The Antidote for Anxiety and Depression: Trust in Abba Father’s Care – Pt 18
Trust Forever, Receive Everlasting Strength!
Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:
– Isaiah 26:4
During the time I spent in Barbados as a student, I was so depressed and anxious that often times I felt overwhelmed by life. To get up every morning and face the day was a challenge for me. I had no strength so I felt tired all the time. It was not only a physical tiredness but the tiredness I experienced I cannot quite explain. I was just tired.
I remember one time when I was so bombarded by voices in my head that told me I should commit suicide because life was not worth living, that the pain I felt would never go away and that it was too unbearable, that no one cared anyway so I wouldn’t even be missed, and I can continue on and on with this list. Hence, one early morning sometime after four, I left my home in Husbands and walked down Spring Garden Highway alone. I did not tell anyone where I was going. As a matter of fact I did not even know where I was going, I was just following the leading of the voices in my head. I was lead to a sea through a path somewhere in the vicinity of an alcohol factory because I could smell the alcohol. There were signs that said, “danger, do not swim”. The sea was rough, the waves sounded and looked very angry. It was still dark and there was no one else insight. The voices told me to walk in the sea so I did and I just kept walking with tears in my eyes. I felt like I had no control over the voices in my head. They totally controlled me. It is important to note that I cannot swim because I was always afraid of the sea. Yet I walk into the sea and I was not afraid. As I continued walking in the sea, suddenly, I dropped in a deep hole and was covered by water. Then, one of those angry waves picked me up and washed me on the sea shore. I cried out with a loud voice, “God why wouldn’t You let me die?” You see, I had tried to commit suicide so many time before and every attempt failed no matter what I did.
At that point I knew deep within me that I needed to trust the Lord with my life and draw strength from Him. Was it easy? No it was not. Did it happen quickly or automatically? No it did not. It’s a process. One in which I am still learning to trust in Him and be strengthened by Him when I need it.
What are you experiencing today that is causing you to be so weak in your body, soul and spirit that you are beginning to lose trust in God?
In Isaiah 26:4 you are encouraged, “Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength”. The prophet Isaiah realized that you can trust in the Lord for ever, that is, you can place your hope in Him and keep your hope there for ever; have faith in Him for ever; believe every word that He has spoken concerning your life and that His promises are yes and amen for ever; have confidence in His ability and willingness to take care of you for ever; and know without a shadow of a doubt that He loves you unconditionally with an unfailing love for ever and that there isn’t anything that can separate you from His perfect love for ever; Why should you trust in the Lord for ever? Because in the Lord is everlasting strength.
The word “everlasting” carries the idea of something that last forever that has no end. God is everlasting. He was before the beginning of time and He will be for ever. In Him there is no end. Therefore, everything about His characteristics are everlasting as well, His love, grace and mercies are everlasting, and here in Isaiah 26:4 He is acknowledged as everlasting strength. Strength that never fails or runs out but lasts for ever. He was your source of strength yesterday; He is your source of strength today; and He will be your source of strength for tomorrow. In Him there is all the strength you need to face any circumstance in which human strength fails. For His strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:6).
Friends you can trust in the Lord your God forever knowing confidently that in Him you can find everlasting strength to fight every battle you are faced with. Also, knowing that you are guaranteed success every time because you are not fighting in your own strength, for it is “… not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
Shalom!
MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father I worship You and give You praise for being my trustworthy Papa in whom there is everlasting strength. You are my hope and I believe in You. I believe that You are the “I Am” that I am. Thank You for revealing Youfself to me. I declare that I will receive strength today for my body, soul and spirit as I trust in the Lord Jehovah forever. I pray this by faith in Jesus’ name with thanksgiving. Amen!
