Hello dear Channing.
I wanted to share something the Lord showed me long ago, and it is still with me today.
I pray it be a help to you.
Dark clouds can come in front of the Sun and seem like they are the real day. Things we feel are the same as those clouds.
It can be so very deceiving as to what is the true feelings of God.
So we really have to read the New Testament alot, and get that truth down into us, so the Holy Spirit will bring it to our recall, because our feelings are not trustworthy, but the Word of God is trustworthy.
What I was perceiving that made me so depressed at that time was like clouds on a cloudy day, dark clouds in front of the Sun.
I thought it was all real. But it wasn't. I was perceiving something other than the true feelings of God.
The Sun is there, but things in our lives-our feelings and emotions come in front of it. But the Sun is always shining regardless of the clouds we see.
It is the same with our Lord. .
Anything that gets in the way of our knowing the Lord's real presence which is loving us, caring about us, like a Shepherd with His little flock of sheep cares for them, or a Father with His child, loves them, nurtures them, cares for them. Any emotion that gets in the way of that true presence of the Lord is like a cloudy day.
It will pass as we pray, praise, worship, read the Bible, ask the Lord for help with it, go to church, the things He has given us to do. If we have sinned, just ask forgiveness, and turn from what we needed to repent of and look to the Lord for help.
His help to lead us out of it. Strengthen us. To hold fast to Him, and look to Him.
And we will find that as we do what He has given us to do like the little sparrows eat the food He has given to them, we eat ours, reading the Bible, prayer, praise, worship, talking to our Lord Who loves us.
We'll find that as we begin to do that, trust Him, we will begin to know the real Jesus.
Just like the Sun that was always there shining on us all along.
And His Sonshine is love, (His banner over you and all of us is Love)
He cares for you (cast your cares on the Lord for He cares for you)
nurturing, forgiveness, long patience, long suffering, healing, love, joy- all we need is there for us in His presence. And in His presence is fullness of Joy.
We have all kinds of emotions day to day and think they are real. But they are not always any different than the clouds on a dark day. They will pass and we will see the Sun shining down on us as we follow Him.
He loves us.
He loves you. The Bible says, He would not cast anyone out for any reason that comes to Him.
Clouds pass by daily. Trials, emotions, situations, circumstances, failings, different things. But the Son abides forever, faithful and true, loving us, never leaving us, not giving to us what we deserve, but having carried our sins on the cross, giving to us, forgiveness of sins and healing as we come to Him.
Just come like a child trusting Him for everything in our life and know that He is Love and loves you very much
and wants for you precious things in your life more than even you can imagine..
But the Lord is ever loving, never changing. Present, watching over you, loving you. Caring about you.