A Way Through to Victory

“The Lord is my strength and my song. He has become my victory… I will not die but I will live to tell what the Lord has done.” Psalm 118:14, 17 NLT

Are you stuck? Stuck in a dead-end job, stuck in a relationship gone bad, stuck in a house that turned into more than you can handle? Or maybe you’ve lost a loved one or lost a friendship through a tragic misunderstanding. Now you feel lost, in limbo and without purpose. Possibly even hopeless.

Depression has a way of finding you in these situations. Like a mist that settles into a valley, the oppression envelopes you, so thick you can’t see your way through. Like sleep overtakes a person in the final stages of hypothermia, you are slowly succumbing to the dark numbness, the shroud of depression.

We all face times of sadness. It’s a natural part of the life cycle. The mistake comes when you settle into those dark valleys of the soul and take up residence… or when they take residence in you. You err when you embrace the idea that this is all there is, and in that belief, stop moving, stop pursuing something more—a way out, a way through.

Valleys like this are a walk of faith, a testing of your belief system. Either God is good… or he’s not. Either there is something bright ahead in your future… or this is all there is. Remember, this is a pilgrimage with a promise.

“Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs where pools of blessing collect after the rains! They will continue to grow stronger…” (Psalm 84:5–7a NLT).

It’s in these moments of despair that you must strengthen yourself in the Lord. Throw off the heaviness, throw off the shroud. Pull your hiking boots back on and set your mind to walk. Step by step, find your way forward and through this valley.

As you do, the tears you’ve cried will somehow miraculously accumulate as pools of blessing. Joy will return. Strength will come back as you determine to find your way forward. Trust God in this and you will find your way through to brighter days.

Pray: “Lord, come be my strength and my song. Refresh my life! I throw off depression and declare my victory in you. Amen.”

Seek: What is making you feel stuck or weighed down? Bring it before the Lord, then stir your faith and set your mind to move forward. Trust him for new strength.

Speak: God is my strength and my song! He is my victory.

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Excerpted from Through the Valley—Move Your Life Forward in God from Family Christian Publishing. Find out more and receive the free resource, “Enter In—A Guided Prayer to Draw Near to God” at LauraWoodworth.com