Until the Fog Lifts - Encouragement for Today - August 12, 2026
Until the Fog Lifts
Max Lucado
Lee en español
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you …” (Isaiah 43:2, NIV).
Mom called it “the blues.” I could tell when they came. Every feature on her face fell. The corners of her mouth bent downward. Her eyelids drooped. Her forehead bore deep furrows. She seemed ever on the edge of tears, alternately sad and irritable.
Dad cautioned my brother and me to leave her alone. “It’ll pass,” he’d say. And it did, though it seemed to take a long time.
A college classmate called it “the pits.” It came on him like an unexpected storm, complete with gray clouds and outbursts. Typically cheerful and fun, he became quiet and melancholy. He described the feeling with terms like “numbness” and “emptiness.” He wasn’t sad, he explained; he was “stony,” “unfeeling,” as if his heart had been lifted from his chest.
I once had the audacity to tell him to snap out of it, think on the bright side, and count his blessings. Fortunately, he had a well-equipped professional in his life who told him the name of the condition.
Depression.
Seasons of sadness come even to the most courageous saints, like my mom. Like people you know. Perhaps you experience this drift toward depression.
Setbacks can trigger it. So can the loss of a loved one, a job, or a savings account. Physical changes — a pregnancy or cardiac event — can dampen the spirits of the most jovial person. Cultural shifts can cause a person to spiral downward. Day after day of bad news deadens the outlook. Recessions and pandemics take more than money and health; they take our hope.
But a sagging spirit is not necessarily a sign of a fragile faith. If you are depressed and feel hopeless, God’s invitation to you is to come and get refreshed.
Let His Word, living and active, help defy the attacks of the darkness. Lay claim to a Scripture verse, memorize it, and quote it. You could start with this one:
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you …” (Isaiah 43:2).
Dark moods feed on isolation. Despair flourishes in solitude. Don’t leave yourself alone with your thoughts. When darkness descends, flee solitude. Climb out of the shadows. God’s remedy includes community. Engagement, not estrangement.
It is quite possible that a return to health will also require professional and pharmaceutical help. If so, for the sake of all that is good, seek it. The God who made you knows you, and He cares.
Are you tired? Get some rest and refreshment. Are you holed up in a cave? It’s time to be with others.
Dear Lord, please teach me how to rest. Help me remember that You are with me when I pass through the waters. And then please guide me to love and serve those going through hard times. In Jesus’ name, amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
If you need a field manual on how to have strong faith during times of anxiety and exhaustion, then lean in. Through exploring the story of Elijah, Unbreakable Courage: Strong Faith in an Age of Anxiety, Chaos, and Exhaustion by Max Lucado shows how faith in our unchanging God can help you stand firm day by day in the face of turbulent times.
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FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 71:3, “Be to me a rock of refuge and a sheltering stronghold to which I may continually come ... For You are my rock and my fortress” (AMP).
Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You” (NKJV).
Psalm 91:2, “I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust’” (NKJV).
What has been your experience with depression, whether it’s something you’ve been through yourself or something you’ve seen a friend or loved one face? How has faith played a role in your experience? Share with us in the comments!
© 2026 by Max Lucado. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
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