The darkest hours of our life is a given situation to all. During those times it is very difficult to keep in touch with God in a calm way. We may complain to God, we may go to church, and we may pray, but it is difficult to pray constantly. Many say that it is impossible to read Bible. Many times, you can feel as if the Bible was not comforting. You might have read verses like:
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11
But your heart was less than hopeful, feeling the pull toward despair. How can God be good when we are suffering? Where is God’s power to take away this sadness? All of those questions plagued us night after night. Every time we try to pray, read Bible, or think about God, we may feel like a hypocrite. Did we really believe these words when my world felt small, overwhelming, and sad?
After reading that book, I learned a few lessons about depression. First, it was not a
Your suffering is not a punishment, and it was not because you are a sinner. God cannot be angry with you. Rather to be desperate, you should understand the “Who” behind your suffering rather than the “why.” From that, you can learn that it is not hypocritical to read Bible out of duty during times of depression.
There is a general notion about reading Bible should be all about connecting with God and feeling the comfort and peace available in Him. You might have felt for years you gained so much knowledge, comfort, peace, joy, and strength from the Bible. Until one day, deep in your depression, you feel nothing after reading the Bible. You realized reading Bible during that time wasn’t about feeling anything. It was ok not to feel anything.
Reading Bible is for your good, even if I can’t see the good right away. So how do we keep reading our Bible when we feel depressed? Here are some truths and tips to keep with you as you navigate life with depression. The truths are there for you to believe, and the tips are there for you when you can’t seem to go on.
Truths about Bible Reading When You Are Depressed
God has not left you. Even when you can’t feel Him, see Him, or understand what He is doing. God has not forgotten you. The world might have walked out, but God doesn’t just leave. His presence is not based on our feelings. Knowing God is near is a belief we hold on to with our minds. Believe this is true because it is, not because you see it or feel it.
Time in God’s Word is never wasted. The Bible can bring comfort, but it might not always right away. There is still value in reading our Bible, even when we don’t feel different. Keep reading because you will reap the benefits of reading and studying the Bible, even if it’s not the right way.
Tips for Reading the Bible When You Are Depressed
1. Get a Bible reading plan. Don’t wake up each day and not know where you will be reading in the Bible. If that’s the case, you won’t read. Get a plan.
2. Have someone read aloud to you. In the middle of the night, when I was awake with sadness, my husband would get out his Bible and read out loud in the Book of Psalms. He would just read the words. We wouldn’t talk about them, just read them.
3. It is ok to just read. You don’t have to journal; you don’t have to do a Bible study. Sometimes just reading the words is all you can muster. That’s ok.
If you say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139:11-12
God is not afraid of the dark. God is not hidden in the dark. God is found in the dark. Not only that, He has provided a light for our path. That light is God’s Word.