Focal Passage: Psalm 31:1-8
Has a memory ever brought about sadness for you? Was there something that you had hoped to have accomplished by now that just hasn’t worked out? Have you ever missed someone so much that you were overcome by depression? I can say with certainty that we all have. There is a difference between moments of depression and depression that is clinical. The need for medication or other forms of treatment do not signal a lack of trust in God. However, whenever we feel down, God can and will lift us up.
Feelings of sadness can be sudden, and they can seem so difficult to manage. They are inevitable, and there will be times in our lives when we just feel down. But God wants to hear all about it. We gain nothing in trying to keep our concerns from Him. He knows that our emotions run deep (He created us that way) but He wants us to bring our troubles to Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:6-7).
God is strong enough to shoulder the weight of our burdens, and He promises to give us ease and rest as we navigate through sadness. His word says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Though sorrow can be heavy and undesirable, God can be trusted to see us through. He does not dismiss our sadness. Rather, He meets us in our sadness to remind us of His character and His promises. He is the God who sees our afflictions, yet does not forsake us in them. Even in the midst of misery, we can rejoice in God’s love that is steadfast.