When I come to the place in my life that I am overwhelmed and my flesh cries out for satisfaction, sin is but a step away. Without effort I can find myself deep in patterns of worry or doubt. The path before me closes and the light at the finish line vanishes. Fear and hopelessness become my guides as I drag myself through life. This is what they call depression! It closes in like the setting sun. Slowly the light of day fades as the darkness takes over. Depression is short-sighted and cannot see past its vessel. It fears the light because it knows that “where there is light there can be no darkness.” With cunning arguments it persuades its capture the light is gone, that darkness is forever. Adamantly, it protects its greatest secret; the vanishing light is but a mirage in a time of drought! For where there is love, there is hope! And where there is hope there is faith! And where there is faith….there is a breakthrough!
There is a light that no darkness can quench. It is the light of His love! When I fix my eyes on Him who endured more than my daily struggles that I might be free, I have hope! When I remind myself of the miracle at the end of His journey, I have hope! When I look past the darkness into the light, I have hope! Then…the darkness flees and the light begins to rise and joy overtakes my fear and hopelessness. And I begin to run, not walk toward the finish line!
Do not let the darkness win! Embrace that seed of joy within and run with it so that the light of life within you will rise up! Darkness will not defeat darkness....run toward life with every ounce of strength and it will mature within you.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)”