Characteristic Twelve of a Believer-Hunger

“God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.” Mathew 5:6 Yesterday, I introduced you to Dr. Michelle Bengtson as a humble servant of the Lord. Today, Beloved I would like to share with you her labor of love where she hungers for justice of those that suffer from depression, her message is hope. She has over 25 years experience as a neuropsychological in the diagnosis and treatment of medical and mental disorders such as depression. Do you know someone who suffers from depressions or perhaps you suffer from depression?

Beloved the twelfth characteristic of a born-again believer is one that hungers and thirst after righteousness. Hunger’s defined as have a strong want or craving for something such as food. The synonyms are desire, crave, or covet. Elijah hungered after God. We see him fight a valiant fight against the 450 prophets of Baal. He finds out from a messenger about the threat of Jezebel. Despite the victory, he fears Jezebel in 1 Kings 19: 1-4 he becomes despondent and discouraged. He sits down and tells the Lord in verse 4, he prayed that he might die.

 “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 1 Kings 19: 4

According to Dr. David Jeremiah, he faced the giant of fatigue and he poured everything he had into his service for the Lord. He collapses in 1 Kings 19 from the fear of Jezebel and suffers from depression. He is not the only one that suffered depression, we have Jeremiah in Jeremiah 20:14, Job in Job 3, and Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:8.

“Depression is not a punishment from God.” according to Dr. Michelle Bengtson. Her labor of love is the book Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey through Depression. Recently, she wrote a much-needed companion to Hope Prevails: Hope Prevails Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression Bible Study. This Bible study will be available on October 26, 2017. The book will be available at Amazon.com.

Beloved, the book and Bible Study takes one into a deeper understanding, gives a greater help, gives hope, and healing for depression. If you do not personally suffer from depression but know someone who does, this book will help you help that person. If you are suffering from depression, you have nothing to lose.

Insights: It truly is a Bible Study. This book can stand alone or it enhances Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey through Depression.

Dr. Michelle candidly shares how she suffered from depression after the birth of her first son. She shares, “When it was brought to my attention. I had mixed reactions. I felt relief because there was hope that life would improve, but I felt shame because I felt like I should’ve been able to prevent it or treat it on my own with clinical knowledge.” pg 32 of the Hope Prevails Bible Study.

Hope Prevails is about hope but also it is about how the enemy of our soul wants us to believe his lies. She shares that about one out of four Americans will experience depression at some time. Nearly twice as many women as men suffer from depression and only 29% will seek help according to the questions on page 34. She asks this question, “What is the greatest barrier to getting help?”

Some key thoughts from several of the chapters of the Bible study, “You are not alone–many people struggle with depression and most importantly, God is with you in this trial.”

“You are not your depression and shame does not come from God.”

“Depression does not have to be a permanent part of your life. God wants to give us His joy.”

“Our thought influence our physical and mental health.”

Beloved, Dr. Michelle hungered after getting the information out to us about depression. The twelfth characteristic to the born-again believer is hunger and thirst after justice.

Father God I come to you today and I ask you to bless Dr.Michelle and her work. I ask you to bless her as she launches this book. Lord, I ask for the woman suffering from depression that she will come to you with her sadness and pain. Lord if there is someone who needs this information that she will contact me to get the book Hope Prevails. In Jesus’ name Amen. 

What do you need to do to add hunger into your life? Do you know someone depressed that could benefit from a Bible study on Hope Prevails? Do you know someone who could benefit from the book of Hope Prevails?

In honor of this new Bible study, I will be giving away 2 copies of Hope Prevails for anyone that leaves me a comment about how Jesus is working in your life or how this book would help you or a loved one.

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This post is part of a 31 day series on the Characteristics of a Believer. I am so glad that you are here. To read all of the posts in this series, click here.