Love. Hope. Joy.

I was depressed. I was wounded. Hurt to the core. My soul was damaged. Struck by the loss of my first-born son. This one almost took the life out of me. I was grieving and deeply saddened. Shut off from the world. My emotions got the best of me. My heart was shattered to a billion pieces. I was so far gone.

My mind was suffocating. I didn't have the tools to release this pinned-up pressure. My brain was going to combust. All the sadness, the emptiness, I felt hopeless. I had no hope. I no longer wanted to do the things I loved. Life had no meaning until I met King Jesus. He met me in my despair. In my brokenness, he saw me and had compassion for me. He cared for me.

He cared enough not to leave me there. He presented Himself to me. He was my ticket out of the agony, the pain, and the hurt I was feeling. When He found me, He gave me Joy, Unspeakable Joy. He gave me Joy in place of sadness. I found joy in the mist of sorrow. In my most difficult time, losing a child, I had no strength.

God gave me Joy. Joy is my strength. Joy is a gift from God. God can only give joy! So, if you are feeling the way I felt in the beginning of this post, I encourage you to Ask Christ to come into your life. Believe He is God. Believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins. Confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Here are nine scriptures I meditated on while going through depression:

Isaiah 61:3

Psalm 34:18

Psalm 23:4

Romans 15:13

Psalm 30:5

1 Peter 5:7

Isaiah 41:10

Nehemiah 8:10

Galatians 5:22-23