Word of Encouragment

I have noticed there is a huge amount of depression in this world, in my friends, my family, in myself. The only people who seem "happy" are those who are living in the world, and OF the world. Made me think...Satan is stealing our joy one second at a time. Seconds turn into moments, moments into weeks, and weeks into years. How can Christ’s light shine through a depressed mind? It cannot. Satan is trying to make us "hide it under a bushel". NO!!! I WANT to let it shine! My verse today is Philippians 4:8.... Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly: things to praise, not things to curse. Basically, it made me check my thinking...when I feel depressed I need to check my thinking. It is not God's will for us to be depressed! In the recent years, we have been led to study, search, and awaken ourselves and others to things we might not have understood 5-10 years ago. Sometimes, I feel as though we ate from the tree of knowledge. Although I have always had questions about all of the things we have studied since I was a kid, I feel as though, in my adult life, it has put a vice on my happiness, my joy. But then today the Lord reminded me....the joy of the LORD is my strength. NOT MY JOY! For my joy is futile, it is imperfect; it is based, mostly, on things that will not last. In 1 Timothy 1:11 Paul refers to God as the "blessed God". The word blessed means "happy", but the word "happy" today has been so trivialized that it fails to describe God properly. The word "happy" today has more to do with thrills than with a deep-seated joy. It would trivialize God today to say he is a happy God. Joy more accurately describes God. God is a joyful God and wishes to share his joy with us. God is the source of real joy, just as he is the source of love, of truth, of mercy, etc. In the book of Nehemiah we see the joy of the Lord powerfully impacting lives. Nehemiah 8:9-12 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve." Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them. (NIV) So, if you have been depressed remember, even in the worst times, and the most horrible times to come, the Lord wants us to rejoice, for He has already won. People, government, those who believe they are in "power" can poison our skies, our water, our bodies, they can lie, steal, try to control, but they cannot poison our minds, or our hearts, only Satan can do that, and ONLY if WE ALLOW IT. We are NOT OF THIS WORLD! We are the Sons and Daughters of our Heavenly Father! Satan CAN NEVER STEAL OUR JOY IF IT IS THE LORDS!!!! I believe that in the coming years, there will be many new laws that will cause us to mourn and weep. We will feel out of control, hurt, fear, but the Lord wants our strength to come from HIS joy so we can endure all that the world will throw at us. I think we are here because the Lord wants us to love, not our kind of love, but to show others in this world HIS love. Do you know how angry Satan and his demons get when we love? When we love our enemies, when we rejoice in the fast the Christ has already won the battle? They get so upset they try to induce fear, depression, hopelessness...I know because I have allowed depression to quietly rule my life for years! Psalms 45:5-7 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet. Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. (NIV) John 15:11-13 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (NIV) Lately, I have had panic attacks about the "times to come". The "new laws" to come, the information I am inundated with on a daily basis has shattered the rose colored glasses I have worn for years. Because of this, I really want all my family to live on a big old acreage in the middle of nowhere, in a huge house, where we grow our own food, have our own well, have solar power, have a hidden arsenal, and I want to protect everyone I love. I want to live in a bubble of love. I guess we don't get to truly do that until we get to heaven, though. I was thinking this morning, those who suffer from mental issues, drug/alcohol addiction, just THINK what the Lord's plans were for them, and still are! Satan knows how to trip us up. He tripped me up, mentally, by Hypothyroid and depression, and guilt. This cycle I have lived in during my adult life is worldly. Not based on truth, not based on the Word. Funny how The Word and the World are only separated by an L, could the L equal Love? Hmm. I wonder. Why is it when I start moving forward in HIM, after a week or so, I spiral into depression? Probably, because I allow it, I am not putting on the armor of Christ! I am weak, HE IS STRONG!! Jesus loves us! He FIRST loved US! My friend Keisha, who took her own life a couple years ago, came to me in a dream last night. She said that everything in this world will pass. That it doesn't matter how skinny, beautiful, fashionable you are, the hurt will always be there because there is sin. Only the Joy of the Lord can combat the hurt, the day to day pain. Lean on Him and not on your own understanding. Death is death, life is life. We can live in the world, but not be of the world. Be strong in Him. Remember Psalm 16:11: “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” I just wanted to give a word of encouragement.