Depression

Can God’s people be depressed?  I believe the answer is yes.  In my walk with the Lord I have experienced depression on more than one occasion and I believe there are many believers that have been depressed through the years from Bible times up to this present time.  Depression is a horrible condition and it is very common.  For the believer there is hope and the hope I am talking about doesn’t come from a pill bottle, don’t misunderstand me I am not saying not to take medicine if you need it, but in this case I am talking about the Lord.  

I truly know what it is to be depressed as a believer, having been in that condition 12 to 14 years; it was some of the worst years of my life.  I can say my depression was not all bad, it helped me to press into the Lord more than I ever had before and I learned things I don’t think I would have learned without being in that situation, but I never want to experience that again and I thank and praise the Lord for delivering me from it.  During all that time the only physician I went to was the Lord Himself because I felt that He was my only hope, I also had some people praying for me.  In my situation God used a man to come along side of me and spend a lot of time with me, pretty much weekly, telling me about the love and grace and mercy of God.  There was another person the Lord used mightily and that was my wife with her sweet and gentle spirit and the patience and love she demonstrated daily and still does.  

My big problem was that I always struggled with people saying they loved me but their actions showed something different, it was my performance or what they could get from me or how they could use me, which seemed to be their motivation and not real love at all.  Personally I would rather never have anyone tell me they love me, I prefer to see it demonstrated because talk is cheap; actions always speak louder than words.  I am not sure why I have a hard time believing somebody loves me but this is the biggest struggle I have had my whole life, maybe it stems from my childhood.

The reason I bring this up is because I was reading a Psalm about feeling lonely and depressed this morning and I think the Lord wanted me to do a ‘Tidbit’ on this subject today.  This Psalm was written by the sons of Korah, who were the Temple assistants, and is actually split up into 2 Psalms in my Bible, but in many Hebrew manuscripts it is said to be one Psalm.

Psalms 42:

“As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So pants my soul for You, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God?

My tears have been my food day and night,

While they continually say to me,

“Where is your God?”

When I remember these things,

I pour out my soul within me.

For I used to go with the multitude;

I went with them to the house of God,

With the voice of joy and praise,

With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him

For the help of His countenance.

O my God, my soul is cast down within me;

Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,

And from the heights of Hermon,

From the Hill Mizar.

Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;

All Your waves and billows have gone over me.

The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,

And in the night His song shall be with me—

A prayer to the God of my life.

I will say to God my Rock,

“Why have You forgotten me?

Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

As with a breaking of my bones,

My enemies reproach me,

While they say to me all day long,

“Where is your God?”

Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.”

and Psalm 43:

“Vindicate me, O God,

And plead my cause against an ungodly nation;

Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

For You are the God of my strength;

Why do You cast me off?

Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!

Let them lead me;

Let them bring me to Your holy hill

And to Your tabernacle.

Then I will go to the altar of God,

To God my exceeding joy;

And on the harp I will praise You,

O God, my God.

Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.”

There may be times when we desperately need to hear from God but He seems to remain silent.  In my situation, it seemed like I would never experience the Lord ever again, like He forgot what His Word said, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” but He was always there, I just didn’t think so at the time.  When times like this happen to us it would be good to remember the many times the Lord had blessed us in the past and meditate on those things and think about how much the Lord loves us.  These are times when we need to press into God like a deer pants for water when he is thirsty.  A deer will do most anything to get to water when he is thirsty enough, because like any living thing without water it will die.  In these experiences we need the living water and only the Lord can provide that for us. Think of this with all the Psalmist was going through and experiencing he still said this, “yet I will praise Him.”  

So, if it seems that the Lord has let you down, remember how the Lord delivered you in the past and be confident that He will do it again.  I think the key is to be able to thank and praise Him in all things, because He is worthy.  Praise the Lord!!  Something to think about!   May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super blessed day!!