I was not sick, but felt an earie, suffocating darkness.

Thursday, April 14, 2016  Comodoro Rivadavia, Patagonia

Scripture reading:  1 Sam 15 - 16    1 Chron 5     Matt 1

S=Scripture  O=Observation  A=Application  P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  1 Sam 16:21-22 So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer.  Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight."  NKJV

O.  Unknown to King Saul, David had already been chosen by God and anointed to become the next king.  Samuel’s message from God to Saul... saying that God has rejected him as king has thrown Saul into bouts of terrible depression.  Now King Saul meets David and loves this talented young man who can play a harp so beautifully and calm his times of depression.

A.  Depression can be a desperate sickness.  Our emotions can be affected by circumstances and our mind joins in with terrifying force to sink us still deeper.  I  have never felt serious depression.  Yet last night for almost two hours from 3 AM to 5 AM I thought “this must be depression”.  I was not sick, but felt an earie, suffocating darkness.  I could not sleep.  Nothing had happened to make me sad that I knew of.  I audibly cast out Satan in the name of Jesus.  Yet the feeling persisted.  Then about 5 AM I thought that perhaps the tiny 10 x 11 enclosed room might be lacking oxygen.  In spite of the cold I opened the window and fresh air rushed in.  I never knew that fresh air could be so wonderful.  Within minutes of breathing deeply of this air the feeling of depression was gone and I fell asleep.  So perhaps this had nothing to do with depression at all, yet my mind was playing scary tricks on me... and I got a dosage of what true heavy depression might be like.  I am convinced that it can be very serious.

P.  Lord, why would You allow me to experience this “test run” with what I thought might be depression?  Perhaps it happened to help me understand the satanic confusion that can often come with what psychologists call depression.  Certainly the enemy of our souls takes advantage of every chance to break us down.  Lord, You know her... a lady who works in this hotel who has confided in me that she has an adult daughter and mother of her little granddaughter who has lived now two horrible years in depression, under the care of doctors.  I have invited them to church tonight.  Oh Lord, I pray, open the windows of heaven and let Your wonderful fresh air in.  Bring this mother to You.  May she fall into Your arms of love and may You sweep her out of this horrible disease into Your glorious joy of salvation.  And may grandma and the child also follow You all the days of their lives.  Amen.

Ralph