Promises from the Pit

Mary Southerland

Today's Truth
"You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light" (Psalm 18:28, NIV).

Friend to Friend
Have you ever received a gift that you wanted to return but couldn't? I certainly felt that way about the pit of depression when I first experienced it. I wanted to take this nasty black hole to the nearest "Pit Store" and exchange it for a tall mountain of victory. But I have come to the place where I thank God for what He has done in my life through the pit of depression. Anything that makes us cry out to God can be counted as a blessing.

We all have a pit of some kind in our lives. Your pit may not be depression. It may be an addiction that you find hard to conquer. Your pit may be a difficult relationship or a life plan gone wrong. It may be a diagnosis of cancer or a chronic physical disease that keeps your broken, wondering if God even cares. He does. I know because I am what you might call a seasoned "pit dweller." Let me share some truths I have learned through my struggle with the pit of depression.

Postpartum's Gaping Black Hole

I had no idea what was happening to me. I only knew that the worst thing in the world was to be conscious.by Denise Blumberg

\My first struggle with Postpartum Depression occurred when I was still living in the United States, with my husband and three kids. I was 33 years old, and had for the previous six years been working on my Ph.D. A mere two weeks after submitting the final draft of my thesis, I gave birth to a healthy, eight-pound baby girl. She was born at home, by choice, and I was surrounded by friends and care-givers.

The period immediately following her birth was exhilarating. My Ph.D. came through during Sukkot, which added to an already festive Yom Tov. Life was normal and happy. I was busy with the kids, tending to my family's needs, the house, going back to aerobics classes – all the normal functions of daily living.

Formation Toolbox : Spiritual Gravity

By Andrew Dalton

Most of us flushed whatever physics we learned in high school from our memory on graduation day, however the same Sir Isaac Newton who once grieved us can actually help us answer the following question: What is the efficacy of our prayer?

Jesus says, “Ask and you shall receive.” Yet how are we supposed to process that? Do my prayers save souls? Do my sacrifices “win grace” for others?

Grace, by definition, is always sheer gift. So do prayers actually “work”? To put the question bluntly, is there anything in “fighting for righteousness” for me or for anyone else?