Isaiah 61:3 To
appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the
oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD,
that he might be glorified.
Have you
ever felt so down, that you begin to ask yourself, 'What is the point of it
all?' There are many things in this verse but the one that I want to mention
today is the 'spirit of heaviness', better known by its bona fide name:
'Depression.'
It can settle on anyone given the right circumstances and none of us are immune to it. We all like to think that we have it together.
Daniel prayed for the people and
poured his heart to the Lord
Daniel 9:3-4
And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with
fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: 4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my
confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant
and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
The Lord is My Shepherd
1The LORD is
my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth
me beside the still waters.
3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his name's sake.
4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff
they comfort me.
5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of
mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
The Lord
Jesus Christ wants us to lay the weight upon him, because he has overcome the
world. John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have
peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world. You don't have anything to lose in
Jesus, because where he is, he cannot lose. Whatever you ask in his name
according to his glory he will provide.
Philippians
4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by
Christ Jesus.
Matthew 11: 28 Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For
my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
A yoke is a
heavy wooden harness that fits over the shoulders of an ox or oxen. It is
attached to a piece of equipment the oxen are to pull. A "heavy laden"
animal has a big load to pull. A
"heavy laden" person may be burdened with (1) sin, (2) excessive
demands of religious leaders (3) oppression and persecution, or (4) weariness
in the search for God.
Jesus frees
people from all these burdens. The rest Jesus promises is love, healing, and
peace with God, not the end of all labor. A relationship with God changes
meaningless toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.
No matter
the situation, if you're having one of those day's that has put a dent in your
emotion. Don't let the wrath of anger effect your character of the glory of the
Lord be effected.
Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Pastor Rolando Ramos
