When was the last time you felt an emotion and then told God about it? When was the last time that you got done praying and realized that you withheld your own needs and desires from God because you felt that it might be selfish to request these things from God? When was the last time you cried out to God for vindication (to clear your name of a false accusation), His Presence, your depression, etc.? This is what you will find all throughout the Psalms as David and Asaph authentically cry out to God, wearing their emotions on their sleeves and being real with God! This is going to be my encouragement in this post as well – Be Real With Yourself and God!
What does it help to go to a Doctor and not tell him/her any of your problems/symptoms? It doesn’t help the doctor at all, and it isn’t going to help you either. Fortunately, we do have a Great Physician that knows all things, so we cannot hide anything from Him but He wants us to be open and honest with Him when we come to Him in prayer! God responds to an open and humble heart, and that He will never turn away (see Ps. 51:17).
I can remember reading Psalm 42 & 43, along with a Sermon Series from the Pastor of my previous church, and being gripped by the honesty of David as he cried out to the Lord in desperation. He starts with saying that he is thirsty for the living God to show up (Ps. 42:1)! When was the last time you told God that you need Him to show up for you just like a deer needs the waters to be there when it goes to a stream for something to drink. Without His presence, we will not be able to continue on just the same as an animal deprived of water will not be able to survive. Is God’s presence that important to you? What are you willing to do to sense His presence and continually press into that presence? I am reminded of Moses telling God that unless He go with them, the Israelites will not go (see Exodus 33:13-17), and I hope that we will all be this honest about our need for God’s presence to be with us as we live out our lives by faith!
How about the practical nature of the reality of Davids condition; he couldn’t eat or sleep (Ps. 42:3), he couldn’t stop crying (Ps. 42:3), he was depressed (Ps. 42:5, 6,11, 43:5), he was embarrassed (Ps. 42:3, 10, Ps. 43:1), he felt wrongfully accused (Ps. 43:1), ignored by God (Ps. 42:9, 43:2) and wanted to know why God had not shown up to intervene yet (Ps. 42:3, 9, 10). Can you associate with these feelings? Do you feel neglected, ashamed, abandoned by God, depressed, etc.? Well let’s look at a few things he did to overcome these emotions and find help in his time of distress.
Talk to yourself!
I find it interesting that in our culture you are looked at as kind of weird when you talk to yourself, but in the Bible it is an acceptable practice (Romans 12:2). David repeatedly talks to his soul (Ps. 42:5, 8, 11, 43:5), and reminds himself to put his hope in God as he waits for His intervention. I believe that this could help all of us too. What would it hurt for us to look at ourselves in the mirror and recite some of our favorite Scripture verses to ourselves, sing out our favorite chorus in order to lift our mood, write out our thoughts in a journal, etc.? I do not think it would hurt at all to do these things, and furthermore I do not think they would be weird either! I think they are great practices that can and will enhance our ability to cope with and overcome strong feelings of despair.
Remind yourself of God’s faithfulness!
David continually reminds himself of the faithfulness of God, and what the joy of being in God’s kingdom is like (Ps. 42:4, 8, 11, 43:3, 5). It is so important to remind yourself of how God has been faithful throughout your life. If you are having a hard time identifying something (I understand that this can be an issue when you are depressed. It is hard to find good in anything!), then I would recommend sitting down with a notebook (much like what David did!) and begin writing out all of the blessings that you can see from where you are sitting. Once they start to flow (because they most certainly will, even if you have to start with the most basics like, the air you are breathing, the water you are drinking, the home you are sitting in, etc.) don’t stop until you start to sense hope rising up in you again! Remember God is faithful!
Look forward to when you will feel joy again!
It is important to recognize your emotions and to call them out for what they truly are, but just as important is your ability to move beyond them in your mind in order to see hope for the future. You may need professional help to get this hope restored again (to which I strongly recommend you pursuing this option if necessary), and that is ok. David reminds himself of the joys of being in God’s presence, leading the Israelites, singing and playing music to God with thanksgiving in his heart, and just having joy restored. I believe that he recognizes that this is a season, and that not all hope is lost, and I believe that we need to remind ourselves of this reality too!
Pray!
Whatever you do, please keep the lines of communication open between you and God! Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us that because we have a High Priest (Jesus Christ) that can sympathize with all of our weaknesses, we can (and should) approach the throne of Grace to receive help in our time of need! God tells us in 1 Peter 5:7 to cast all of our cares on Him for He cares for us. He loves when we come to Him with our prayers and petitions, because He loves to intervene in our lives and bring glory to His name through that intervention! We must keep seeking Him and being real with God no matter what our current emotional status might be. Jesus says in Matt. 11:28-29 that He wants all of us to come to Him when we feel wearied and burdened by the cares of this life because He desires to give us rest for our souls. I know that when I am in a depressed season I certainly do not feel rested, even though my need for sleep increases greatly!
Spiritual rest in the faithfulness and closeness of God can and will help so many of our physical problems. Let’s seek out our God with authenticity as live out our worshipful lifestyles of faith!
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, please do not hesitate to contact a counselor today in order to get help for your soul! There are so many resources available to you. You are not alone, and you can rediscover hope again! All you need to do is be real with yourself and others around you, and God will open a way for you to find rest for your burdened soul.
Here are a few resources for you to consider;
Eagleville Bible Church – 440-563-3407; http://eagleville.church/contact (We have Pastors that would love to be able to talk to you and help you through Spiritual counseling, or to assess your situation and help you get plugged into the proper resource for your specific needs)
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org, tel:1-800-273-8255 – Please contact them immediately if you are contemplating suicide. Your life is worth it!
Emerge Counseling in Akron Ohio – 800-621-5207; https://emerge.org/suicideprevention/#
Please seek out the help you need before allowing depression and despair to destroy your life and the lives of those who love you, you are worth it! God is near to all of us, all we need to do is invite Him into every area of our lives!
God bless you!