Healing for Veterans and Their Families

Scriptures: Psalms 23:4, Proverbs 12:25

Depression Is Not Part of God’s Plan

Depression is a common attack from the enemy. It sneaks in and settles on your shoulder. Then it slowly convinces you that it is your friend as it whispers into your ears, mind, and heart. 

When you find that you can no longer do what you used to do, it is quite common for signs of depression to manifest. Whether older, injured, discharged from the service, or retired, your abilities and opportunities seem very different. Perhaps you once were a CEO, a teacher, a nurse, or a decorated member of the armed forces. Now suddenly, your identity has dissolved into something you don’t recognize. The familiar proverbial door has closed and the door to depression can swing wide open.

But God doesn’t want you to live with depression’s chains paralyzing you. He tells us to fear no evil no matter what. Even if you are walking through the valley of depression, He is there with you. You may have periods of despair, pain, and loss during your life, but never set up camp and stay there! 

Many times, trauma will bring on depression. Trauma can come from a variety of areas, such as divorce, death, financial ruin, loss of a job or career, traumatic injury, or loss of bodily function. When trauma comes in, the body produces a stress hormone that attacks your immune system, your joy, and your life. Don’t let it! Pray, “Father, give me a spirit of joy. Father, in the name of Jesus, I command what the enemy has stolen to be restored. Right now, I want my joy and my life to be restored.” 

Depression is not God’s plan for you. Instead, He has an awesome plan for your life, a good and hopeful future. Get up and get moving. Like King David, confidently declare to the Lord that you’re not afraid. Run through the valley of the shadow of death and come out on fire in Jesus’s name. God wants you completely free from fear, anxieties, and other emotional chains. 

Job lost everything. He had the opportunity to get depressed. His wife said, “Curse God and die” (Job 2:9). But Job didn’t listen to her. And in return, the Word says in Job 42 that Job received twice as much as he had before.  

Scriptures: Joshua 24:15, Jeremiah 29:11

Fighting Stress and PTSD

If you are suffering from stress or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), take your concerns, worries, and fears to God. He can take much better care of them than you can. God is always thinking about you. Lay all of your cares and issues at the foot of the cross. Don’t sneak back and pick them up again. Nothing ever alters or changes until you lay it on the altar. 

If you are feeling overwhelmed, your doctor can recommend a therapist or counselor, group therapy, or perhaps medications. Many churches have specially designed groups to help others, so whether you need help or want to help others, a church is always a good place to start.

Avoid situations that you know can trigger high-powered emotions of anger or frustration. Walk away before things get out of control. Nothing positive gets accomplished in the heat of anger. 

What you allow into your life, your mind, or your body must eventually come out. Concentrate on positive things and reject the negative. That includes people, TV, radio, books, and everything else. Keep your mind focused on the goodness of God.

Here are some questions to ask yourself during each day:

· Can I glorify Christ by listening to this song? Watching this program? Looking at this website?

· Are the people around me helping me or dragging me downward? 

· What is the best and most productive thing I can do today?

· Am I keeping my mind fixed on the Lord or am I getting distracted by the enemy? 

Victory with healing, recovery, and life in general comes with a commitment to and faith in God. When you need encouragement, go to His Word. It is available 24/7 when your mentor, friend, or spouse is not. Read the daily suggested Scripture passages. It is best to read them out loud so you hear the words as well as see them. This is not an extensive listing of God’s beautiful promises. You can certainly do your own research and find other verses from the Bible that fit your situation. 

Scriptures: Luke 6:37, Matthew 18:21-22

Forgive Others As God Forgives You 

If you’re hurting because of someone or something in your past, your recovery is often dependent on forgiveness. Yes, you should ask God to forgive you, but you have to forgive those who hurt you, too. 

If you’ve been injured in combat or lost a buddy, remember that Jesus tells us to love and forgive our enemies.

Anyone who sinned against you isn’t hurt when you don’t forgive them. Instead, unforgiveness holds you captive and destroys your life. They don’t deserve your forgiveness just like you didn’t deserve God’s forgiveness. Getting free is a choice to obey God’s Word. 

From the cross at Calvary, Jesus cried, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Just as God forgives you for committing a sin, you must forgive the person who hurt you. You are not forgiving what they did to you; you are forgiving their wrong choice. You take that sin, place it on the cross, and leave it there. 

What if they come back and hurt you again? Some believe Christians are weak because they don’t fight back. But it takes a strong person to follow Jesus’s instructions and example. 

Your prayer and your forgiveness do not release the person who has wronged you from answering to God for their actions. God says, “Vengeance is Mine” (Romans 12:19). He will deal with that person for what they did to you. There is little that you can do to get back at anyone. God, on the other hand, knows them well and can reach them where they can’t hide or run away. 

Forgiveness is part of God’s nature. He forgives you numerous times a day. Christians must learn to walk in forgiveness all along their journey. Part of your recovery is to learn this important and difficult lesson. Make sure you have confessed all sin to the Father and forgive others so you can be forgiven.

There is no sin so horrible that God cannot forgive you. He knows all of your actions, words, and thoughts from your first breath of life to your last. If He can forgive the men who killed His only Son, He can forgive you. Don’t ever say you can’t forgive yourself. You do not have that power. Forgiveness comes from God, not you. Accept His forgiveness and be healed. 

Scriptures: Proverbs 3:5-6, Numbers 6:24-26, Ephesians 6:13

God’s Love Sets You Free

When you’re hurting, every negative comment, look, or thought adds another brick to the wall of isolation you build around yourself. Each spiteful jab from another is like a little arrow that pierces you. The pain is not easy to manage, so you add another brick.

However, healing those wounds can be easy. Your protection from further damage is love—love like you have never experienced before. It will pour out of you to overflow others who are also trapped. 

You may hear the comment, “God is teaching you something.” That’s not true. God gives good things, not bad things. He loves you. He gave life to you. He gives you every breath and every heartbeat. He didn’t create you to punish you with calamity or pain! Indeed, He is the One who can take that pain away and heal you completely. 

God is Love. He doesn’t pour calamity all over you to teach you any lessons. He may allow some stress into your life at times. Just as a child must learn how to handle a hot stove or a sharp object, you have to know how to handle life’s ups and downs. 

If bad things don’t come from God, where do they come from? Throughout the Bible, you read about opposing spiritual forces. There is good (God) and evil (Satan). God created man to live in a peaceful, rewarding relationship with Him for eternity. Satan rebelled and was thrown out of heaven. His warped, twisted mind is still fighting the battle to become a god himself. He will do whatever he can to separate God from His creation, His children. 

Every bad thing doesn’t mean Satan is everywhere causing trouble for everyone. Man’s evil nature comes up with some of the trouble all by itself. But Satan has many fallen angels who can speak wicked suggestions into man’s ear. It is up to man to judge those thoughts against God’s Word and make the choice to follow God or give in to evil ideas.

You can find the answers you need within God’s Word. You may see something different every time you read certain parts of the Bible, depending on what you need at the time and what God wants to tell you. His Word is truly amazing. 

Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:7, Isaiah 41:10

Just Talk to God

Praying is simply talking to God. No fancy words are necessary and you don’t need any particular place or time. Use words you understand. The most common prayer may simply be, “Father, help!”

If you need more guidance, try this prayer: 

Father, I know I haven’t always made the right choices or said the right words. Please forgive me. I need Your help. Please, Jesus, come into my heart right now and guide my thoughts, actions, and footsteps. I want to walk in Your perfect will for my life. Open my mind and heart. Show me what I need to do to live in Your freedom and love. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

God hates sin, but He loves you, the sinner. He forgives you for making a wrong choice in that situation. He wants to guide you to make the correct choice next time. Pay attention to Him and obey what He says. 

God has His instructions clearly written in His Word. A person may think they are good because they have obeyed the Ten Commandments their entire life, but that’s just one part of the instructions and explanations found throughout the Bible.

Remember, God wants only good things for you, but the enemy wants to undermine your self-esteem and happiness. You share good news with a close friend—a promotion, a bountiful garden harvest, or successful book launch—and Satan plants seeds of jealousy or resentment. Your friend says, “You’re going to be working sixty hours a week.” “I bet it’s all zucchini!” “Who’s going to buy that?”

When the Bible mentions the enemy, it is talking about Satan and his minions—the spirits of depression, death, pain, destruction, fear, anger, and everything else trying to hurt you. Satan’s job is to destroy you. God’s job is to save you. You choose!

Don’t give another person the power to destroy you or your dreams. No one should have that much control of your life. Others are not going to see everything the same way you see it. God has them on their own path. 

Asking advice from another is fine as long as you use wisdom in choosing the person. Advice on writing a book shouldn’t come from a child. Discussing spiritual matters with an atheist is a waste of time. Seek counsel from a person who knows something about your situation. 

Scriptures: Ephesians 6:10-11, 1 Peter 5:8-9

Wear the Whole Armor of God

So many times, Christians put on the helmet of salvation to protect their minds and keep them centered on Jesus. But where’s the breastplate of righteousness to protect their heart? Where’s the shield of faith to block Satan’s attacks? We need the whole armor of God to be able to live a sanctified life, set apart in the world, but not of the world. 

You had uniforms to wear while you were in the service—a dress uniform, everyday uniform, and perhaps camouflage khakis. Now you need to put on the armor of God, His uniform. Remember, even the words you speak become part of your armor. Praise surrounds you with God’s protection. 

When you read Ephesians 6:10–17, you will notice that the armor of God is on the front. That’s because we’re on the offensive and not running from the enemy. God always sends His people to stand in the gap and guard our back.

Soldiers in the Israeli army sleep with their boots on and one hand on their weapon. They’re prepared for attack around the clock. We too need to be prepared at all times to go to war against the enemy of our souls. He’s sneaky and devious and will try to throw all kinds of trouble at you. Jesus told his followers, “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12). You can sit back and allow the enemy to walk all over you, or you can get up, be forceful, and take God’s side. Walk out His calling on your life. No one can make that choice for you. It’s up to you.

Accept God’s Word, accept His Son and the Holy Spirit living within you. Listen to His sweet voice. Obey His Word. Peace like a river will truly flood over your soul and wash over those around you. 

The enemy will still try to sit on your shoulder and whisper, “Oh, what about the time you did that…” or “You weren’t really healed. That was just emotion!” Just laugh at the enemy! Tell him, “Talk to my big brother, Jesus!”

Keep your boundaries up and spiritual armor intact. Remember, you have an assignment from God. Stay physically and spiritually healthy so you can fight the battle and enjoy the victory. 

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:57-58, Genesis 50:20

God Can Use You in a Mighty Way

No matter what troubles and trials you face, God is ready to use you in a mighty way. He can give you a heart of compassion and work through your hands, your mouth, and your heart to help others who are desperate for the right answers. Be His conduit and reach out! There is nothing too hard for God. 

Make a list of all the things you have thought about doing. God gives you those dreams and the means with which to accomplish them. Choose just one thing every day and do something toward a goal. Maybe you want to work on one thing each week. You decide. 

Since God has brought you safely through your past and all those challenges, the call of God on your life will always remain there. The important thing is, what will you do with it? You may ignore it, you may talk yourself out of it, people may try to talk you out of it, or circumstances and opportunities may distract you right out of the will of God. Opportunities will come and they will go, but what you do with them makes a difference. It is so important that you follow the voice of God and do what He calls you to do.

Genesis 50:20 tells us, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”

Once you understand this verse, you’ll also realize that God can use your situation for His glory. You may feel your life is no longer productive or worthwhile. Well, guess again! God has guided you through every step of your journey and He hasn’t given up on you yet. He has many exciting adventures waiting for your future. 

Happiness, joy, peace, and excitement are waiting for you. His provision is waiting for you to receive, pick up, and run. God wants you to start off your day speaking to Him and asking for His guidance. He is the best Commander in Chief we can have.

Accept God’s Word, accept His Son and the Holy Spirit living within you. Listen to His sweet voice. Obey His Word. Peace like a river will truly flood over your soul and wash over those around you.