Sunday, October 4, 2015

31 Days of Hope - October 4


I just found out about #Write31Days and it really resonated within my heart that I wanted to do this. My poor blog has been badly neglected because I have not been able to garner the energy to write here like I did. This seems like the perfect opportunity to get back to my writing and my blog - which I love and feel called to do. Although I won't be doing the full 31 days since I just found out about this, I'm going to start today and write every day in October on my blog about HOPE.

Why am I so depressed?
Why this turmoil within me?
Put your HOPE in God, for I will still praise Him,
my Savior and my God.
Psalm 42:5

I love this Scripture because God always, always has in His Word something about situation or feelings that we're going through. I have been battling depression and have a lot of turmoil going on in my mind. It's been tougher for me the past few months then it was when I was going through all the surgeries and infections of last year. While I was going through everything, I told myself to stay strong and I was so focused on getting well that I never really allowed myself to grieve or feel everything. Sure, I had one or two days where I was down, but it passed quickly because I had to stay focused on getting well. Now, it all comes at me and it can be very overwhelming. 

However, God is there - He never leaves my side. He understands my feelings and He tells me to have HOPE. He is my Savior and my God and I do praise Him. He saw me through all these things and, as I've said many times, He had His hand on me the entire time. This could have been so much worse but God saw me through it all. 

I don't know what God has planned for me, but I know it's something. He would not have brought me through this without a plan. Knowing He has a plan for me gives me HOPE! I know that it's perfectly normal to grieve everything I've been through - the losses I've endured - but those losses don't define me and they aren't the end of my story. 

If you're going through something hard or you're grieving losses, can I encourage you that this is not the end of your story either? Hold tight to the Lord - stay in the Word! I can tell you that the neglect of my time spent with God in prayer and reading the Bible has greatly contributed to my depression. I have been putting my time with Him first again and it helps so much. God gives us the HOPE we need and the love we need. When others forsake us, He never, ever does. Keep your HOPE in Him and know that our days are going to get brighter and that He will be using whatever we've been through or are going through, to His glory! I'm so thankful for God and that I can always go to Him and put my HOPE in Him! He is always faithful!

Blessings - Julie 

2 comments:

  1. amen, there are many more chapters left in your story dear.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very inspiring Julie! I have been reading the Bible every day this year. I will finish it by year's end. It has kept me closer to God.

    ReplyDelete

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