Devotionals for the Heart: Hope for when you're in a dark season of life

Without Reproach
A devotional by Aubrey Taylor

“You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now He has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”—Colossians 1:21-22 (NLT)

Have you ever come across a devotional that was spot on and filled with perfect encouragement for those whose faith just needs a little boost, yet you feel worse after reading it than you did when you picked it up?

Perhaps you thought: Lord, why isn’t this true for me? I do all these things, yet I don’t feel any better! Even though I’ve been living free from chronic depression for three years, I am still sensitive to the way I would have felt during the darkest seasons of my life. I can read at a devotional or listen to a sermon and remember how I would have received it as someone who was severely depressed.

I realize that many devotional writers write for a general audience and simply cannot address every nuance in the human experience, but I also remember my experiences all too well. To those who find themselves in a season of depression, you are not alone. While there are many devotionals that are not written for you in this season, this one is.

We don’t always know how to interpret the feelings of depression, and others don’t know what advice to give. When we take well-intentioned suggestions such as, “Spend more time in the Word of God or turn on more worship music,” the hopelessness does not go away. We begin to internalize and blame ourselves, seeing sin in our life that is not there. This leads to feelings of condemnation, which leads to more depression. It is a vicious cycle.

Do you feel like words on a page, in a sermon, or in a song only serve to condemn you? Is Romans 8:1 (NLT) that says, “there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus”, something you know in your head but not in your heart?

At some point in my depressed past, I began to identify with the word reproach. I felt reproached by so many things—even things in the Word of God. The Collins Dictionary defines the word “reproach” this way: “to impute blame to (a person) for an action or fault; rebuke to bring disgrace or shame upon.” In light of that definition, let’s read the words from Colossians 1:21-22 (NLT) again. It says, “This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”

If you are still battling your way through depression, if you haven’t found healing yet, whether supernatural or through medication or counseling or a combination of all three, hold onto this verse: “You are holy and blameless before Him without a single fault.”

God doesn’t look at your depression, or your inability to pull yourself up out of it, as a fault. Furthermore, the reproach you are feeling may not be an indication of any sin. It is very much tied to a marred perception of God’s heart. The promise that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus is more than empty words. God wants you to know it in your heart and experience it in your life.

If you are going through a dark season, I want to encourage you that there is healing. Your route to healing may not look like someone else’s. For me, it has included years of counseling with a godly woman who helped me re-structure my thought life, and medication to balance things that were out of sync. As He promises to do in 2 Corinthians 1:4, God has used this drawn-out process to help me understand others who are suffering, comforting me in my affliction so that I may turn and comfort those who are in affliction. Someday, He will use your suffering for His glory as well—and for the comfort of others.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You that Your Word is true. There is truly no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus! Because of Your sacrificial death, I stand before You, blameless without a single fault. Even if I don’t feel that way, it is the truth. Help me begin to see myself and my life the way You see me. Please guard my ears and heart so that I stop sensing condemnation and reproach when what I need is encouragement and comfort. Guide me into healing, so that what I have suffered may be used for Your glory. 

In Jesus’s name I pray, 

Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: "My Prayer for You" by Alisa Turner. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: "Hold On" by Katy Nichole. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #3: "I Almost Let Go" by Kurt Carr. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

As a child, Aubrey spent countless hours creating characters and writing stories.

 

Thirty years later, she took up her pen again, uniting her fascination for history with her passion for redemption. The stories she creates are a unique brand of gritty, honest wartime sagas, written from the German perspective.

Aubrey is the mother of three children, and she is married to her best friend Brian.

When she’s not writing or taking care of home and family, she can often be found making music, reading, or spending time with friends.

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Connect with Aubrey:
Website: www.aubreytaylorbooks.com
Blog: www.aubreytaylorbooks.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aubreytaylorbooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubreytaylorbooks/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aubtaybooks