A Christian who passes through the dark tunnel of depression tends to focus on his sinful weaknesses and failures. God can use this time in a positive way, however, to enlarge his appreciation for His all-encompassing and all-sufficient grace.

In 1964, Alan Redpath, former pastor of Moody Church in Chicago, suffered a near-fatal stroke and sank into the depths of despondency. He wrote later of having terribly wicked thoughts. At one point, he prayed, “O Lord, deliver me from this attack of the devil. Take me right home!”

It was then that he sensed the Lord saying, “It is I, your Savior, who has brought this experience into your life to show you [that] this is the kind of person—with all your sinful thoughts and temptations, which you thought were things of the past—that you always will be, but for My grace.”

Our Daily Bread, Saturday, June 20.