Last week, when I was down in the dumps with depression, wondering “why, why, why?” and “how am I going to live through this?”, my precious youngest daughter texted me and told me what she had read in her devotional that morning and that it reminded her of me. She is a wonderfully spiritually in-tune person, and I love that about her. I thought I would share the much-needed excerpt from her (and my) devotional with you today. It is found in the book Morning and Evening, by Charles Spurgeon.
“….God, who comforts the downcast.” 2 Corinthians 7:6 ESV
And who comforts like God does?
Go to some poor, melancholy, distressed child of God; tell him sweet promises and whisper in his ear carefully chosen words of comfort. He will be like “the deaf adder that stops its ear, so that it does not hear the voice of charmers” (Psalm 58:4-5 ESV). He is tasting bitterness, and try as you might to comfort him, you will only get a note or two of mournful resignation from him. There will be no psalms of praise, no hallelujahs, no joyful poems.
But let God come to His child, let God lift up his countenance, and the mourner’s eyes will glimmer with hope. Now hear him sing,
“‘Tis paradise, if thou art here; If thou depart, ’tis hell.” “My God, My Life, My Love,” Isaac Watts (1796)
You could not have cheered this person, but the Lord has done it. He is “the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). There is no balm in Gilead, but there is balm in God. There is no physician among created humanity, but the Creator is Jehovah-Rophi –“the Lord who heals” (Exodus 15:26 NLT). It is marvelous how one sweet word from God will generate whole songs in Christians. One word of God is like a piece of gold, and the Christian is the goldsmith who can hammer that promise out for entire weeks.
So then, downcast Christian – no need to sit in despair. Go to the Comforter, and ask Him to give you consolation. You are a poor, dry well. You have heard it said that when a pump is dry, you must pour water down it first – then you will get water. In the same way, Christian, when you are dry, go to God, ask Him to fill your heart with His joy, and then your joy will be full. Don’t go to friends on earth, for you will find them to be like Job’s comforters. Go first and foremost to God, who comforts the downcast. You will soon say, “When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.” (Psalm 84:19 NLT).
My Journey Through 