil for the fool he is. Remember when David killed Goliath and Gideon conquered an army of thousands with just 300. Remember the Battle of Jericho, and the courage He gave to Esther to save a nation. Remember the promise given to Abraham and Sarah at their old age and Mary Magdalene and the woman at the well that he breathed new life into and turned their desperate situations into testimonies of His mercy. 

If He can use a drunks, prostitutes, adulterers and murderers, he can certainly use us. Every single person reading this right now is NECESSARY for God's kingdom! You have a purpose and a plan and a calling. You were no accident or surprise to God. He has planted you where you are and the family you are with, in this period of time for a reason. Receive it, believe it and claim it! 

"I AM NOT ALONE"- Kari Jobe