Tucked In

Ps.27:5-6 For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. 6 Then I will hold my head high above my enemies… At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.

Prov.15:13 (GW) “… with a heartache comes depression.” (emphasis added). Sometimes, things happen that attempt to keep us down, to make us depressed. The first thing is, do not deny it. Do not push it away, do not shrug it off, or try to play superman. Admit the fact that it hurts. The truth is that it does not matter what caused the heartache, it could be love issues, it could be economic issues. The only thing that matters is, Jesus is still on the throne. Real things happen that send us on different paths emotionally. 1 Sam.1:7&10 “…Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat… Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly…”

But one thing Hannah did was that she admitted how she felt. 1 Sam.1:15 (TLB) “… I am very sad …” The God’s Word translation reads, “… I’m depressed …”.  It is okay to admit the challenge. The first step to healing is actually admitting how you are feeling. For you to cheer up when you are feeling depressed, the first step is to admit how you are feeling. The second step is, to find a safe place. You need a place that you know is safe, a place where you can actually admit that it hurts and it is okay. A place where you can tell someone your struggles and your heartache. A place where it is okay to be you. You need a safe place. Ps. 26:12 (NCV) “I stand in a safe place. Lord, I praise You in the great meeting.” (emphasis added). The psalm is very powerful. 

When we are depressed, we just want to sit down, or lay low, or lay down. We want the world to forget about us, but God is saying it is at such times that you need to stand in a safe place. You need to find a safe place. We just want to recoil into our shell and shut everyone out. We want to just lay there and lick our wounds. However, standing takes more effort than sitting and lying down. It takes effort to stand. We just want to stay away from people and be depressed. But God says, for you to cheer up in spite of the depression, you need to find a safe place. 

Hannah knew where the safe place was for her. 1 Sam.1:9 (TLB) “… Hannah went over to the Tabernacle.  Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance.” Hannah found a safe place in God’s house. She knew that the tabernacle was a place of refuge. Hannah knew that at the tabernacle, she could be honest and open to God. She could pour her heart out and no one was going to laugh at her. 

Prayer (song): You are my hiding place. You always fill my heart with songs of deliverance whenever I am afraid. I will trust in You… Let the weak say I am strong… Amen!