Have you heard the story of how Joseph helped Egypt survive a terrible famine? God revealed it to Pharaoh in a dream, but Joseph had to interpret the dream and proffer a solution. He said in Genesis 41:29-30 (ESV), “There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land.”
This famine was supposed to consume the land, but because the Egyptians understood the seasons ahead of them, they survived by storing up for the rainy day. Sometimes, the secret to overcoming depression is understanding that nothing lasts forever. Life divides itself into sections called seasons.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-5 (ERV) says, “There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time. There is a time to be born and a time to die. There is a time to plant and a time to pull up plants. There is a time to kill and a time to heal. There is a time to destroy and a time to build. There is a time to cry and a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad and a time to dance with joy. There is a time to throw weapons down and a time to pick them up…”
In the above Scripture, you see good seasons and bad seasons. All of them exist for a purpose. Therefore, you must learn to outlive life’s rough and tough seasons. Yes, there will be nights of terrible darkness and days of exceeding great light. What you need is wisdom for every season; it gives you stability.Isaiah 33:6 (KJV) says, “And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times…”
In her book, “HEALING YOUR DEPRESSION,” Apostle L’Tanya C. Perry, MDiv. wrote, “Life is a journey where we all have to transition between times and seasons. At one moment, life is all rosy, filled with life, love, and laughter. At another moment, you’re grieving a loss and wondering why God would unexpectedly allow life to become so unfair to you despite His loving and merciful nature.
Regardless of His compassionate nature, God ordained the manifestation of these times and seasons for a reason. There is always a lesson to learn in each season. Thus, God, who ordained these seasons, expects that we all embrace and understand them so we can know what is required of us to maximize the blessings and opportunities in each season.
You need to ask God for this understanding in seasons of turbulence and difficulty. Pray that you rightly interpret the season’s purpose and seek God’s guidance. Most people have quit because they could see no light at the end of the tunnel. Little did they know that the night was at its darkest before dawn. Hold on; you’re a survivor.
Do you want to learn more about how to overcome depression and live a life full of laughter and fulfillment? Then get this life-transforming book, HEALING YOUR DEPRESSION by Apostle L’Tanya C. Perry, MDiv.