On Restoration/2 Kings 8:6

The title of the chapter is “The Shunammite’s Land Restored”, and the verse reads, “And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed a certain officer for her, saying, ‘Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the land until now.” I encourage you to read the whole chapter, but it covers the Shunammite woman asking for her belongings to be restored after a seven-year famine. Famine. That sounds like a desolate place. That sounds like despair. That sounds like a lack of joy. That sounds like depression. Life hits hard, depression hits, and before some of us realize it we are now in the depths of depression seeming as if there is no way out. But there is a way out. There is hope. There IS restoration and healing. For years during my Bible study, I meditated on Isaiah 61 because in verse 1 there is a promise to heal the brokenhearted. I stayed in verse 1 for a long time because that’s where I was…brokenhearted. Eventually I read the next few verses and found this promise. Isaiah 61:3 describes the following exchange, “…the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…” Isn’t that how depression feels? Like a heavy weight. I was reflecting on my dark days of depression this morning, and I remember what it was like to have to fight mentally and emotionally to get out of the bed every single day. I jokingly groan in the mornings now because I’m not a morning person, but depression wasn’t dreading getting up because it was too early. This was a deep-rooted feeling of sadness that I could not shake, and since mine came from a broken heart, I was waiting for the day that I didn’t hurt anymore. In fact I didn’t dare ask for real happiness because for me, just wanting to get out of bed would have been enough. But God!!! He does more than we even think to ask for! He really did give me the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. And He can do that for you if you need Him too. And He can do that for those whom you love. This morning I felt the heaviness of my friends who are grieving the loss of loved ones. Genuinely felt the hole in my heart for someone who is no longer here. If that is you, I am lifting you up in prayer and praying for God’s supernatural comfort to encompass you today and over the coming days. If you are battling depression, I’m praying for you. I’m praying that God will show you the path to brighter days. If that means medical help, follow His lead. If that means reaching out to friends and family, I’m praying that you will connect to the people who will best meet you where you are. Readers, I’ve been there, and I know it is rough. I survived it to tell you that you can too.