Hope In the Psalms

Have you ever looked at the life of Paul and wondered how he did it? I mean, the guy had a pretty incredible ministry - traveling, starting churches all over the then-known world, sending letters to these churches to keep them on the right path, and effectively establishing the Church in which we still worship and serve today. But have you ever noticed how much trouble Paul went through to achieve these things? Trials before unjust judges, hesitation and doubt from earlier Church leaders (such as Peter), hunger, shipwreck, imprisonment, beatings, stoning, and eventually, martyrdom - not exactly the resumé we’d like to have. And yet, we see him singing in prison, encouraging others to “rejoice in the Lord always,” and “glorying in weakness, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

But then have you noticed the struggles of modern-day Christians? In some countries, Christians are being chased, hunted, and executed. Even in our “free” countries, governments are cracking down more on what believers can and cannot do and say. And if none of those things have affected us, there are many with serious illnesses. Cancer, covid, and unnamed autoimmune diseases abound; financial straits; broken relationships; and abuse from within and without the Church. It’s sobering.

But how are we handling these challenges as the Church?

According to a Gallup poll, people who identify as “very religious,” meaning that they attend a church/synagogue/mosque weekly and pray daily, have a lower percentage of depression than the rest of the population. Here are their numbers, comparatively, from 2009-2010:

Very Religious Non-Religious

Worry 30.6% 34.0%

Stress 39.1% 43.1%

Sadness 16.5% 17.4%

Anger 12.5% 15.2%

But even with these improvements, depression and its causes are staggeringly high for religious people. True, these statistics include all religious people, not just born-again Christians. But from experience, it seems that these numbers hold steady with evangelicals, too. It’s sad really, when we consider that Christians claim to know the God of the universe, to have a personal relationship with Him, and to have His written Word, the Bible.

But what does the Bible say about depression? J. Sidlow Baxter, in his daily devotional, Awake, My Heart, gives the Biblical prescription for overcoming these feelings of helplessness, discouragement, and sadness. It encouraged my heart, and I pray it might encourage you, too.

Reading in Psalm 42:11, he notes that the psalmist takes stock of his own thoughts: “cast down” and “disquieted.” The first thought, “cast down,” looks back at what he had been through - the attacks, accusations, and hardships. The second one, “disquieted,” looks forward at “what might yet be.” Don’t we all play these games with ourselves?

• “Look at how I was treated! I’ve been through more than any person should have to bear. Nobody can live through something like that and come out unscathed.”

Or

• “What if…? How would I respond if this or that happened? How could I go on without X, Y, or Z? Who knows what tomorrow may bring, but it sure doesn’t look good!”

Those types of thoughts are not only physically unhealthy, they are spiritually damaging. Resentment and anger about the past only fuel our thoughts with the lie that God is not good. And playing the “what if” game for the future is evidence of our belief that God is not great. All our thoughts reflect the depths of our hearts, and unbelief in God, His character, and His nature is at the root of these wrong thinking patterns.

Baxter then leads us on to examine how the psalmist dealt with these errors in his thinking.

First, the writer interrogates himself. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” When we feel discouraged or depressed, we often only think of ourselves in terms of the victim. Or we think of what others have done to cause us to be in the state we are. We rarely think of ourselves as the guilty party in bringing the distress upon ourselves. Baxter says, “In times of depression, it is wise to make our emotions give account of their behavior before the united board of reason, judgment, and conscience. This usually lays bare certain causes which can be counteracted.”

Yes, I think he has a good grasp on the issue. Some questions to ask yourself when you are struggling with depression include:

1. Am I hungry/thirsty/tired? In other words, have my physical needs been met.

2. Am I thinking Biblically sound thoughts? Or am I allowing myself to think emotionally?

3. Am I keeping sin accounts short and confessing to God often? (Has my communion with God been interrupted?)

Second, the writer of the psalm exhorts or encourages himself in the Word of God. He remembers the true Source of hope.

Instead of remembering the past - the wrongs and hurts - we must remember God - the Healer and the Repairer of all breaches. It’s easy to get stuck in a downward spiral of self-pity and sorrow. And that’s understandable when we’ve been hurt in some way. But turning our gaze from our own selves and our own problems back to the Father who loved us and gave Himself for us will make a difference. “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

Jesus experienced far worse treatment than we ever will. He was innocent of all sin, yet He suffered in our place to reconcile us to God. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

Another prescription for depression is to place our confidence in God’s goodness - His sympathy, His faithfulness, and His presence. “The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me.” Remember that God knows you by name, He knows the number of hairs on your head, and He knows the exact length of your life. You can trust Him to see what is going on in your life. It will all be made right in time. “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.” (Nahum 1:7)

Did you know that obedience to God’s Word is also a way to stave off those feelings of despair and depression? John 15 reminds us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments. And in return, He promises to keep us in close fellowship with Him. Nothing could be a better deterrent to depression than remaining close to Christ, our Savior, our Friend, and our Lord. His presence is our greatest comfort. As we focus on obeying Him through serving others, our minds will turn from our own problems to creative ways to alleviate others’ struggles. Getting our thoughts off our own issues is another help in the battle against depression.

And finally, learn and rehearse the promises of God. A heaven-ward focus will always lift our mood and our minds to truth and the hope of the future. God can be trusted, therefore, we have nothing to be discouraged about today.

1. Our future is bright because of Christ’s finished work of redemption.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (I Pet. 1:3-5)

2. God has promised to never leave His children alone.

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” (Heb. 13:5-6)

See if you can find at least three more promises of God from the Scriptures. Write the verses out on small notecards and place them where you will see them often - on the bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator, in your car, or in your purse. Review them daily, and see if you don’t have a better mindset.

All of these steps were taken by the “sweet psalmist of Israel, David,” and they teach us how to overcome depression, worry, stress, and anxiety. Whether the cause of the sorrow is real or imagined, whether the actions against us are in the past or ongoing, whether we have human reason to be depressed or not - God is the answer. He is the hope for all of us - for today and tomorrow.