Copyright © 2019 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.
The Power of One Little Word
Timing is Everything
Psalm 31:15
My Times are in your hands.
Andrew Murray was a South African pastor who visited England in 1895. While there, an old back injury flared up causing him to go on bed rest. The lady of the house he was staying at came to him one day because of a friend of hers was in bad shape. She asked Murray if he had any words of encouragement for her friend. He quickly handed her a piece of paper he had been writing on with words of encouragement for himself. It said,
“In times of trouble say:
First- God brought me here. It is by His will I am in this strait place. In that, I will rest.
Next-He will keep me in His love and give me grace in this trial to behave as his child.
Then-He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace he means to bestow.
Last-In his good time He can bring me out again-how and when he knows.
I am here-By God’s appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time.”
In this age of microwaves, drive-thrus, and instant pots, we want everything NOW! We would do good to remember that everything is in God’s hands and God’s timing. He knows where we are at and what we are going through. He knew we would be there long before we did. He will be there through it all and with us all the time. His love and grace will see us through, even in our darkest pit.
Copyright © 2019 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.
Saved in Torment
Psalms 18:4-6 & 16
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
When I put these verses together, I read my life. I read my struggle with mental illness. I read my salvation from suicide.
Today I am thankful there is no pit deep enough, that his love can not reach down and resue me.
Copyright © 2019 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.
He’s Got Your Back Even in the Dark
Psalms 139: 5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.
When depression takes over, you can feel like you are engulfed in the darkness. No one can see you. Life just seems to go on around you and no one cares.
I can promise you someone does see you and someone does cares.
God is always there. He always sees you and he always cares even when we don’t see him or feel him. He has our six. You have hedged me behind and
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You (Psalms 139:7-12).
Even in the depths of the pit that surrounds you, God can see you bright as day. He has his eye on you. You are not alone. Call out for him. Let your voice be heard. He will see you through.
Copyright © 2018 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.
Yet I Will Rejoice
Habakkuk 3:18
yet I will rejoice in the LORD. I will be joyful in God my savior.
When depression, anxiety, and PTSD hit, they take me down, down deep into the pit. I feel like I am drug swiftly and hard. I grab for anything around to hold on to, but it breaks within my grasp. I can see I am losing touch with reality, but I cannot stop it.
The weight is heavy on my heart and mind. The darkness surrounds and swallows me up. It is too late. No turning back now. I must survive.
How long will it last?
How deep will I go?
Will I find my way back?
Am I lost forever this time?
I don’t know. I need to focus on surviving this moment.
I need to laugh. I need to smile. I need to fight back.
I’m too tired. It hurts. I have nothing left in me.
Then, I hear it, a small distant voice. I am not sure if I am imagining it. It is so faint. “Let Go. Let me hold you.”
Soon, I catch a glimpse of a very faint light. A flicker. It takes all my remaining strength to focus on this beautiful sound and light. I fight the urge to turn away. Then I let go. I don’t fight. I just sit and wait.
A familiar peace starts warming my soul. The light brightens. The voice gets louder. It soon repeats in my heart, “yet I will rejoice in the LORD. I will be joyful in God my savior” (Habakkuk 3:18).
My lips tremble at first. My voice is silent. No air passes my vocal cords, not even a squeak. I am being choked and cannot scream out for help.
I press on with determination from deep within. “Let your voice be heard” starts pounding now, in my head. LET! YOUR! VOICE! BE! HEARD!
My lips part. They begin to move, “yet I will rejoice in the LORD. I will be joyful in God my savior.” Again! AGAIN! A-G-A-I-N!
My voice is now booming. The darkness struggles to hold on. It loses its grip. It scrambles and tightens its talons, but I slip through.
My strength returns. I stand up tall and straight. The light around me is so bright. The voice is loud and harsh and together we dispel the darkness.
I AM FREE!
Copyright © 2018 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.
Overwhelmed with Troubles, Near Death, in a Pit, without Strength.
Hebrew 11:1
Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
In the throes of depression, anxiety or even a PTSD attack, I feel alone. I feel I am in the pit. I am surrounded by darkness.
Yet, in this darkness that is full of evil, sadness, hatred, anger a sweet sickening voice calls out softly. It pretends to be my friend. It pretends to understand. It pretends to comfort me. It says things like…
Life is so hard. Your life is a struggle. It just isn’t worth it. Just give in. You are so tired. It would e easier if you just give up. You don’t want to fight anymore. You can’t fight anymore. Everyone else would be so much better without you in their lives. That is what you really want. you are a selfless, loving person. You want what is best for them. So go ahead. Do what is best for them.
In the pit, I feel like Psalms 88:3-4
I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death. I am counted among those who go down to the pit. I am like one without strength.
Yes, I am overwhelmed with troubles, near death, in a pit, without strength.
But, wait! These words are in God’s word. God knows where I am. God knows what I am feeling. He used the exact words I am feeling. He even knows I feel like I am crying out to Him and He is rejecting me (Ps 88:14).
He has also provided a magic word to see me through the pit. There is one word, just five little letters long, that will see me out of this pit. That word is FAITH!
The writer of Hebrews us in chapter 11 verse 1 said,
Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
So, where does this leave me in my pit of despair? It leaves me confident that as I hope for God to save me and assurance that even though I don’t see Him right now He is there.
THAT IS FAITH!
