This raises a question in my mind; why was the Spirit of the Lord upon Jesus? "Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

Who are the brokenhearted? Those who are suffering from chronic depression. Jesus came to heal those who are suffering depression, an affliction that is common to most survivors of sexual abuse and prolonged domestic violence!

"To set at liberty those who are oppressed, . . ." One of the definitions for oppress given by Webster is to keep down by the cruel or unjust use of power, to tyrannize over.

To tyrannize over, . . . the dictionary defines tyrannize with these words, 1. to govern as a tyrant 2. to use authority harshly or cruelly, to oppress.

Hmmmmm. To govern as a tyrant, what is a tyrant? 1. a cruel oppressive ruler 2. any person who uses his authority in an oppressive manner.

Who or what causes these conditions? Not man, not circumstance, for Ephesians 6:12 reveals that we do not war against flesh and blood. The powers of darkness are cruel oppressive rulers who seek to keep God's people down as they tyrannize those unfortunates who suffer from depression!

But Jesus came to set at liberty those who are oppressed. II Corinthians 3:17 proclaims, "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

God's people are liberated from hell's tyrants through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Think of it, the Holy Spirit is our Liberator! Make that personal and say it out loud with me, "The Holy Spirit is my Liberator!"

There is good news and bad news in this Truth. The good news? Through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives we have been liberated! The bad news? It is not enough to be liberated from the tyrannical rule of darkness when one has already been reduced to an ongoing state of depression.

But another Divine Truth turns this bad news into good; Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted! How? By providing what a person suffering from depression needs the most, comfort. In John 14: 16 Jesus reveals one of the many ministries of the Holy Spirit with these words. "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever."

Why another Comforter? Because during His was the Comforter for His disciples. Jesus knew that shortly He would be returning to the Father leaving mankind comfortless. Knowing broken humanities need for Comfort, He sent the Holy Ghost to all who believed on His name!

II Corinthians 1:3 & 4 reveal more about the Comfort that comes from God the Father through the Holy Ghost. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

Wow! These two verses are laden with phenomenal Truths: (1.) Father-God is the source of all comfort. (2.) His comfort is available to us through all our tribulations, not just some of them. (3.) Experiencing His Divine comfort equips us to comfort others, no matter what the trial or trouble they are going through. (4.) Since we comfort them with the same comfort with which we have been comforted, unless we take the time to be alone with God and to experience the comfort of His Holy Spirit, we will have nothing to give to others in their time of need.

Try it, get alone with God. After you have gotten quiet physically, mentally, and emotionally, confess your need of Divine comfort. Ask your heavenly Father to allow the comfort of the Holy Spirit to rise up within you. Through that comfort you will experience wholeness in the broken areas of your life, and you will discover that you are being equipped to minister to others.