Overcoming the Spirit of Heaviness

We know that life is not usually easy and, at times, it can offer up some significant challenges. Often we are burdened by responsibilities and live in a world of broken lives and relationships. All of this, and more, can cause us to feel anxious, burdened and/or even depressed. How do we save ourselves during these seasons of our lives from being overwhelmed, downcast, and perhaps even hopeless?

Psalm 42:5-6 says:

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;

therefore I will remember you

from the land of the Jordan,

the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

The key is to focus on God, not our circumstances. We need to remember that He is knowledgeable and mindful of our situations even before we pray. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to "cast all our cares upon Him because He cares for us".

During times when we feel overwhelmed with darkness, we must surrender to Him and force our minds, wills and emotions to turn to God.  We must purposely put our hope in Him. At first, this is not easy, and it is even counter-intuitive, yet this is exactly what Dr. Jesus orders for us to overcome.

Tragically, the average person lives their lives based upon their emotions. They let emotions dictate their outlook and, in many cases, even their faith. As believers, we are called to live a life where our faith dictates to our emotions, not the other way around. This is what David said and did when he commanded his soul to put his faith in God. In may sound odd, but there are times when we must literally tell ourselves what to do. The soul (our mind, will, and emotions) must never run our lives. Instead, our spirits must dictate to our souls how to live, what to think. Of course, this requires that we exercise the discipline to grow our spirits strong by obeying God and His Word.

Romans 10:17 says: "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ".We build our faith by hearing the Word of God. If we want strong faith, it comes by continually reading, claiming, quoting, and praying God's Word. It is also very important that we proclaim/speak God's Word in our lives, situations and circumstances. Psalm 42:5 is an example of David speaking the Word of God to Himself. That is a very wise thing to do. We aren't just to read God's Word and think, "Oh, how nice". No, we actually speak God's Word and let it dictate to our lives and situations - we make everything obey and conform to His Word. Not only is every knee to bow before God, but also every thought, emotion, act, etc.,. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

One of the most powerful and effective ways to overcome negative emotions (depression, despair, worry, anxiety) is to praise and worship God. Again, this forces us to get to focus on Him and off our own lives and circumstances. It isn't that our lives and circumstances aren't important, it is rather that by focusing on God we can, with His help, cause everything to come into proper perspective. We also accomplish something very powerful when we worship. Worship is an act, on our behalf, of reverence and humility. This act is greatly received and rewarded by our King. He loves it when His people worship Him because it gives rightful honor due to His name and because He is the Great Lover of our souls. When we enter into His presence we are one mind and spirit with Him. It is here that we are renewed and strengthened. When we leave His presence, we come back into our realities transformed by His reality. Worship also releases our chains and breaks the spiritual strongholds in our lives. It literally releases the very power of God upon us and through us. Psalm 84:10 says, "better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere". 

Many people have testified to overcoming dark circumstances, incurable diseases and breaking spiritual bondages by worshiping and praising God. Worship is not a method of success. It is all about walking in deeper relationship, intimacy and power with God. 

The prophet Isaiah prophetically speaks of Jesus when he says in Isaiah 61:1-3:

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

because the LORD has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the LORD

for the display of his splendor. 

Isn't God wonderful! He is our Overcomer! His Spirit causes us to overcomes all heaviness.

The Blood That Answers The Accusation

Hebrews 12:23b-24 "You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."

The blood of Abel speaks about the first gross act of sin, recorded in scripture, after the fall of man. It speaks about innocent blood being shed. The blood of Abel cries out about the horrible injustice done to him. Abel's blood demands justice. It fully reveals sin, taking the cloak off of it and shows it for what it is - ugly and evil. Abel's blood speaks of the law and the requirements for justice.

Yet the blood of Jesus shed at the hands of murderers does not cry out for justice. It is justice applied. His blood answers the blood of Abel. The blood of Jesus covers over and thoroughly cleanses. It is God's answer to the sinful act of shedding Abel's blood. Instead of crying out for vengeance and justice, the blood of Jesus cries out to the lawbreaker about God's reconciliation and restoration. Abel's blood justly accuses, while Christ's blood answers that accusation with God's mercy and forgiveness.

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding" (Ephesians 1:7-8). Isn't it incredible that God "lavishes" the riches of His grace upon us? We committed sin, turned our backs on God, and yet He was pleased, even eager, to give us all mercy and forgiveness by sacrificing His only Son on our behalf. That is grace!

Who is he that accuses? Where are they that condemn?

John 8:1-11 says: "Jesus went across to Mount Olives, but he was soon back in the Temple again. Swarms of people came to him. He sat down and taught them. The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, "Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?" They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone." Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt. Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. "Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?""No one, Master.""Neither do I," said Jesus. "Go on your way. From now on, don't sin." (The Message)



"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7).

  Therefore, "I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:17b-19).

Those Who Fear Him Have An Inheritance

Psalm 61:5 - For you have heard my vows, O God; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

Recently, the Lord led me to Psalm 61. It is a beautiful psalm of David who cried out and found God, His rock and refuge. In verse 4, David said that he longed to dwell in God's presence and take refuge in the shelter of His wings. This imagery is both powerful and rich.

Verse 5 holds an important truth and blessing for those who will meditate on it and believe it. Specifically, those who fear God have a "heritage" in Him. Some versions use the word "inheritance". We can safely infer that those who don't "fear" God do not have any such hope and blessing. The Hebrew word for fear used in this verse is "yare" and it is translated to mean "to revere", to have "reverence".

Notice that the beginning of verse 5 states that God heard David's vows (prayers). The reason David's prayers were heard was because he feared/reverenced God. Fearing God puts everything in proper perspective. We recognize that He is the rightful Lord of our lives and that we must be dependent upon Him, in essence it creates humility within us. Fear of God also causes our hearts to be open and receptive to hear from Him and to obey His commands. It allows God to have the most important place in our lives. We know that we cannot claim to love God unless we obey Him (John 14:21). So reverence and fear are absolutely essential to our love-relationship with the Lord.

Here are just a few of the promises and blessings we have when we fear God: According to Psalm 111:10, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and all who follow God's precepts have good understanding. Blessed is everyone who fears God and walks in His ways, according to Psalm 128:1. God takes pleasure in those who fear Him (Psalm 147:11). Also, His goodness is stored up for those who fear Him, which He gives to those who take refuge in Him (Psalm 31:19-20).

Fearing God opens the gate for us to have a heritage and inheritance from Him. God desperately wants to richly bless those who love and fear His name. Psalm 5:12 says: "For you, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor you will surround him as with a shield." 2 Chronicles 16: 9 says: "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

Our inheritance in God is extravagant because He extravagantly blesses those who fear and obey Him. Deuteronomy 28:1-13 states: "If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you. The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom." These pronounced blessings are so great that they are almost overwhelming. While these promises were given to His people Israel, they are, however, also for us today because God does not change.

In Ephesians 1:3, we are told that the Father blesses us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Everything that Christ had and has is ours because it is the Father's will to give it to us. Because we are in Christ we lack nothing. Additionally, 2 Peter 1:3-4 says: "His divine power has given us EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires".

To fear God is to have a heritage in Him – a history, an identity, and a purpose for our lives. The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 1:18-20 - "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power toward us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."

If we love Him much we will also revere Him much. When this characterizes our lives and testimonies, we shall walk in abundant and overflowing blessing because He will release to us our inheritance, which is reserved for those who love and fear His name.