Hi my friends,

 

We’ve just come through Blue Monday. It rolls around every year on the third Monday in January. It is supposedly the saddest day of the year. We can find ourselves in sub-zero weather this time of year (spring feels like a looooong way off), looking at our post-Christmas credit card bills and realizing we might already be breaking our new year’s resolutions.

 

Of course, anyone who struggles with depression knows that it isn’t just a 24-hour thing (wouldn’t that be nice?). There is a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a form of depression that may manifest in certain seasons. This can produce irritability, persistent low mood, and feelings of worthlessness.

 

Studies have shown that January/February can be a very difficult time for people. I know I can find myself susceptible to gloomy times as well.

 

So, how do we combat that?

 

There are lots of ways including medication, counselling, exercise, diet, and community, but all of those stem from one main source: Jesus Christ. He is the One most able to fill that empty void in our hearts. He is the One most able to give us supernatural joy in the midst of dark times.

 

There is a great verse in John that sheds some light on this subject.

 

                        For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. (John 5:21)

 

The Bible teaches that Jesus came to give us life to the full. That means that He is there for us in our most difficult times to encourage and comfort us, to help us get back up on our feet and to keep going. Ultimately, to give life to whom He is pleased to give it.

 

Are you feeling like there are areas in your life that are dead? Maybe it’s your hope and optimism.  Maybe it’s your relationships, your marriage, your family, your faith.

 

You need the miracle of life.

 

Jesus is authorized and able to give you life. To breathe fresh life into your heart. To give you hope and joy and peace. He loves you very much and wants you to experience the freedom and happiness that He offers.

 

I wish I could tell you that all your sorrow and sadness and depression can be wiped away in this life, but I can’t. I can promise you, though, that one day, they will all be wiped away. God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

 

In the meantime, I have felt great comfort from His Spirit and His Word.

 

If you are going through a difficult time these days, I would encourage you to read the Psalms. Psalms 42 and 71 have been particularly comforting to me in dark times and I pray that they would bless you, too.

 

Don’t give up hope. Comfort is just around the corner. Jesus is pleased to give you life. Receive that gift today.

 

This Sunday will be the last in our Boot Camp series in which we have been looking at Micah 6:8. I will be preaching on the topic of doing justly. I am looking forward to it. This one was hard for me to write for some reason; it took me three times longer to write this one than normal. But I am trusting that God will use my simple words and thinking to bless you.

 

I hope you have a great weekend and that the Lord Jesus fills you with joy.

 

I love being your pastor.

 

Pastor Tim