Though I Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death
There is a valley that every Christian needs to go through, because the way to our Heavenly Home lays through the midst of it. This particular valley is a very lonely place. The prophet Jeremiah describes it as: “A wilderness, a land of deserts and of pits, a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, a land that no man but a Christian passes through, and where no man dwelt.” (Jeremiah 2:6)
Many people believe that Christians have everything that they need in life, therefore they do not experience the feelings of being alone, pain or sadness… this is the furthest from the truth. Christians struggle with the same feelings, emotions and conflicts that non-Christians. Jesus' atonement saved us from our sins but it did not save us from our struggles. In fact, many times we experience more difficulties, it seems, once we accept salvation. The Scriptures warn us that Christians will experience difficulties. In fact Psalms 34:19 says, “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.”
If illness was a foreign country, then depression is yet a more foreign country… one with a special discomfiture. No one takes pride in visiting this country with its imprecise ever shifting borders and murky emotions as in some nightmare. Where days seemed long dark and gloomy; the air feels dense making it hard to breath. Losing interest on the things that previously brought you pleasure and feeling generally miserable or unhappy without really knowing why. Just like a viral leech that has attached itself to you and is sucking on your emotional energy. Having the sensation of being in a tunnel of loneliness, feeling the world would be a better place without you. It has been more eloquently said that depression is a funeral in the brain.
Depression, more poetically known as ''melancholia'' until the 17th century has always been with us like the so-called common cold or that more elusive malady… the flu! Its history has been as much theological and psychological as medical and its treatment today is far more likely to be pharmacological than any religious or psycho-analytical ritual involving talk; there is still a debate about its origins… is depression genetically inherited, or is it provoked by one's environment, childhood, gender, politics, misfortune, or spiritual in nature.
There are numerous biblical references to depression… one of the human race's most common and distressing afflictions. It is likely that the first humans to experience depression were Adam and Eve, after they sinned against God. Depression is described as a spiritual oppression throughout the Word of God. In 1 Samuel 16:14 King Saul is seen being tormented by a demon. “Now the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul, and the LORD sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.” King David “I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. …I groan because of the turmoil of my heart” (Psalm 38:6,8). In the book of Acts it states that “Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil…” (Acts 10:38) The entity behind oppression is seen throughout scripture as Satan and his cohorts. They have the ability to inflict individuals with this ailment, which is a different phenomenon than possession. A person who is oppressed or tormented by a demon is having his/her behavior influenced in one area of his or her life. They are harassed but are not actually possessed by indwelling demons.
Demonic possession involves being able to talk a language unknown to victim, displaying super strength for one's size or capabilities, a complete change in personality, objects around the person move of their own accord, aversion to Holy objects, and the ability of precognition.
Please allow me to reiterate once again not all forms of depression are directly related to paranormal activity. Life’s stressful experiences or some chemical imbalance my lead to depression in many people; today 28 million Americans are taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Prozac, Zoloft or Paxil to bring relief to life’s daily struggles.
There is a difference between Christians and non-Christians. As Christians we have God’s Holy Spirit and the Holy Scripture to help guide us. God’s Word reveals the true source of the emptiness and inner struggles within us. Many times, however, we turn to the world's way of dealing with that emptiness. Non-Christians try to fill it with exciting careers, large homes, expensive cars and jewelry. Some also try to use volunteer work or charitable giving. The fact is only one thing can replace that emptiness within anyone… this internal chasm is a result of our lack of relationship with God our Creator.
Each of us was created to have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:16-17 and Revelations 4:11 tell us that God created everything, including every man, woman and child born, for His pleasure. He created the earth, animals, and plants . . . everything in existence, but found that there was nothing with which He could share Himself. Then God created Man for communion and companionship with Him. Genesis tells the story of the Creation. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . . so God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.”
God formed Adam from the dust of the ground and then he created Eve from one of Adam's ribs. In the cool of the day, God would come to the garden to walk and talk with them. We can only imagine how incredible it must have been for Adam and Eve to experience the very Person of God, walking and talking intimately with them. They were fulfilling their very purpose though. It was not amazing; it was a normal part of life for them.
And they [Adam and Eve] heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself
Notice that Adam and Eve hid themselves because they were naked, not because they were in God's Presence. They were not concerned that God was there but, rather, that they were not clothed. Adam and Eve's disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit resulted in mankind's separation from God. Because of their actions, sin came into mankind and created a chasm between man and God.
As Christians, we know that Jesus Christ came to the earth as man, led a sinless life, died for our sins and was resurrected on the third day. He now sits in Heaven and acts as our mediator. We often forget that until Jesus' death, man had limited access to God. Once a year, the High Priest (and only the High Priest) could enter into the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle. The Spirit of God dwelt within the Holy of Holies. The High Priest could only enter the room on the one day and only after he had prepared himself according to the strict Levitical law. If he did not precisely prepare himself, he would die when he entered into the room.. The Holy of Holies did not have a door but had a thick veil covering the opening. This was to protect the people from coming into the Presence of God and thereby dying. When Jesus died on the cross, the temple veil was torn into two pieces, signifying that entry into God's Presence was now available for anyone anytime. Man could now re-establish the intimacy with God and thereby fulfill his purpose.
Jesus Christ did not only die so that we could be saved from our sins; He also died so that we could have intimacy with God the Father. Christians often do not understand the significance of this. We do not have to wait until we are in Heaven to intimately know God. We can get to know Him now. That is what He wants. He wants us to enter into His Presence and serve, love and know Him.
Psalms 140:13 tells us that, “Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence”. We can come into His Presence and dwell; this lets us know that we do not have to leave His Presence but we can remain. How? Just as little children do with their parents. They play, learn, sleep and live under the protection, provision and guidance of their parents, who love, teaches and nurtures them.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and jointheirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
This is an intense relationship that takes time, commitment and trust. Through commitment, we can maintain a long-term relationship that will build trust. These three elements time, commitment and trust gently move us into an intimate relationship with God that fulfills our needs and our highest purpose relationship with God. We spend time with God because we want to do it, not because we are coerced into it through religion, guilt or pride. We can become distracted though, just as young children can, and walk away from the Presence of our Father. This creates a prickly within us that cannot be removed until we return to His Presence.
Take a child from his parents and he will at first be excited. Eventually though, he wants the protection, nurture and familiarity of his parents and becomes upset when he does not have it. The child may cry, throw a temper tantrum or withdrawal from those around him. We as adults can also do the same things. It is difficult to admit that our emotional distress is caused by something so simple. We are adults after all and we are independent, strong and emotionally whole… right?
The Bible uses the analogy of a vine and a branch to describe this relationship. In John 15:1-8 Jesus says: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
We are to abide, to remain, in His Presence. In His Presence, we will find the help to deal with depression and find fulfillment, peace, joy, provision, love . . everything that we need to be strong, secure children who are able to enjoy life.
As we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we could say… “I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.”Psalms 23:4 If you are experiencing the darkest valley… run to the presence of your Heavenly Father and find fulfillment and the purpose that can only be found from above.
Peace,