Swallowed up by life

Photo taken by: Cody J. Haines

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, ³ inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. ⁴ For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.  (2 Corinthians 5)

I have struggled with depression and anxiety most of my life.  I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder in my late 20’s.  I have run often to the Word of God for guidance, direction and wisdom.  I have sought the Lord for deliverance from these struggles, and I believe, over the course of time, He has delivered me in His own way.  Literally, I have had the privilege of experiencing the Transformation of a mind riddled with fear and distress, to one that experiences the Peace that Passes Understanding on most days now.  It has taken years of consistency in the Word to grow in Him this way.

So many times we want instant gratification, but most things worth having take a lot of hard work; such as, relationships, security, mental and emotional stability, contentment, etc.  All of these take years of, moment by moment, day by day, efforts.  On one particular day, years ago, I was sitting under my trees in the yard at my picnic table.  My depression and anxiety were at an all-time high at this point.  I was crying out to God for mercy and release.  He didn’t just take my anxiety away, nor did He cure my depression.  What He did was lead me to the above passage of Scripture and speak to me from it.  ² For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, ³ inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.

That is exactly what Anxiety and Depression do to you, they make you feel naked, unclothed, exposed.   But God spoke to me about this, on that fateful day, and it has forever changed how I look at my “struggles” with this issue.  O, how I longed to be clothed with my dwelling from Heaven, to be perfect in mind, body and Spirit.  And that will come, but for now, God asked me to consider my groaning as a reminder that I was not home yet, that I was a stranger in this world now.  He asked me to let the groaning remind me to run to Him often and always, to sit at His feet, and listen, learn and grow.  So whenever my symptoms would show up, which was often, even on medication, I would run to Him, seek His face, search the Word for wisdom on whatever the matter was that I was anxious about, and listen to Him speak to me from the Word.  Slowly, slowly, over time, My mind is being transformed.  The mortal is being swallowed up by life, New life, God’s life.

When I looked up the Word “swallowed,” I found that is means to devour, to drown, to swallow completely.  God has been drowning my depression and anxiety in the Sea of His Truth and Grace for years and years now.  What a joy, what a Glorious and Wonderful God of Love, Mercy and Wisdom we have.  He is truly our Dwelling from Heaven, our Place of Safety, our Refuge from the storms of this life, even the storms that rage inside of us.  I love how this Scripture tells us that we were:  prepared us for this very purpose. 

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.  (2 Corinthians 1)

May you be blessed with Wisdom from above as you seek His deliverance, guidance and grace with whatever matters are causing you any distress this day.  God bless you all.