Word of Salvation – Vol. 26 No. 46 – August 1980

 

Overcoming Spiritual Depression

 

Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Psalm 42:11

Scripture Reading: 1Peter 1:1-12; Psalm 42

 

This Psalm speaks about a person who is longing for God. He is suffering from a kind of home sickness that yearns for a deep and meaningful relationship with God.

We do not know who this person is. He appears to be somewhere close to the Jordan, near Mount Hermon but why he is there, again we do not know. Possibly he is oppressed by the enemy. He hints at this in verse 9.

In any case, the author, whoever he may be, raises in this psalm a cry from his heart up to God. He is far from the Lord and now his soul pants for God, to worship Him again in His holy temple. It is the voice of one who knows that God exists, of one who has experienced fellowship with God, of one who has been well aware of having God at his side, before him and behind him. But it is also the voice of one who has a heavy heart,

We do not know the reasons for this man's feeling of being absent from God. Nothing in the psalm is said about it and there is no point in guessing. We will just have to take him as we find him in this psalm - depressed, dejected and sad. But we will want to know of course how this person was cured of his spiritual depression.

Maybe this psalm comes close to describing the way you have sometimes felt about God. At various times most of us have to wrestle with doubts and fears. Such problems reveal how much we need the hand of God's love, His hand of discipline, and His hand of protection over us. If the Lord withholds His hand of goodness, many things are sure to go wrong. And who knows, maybe the Lord is testing you more than usual, just to make you realise how much you depend on Him for your spiritual health.

So let us take hold of God's offer of free grace and learn from this psalm the way back to Him. Let us find out how the psalmist came free from his oppressing situation. When you read this psalm and also the next one, you will notice that they are closely connected, for both psalms have their climax, their high point, as we find it in the words of the text: "Why are you downcast, o my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God."

These words are found three times over. In the verses 5 and 11 of Ps.42 and verse 5 of Ps.43. In these words we see the psalmist overcoming his downcast spirit and we see his hope in God being renewed. How did he manage to do that? How did he achieve his balance again? The psalm shows that he did this mainly in two ways, and we can look at each of them in turn. Firstly, by addressing one’s self in faith; and secondly, by fixing one's hope on God.

To get on top of feelings of despair the psalmist addressed himself in faith. But what were these feelings of despair, this downcast spirit of the man? When people are down, depressed, yes, unable to laugh and be cheerful, in what kind of situation do they find themselves? Let us hear what this person had to say of himself.

In verse 1 he compares his thirsting for God to the panting or longing of a deer for a stream of water. The animal is looking forward to quench its thirst, to gather with other deer at the cool watering place and be refreshed. Whilst the deer is not there yet, it is restless, impatient and even a little sad.

A similar mood is with the psalmist. His soul pants, yes, thirsts for nearness to God. He is feeling quite unhappy, and he asks himself as to when the time will come that he can go and meet with God. With a sad tone in his voice he speaks of being awake at night. Sleep does not come to him and fearful thoughts storm through his mind. During the day he is also being tormented. Yes, tears have been his food night and day. He has lost his appetite and feels despondent and depressed.

Do you know the feeling? Do you recognize the symptoms? The psalm is very human isn't it?

Other people have noticed the psalmist and see how unhappy he is. Some tease him and ridicule him. They ask him: "Where is your God? Yes, you, who in previous times have felt lots happier, who were able to say that when one is with God then everything is fine. You, who believe firmly that God for the sake of Christ had forgiven the guilt of all your sins, that God would help you and support you and supply all your needs. Yes, you, who say that you are different than we, people from secular society. We now ask you - where is your God? Can you be really sure if there ever was a God to help you? If you feel so hopeless, so forsaken, then why does not God come to your aid? How can you be Christian and despairing at the same time?”

Yes, these are questions that make us anxious for they cut close to the bone. The soul of the psalmist cringes in deep despair. He is deeply disturbed. We can almost picture him, sitting down with drooping shoulders and an expression on his face that speaks of hopelessness and weariness. Like the waves and the breakers of the sea, his sombre thoughts sweep through his mind, time and again. Oh, he knows that somewhere in that wild and tempestuous sea of doubt and fear, there must be a rock. God is a rock, upon whom he can climb up and pull himself out of the despairing depths. But he doesn't see God, nor find him. He can only say: "Why have you forgotten me; why must I go about mourning?” (vs.10).

His low spirits come out even more when he thinks back on his earlier association with God. He can remember so well how he used to go up, in the multitude of other believers, to God's house, to worship God there and be strengthened by Him. Yes, so keen was he to have fellowship with God that he led others in the procession up to God's house in order to be there.

But the way to God is cut off. He feels far removed from God and that saddens him. In his heart he experiences the agony of one who is utterly forsaken, alone.

Maybe with the psalmist his spiritual anguish was caused by the enemy pressing close on the battle field. But the causes can be many. Perhaps there is a sinful weakness that you can't conquer. Maybe there are circumstances that undermine severely your relationship with God. Perhaps there is a continuing situation that is in direct conflict with your service of God.

But whatever it is, it has made you feel forsaken, unhappy and sad. A depression has come over you that sometimes makes you despair over life itself. Yes, why are you downcast, o my soul? Why so disturbed within me, depressed, melancholic, very depressed?

Have you sometimes felt like that? I think you have!

If we just pause here for a moment and think for a bit, we will have to agree that depression and a heavy heart are bad recommendations for the Christian faith. For if we just consider what Christ has done for His people, then Christians ought to be the most happy. Who are as privileged and as rich as the children of the Lord Jesus Christ?

As believers we have the Saviour. As believers we share in the redemption from sin's power, from eternal death, and from the futility of life. All this comes through the death and resurrection of Christ! People who do not believe in Christ as the Saviour from sin's power, do not possess that richness. People who do not want to listen to God, who think and believe that He is not there, or that He can't be known even if He is there, they are on the way to eternal death. In fact, they are already in the throes of death because the curse of sin still rests on them.

Of course, they don't believe that either. Yet they must see the problem and power of evil in the world, in the lives of others, and, if they are honest, in their own lives. It may go very well for them in life, but there still remains the wrath of God and eternity with which to reckon. But when you believe, when you have confessed your sins before God, when you trust in Christ, then you are free, then you are the richest person in the world. Our lives, because of that, should shine like the sun. Every day, every hour, ought to be a jubilation and a song of praise for us, for Christ has brought us from darkness into light. Other people with whom we have to associate frequently, should be envious of us and want to know more about the Christian faith, just because with us they find such a happy and balanced attitude to life.

But we know of course that in practice this is not always so. When others cheer and have fun, Christians are often quiet and reserved. When others show great enthusiasm, Christian are often thoughtful and extra careful. Unbelievers appear to regain their balance much more quickly than Christians. Some Christians seem more melancholic, more grave, more gloomy. We are bent down by our problems, our cares and our worries. They can be a crushing burden to us. And the world thinks: And now where is their God?

What do you say? Is it really so strange that depression is found among Christians? On the one hand yes, when you think of all the riches in Christ. But then on the other hand maybe not. For in the Bible we come across a number of people who were often downcast and of heavy heart and who had to fight this mood within them.

Think of Moses. The many problems often pressed down upon him so that at times he felt like giving up. And think of Job, David, yes, of Jeremiah and his Lamentations. As far as spiritual depression is concerned, we need not have feelings of inferiority. Moses, Job, David, Jeremiah, Paul and many others, all had their times of rejection. Even the Lord Jesus Christ felt dejected when He noticed the opposition to Him as the Son of God. Especially when in Gethsemane and on the cross he felt dejected. Spiritual depression is nothing unusual. Life is like that also for God's people.

The reason is simple. They, as well as anyone else, have to live and maintain their balance in an imperfect world where there is strain and stress. But to climb out of the pit of depression, that is the point. What must one do in order to be joyful in the Lord? What did the psalmist do? Well, notice how he talked to himself. Listen: "Why are you downcast, o my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Did you hear it! This person talked to himself. He is depressed, he feels miserable spiritually and he begins to place questions before his own person. Why this and why that? No, he is not insane. He is quite rational and of sound mind. Why am I so depressed? Why am I feeling so negative about God and in my faith?

There can be many reasons but whatever the cause or reason, our spiritual low in most cases can be traced back to two things that are not working properly. They are faith and trust. There can be a lack of faith, or a small faith, or faith in things that are not true. And where there is no faith there is not trust either. In that type of situation Satan has plenty of room to make life really miserable for us.

Of course, our self-examination must not become morbid. One must not concentrate on the actual feelings themselves. That will not help. But what are the reasons for those feelings? The reason can be as simple as lack of sleep. It can be so serious as a continuous disobedience to some aspect of God's will, and so complex that it takes a life-time of learning to know how to handle ourselves as Christians in God's kingdom.

But take the contents of God's Word and preach against yourself, question yourself, encourage yourself. Remind yourself that there is no reason to be down, for Christ is there. But do it all in faith. Without faith we are sure to lose and become easy victims for Satan. So subject yourselves to some intelligent questioning, but do so with God and the Bible in your thoughts. That's how the psalmist went about it.

We can see that also in the way he fixed his hope on God. He said to himself, "Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God." The word used for hope here is also used for waiting. Wait on God! Show a waiting attitude to Him and He will, in His time, deliver you from your fears and worries. The time will yet come again wherein you will have plenty of reason to praise God.

The psalmist was convinced of it, and in faith he could confess the Lord as: "my Saviour and my God." His actual words were: "The deliverer of my face." or "The helper of my face." Others had seen on the psalmist's face that he was down cast. But the Lord will deliver him - thus causing his face to brighten. In fact, he already pointed to that in verse 8: "By day, the Lord directs His love, at night his song is with me - a prayer to the God of my life."

The psalm does not reveal to us how the hope was realized but in our situation we may surely go to the New Testament to find out what this hope is, in particular to the first letter of Peter. Peter was writing to Christians scattered through Asia Minor and over whom the clouds of persecution had started to break. But you must notice that he did not offer these Christians a peace of mind that can come through the enjoyment of good health, or old age, a happy family, a comfortable home and enough clothes and food. Although these things are a great blessing for which we need to show our gratitude to God, they are not the ingredients of the hope that the New Testament is talking about,

For we must never forget that God's people on earth are immigrants. They are in transit, just passing through. God has called His people out of the darkness and power of sin into the light of Jesus Christ, and there in that, light to reflect the image of God in the midst of a troubled, crooked and hostile world.

Our spiritual health and balance do not depend on the things we have or don't have. It depends on our faith and trust in God, in whatever the circumstances. Our hope is the glorious new heaven and earth to come. Our hope is not based on the things of this life which are passing away with time, but on the life to come.

That is the message of God to His people through the apostle Peter. To God's elect, he writes, "strangers in the world". Did you hear that: strangers in the world. God's elect, strangers in the world, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ. Yes, chosen, sanctified, for obedience to Christ, We sometimes tend to think that we have been chosen and saved in order to be cuddled with every kind of comfort. But that is not so! Chosen, sanctified, for obedience to Christ in a world that is hostile to true Christianity. God has caused His elect to be born the first time in the natural way and by that we are given our being and existence. But the second birth, the supernatural one, is into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is, as Christ was raised from the dead, so shall we.

Yes, raised into that new and eternal existence on the new heaven and new earth. Yes, into that inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade kept in heaven for you. And in the meantime, in this transit time, God will shield you with His power so that you will reach that new heaven and new earth.

That, brothers and sisters, is our hope. That is why we rejoice. The different trials and affliction that we may experience, and which will cause grief, will not prevent God's people from reaching the end-goal, that full and glorious kingdom of Christ.

Yes, the Lord may allow such trials in order to have your faith do some exercise and develop some muscle. It needs to be made strong. You may say that trials are no fun, especially not when they cause you to feel depressed and unbalanced. Sure, but instead of moping and complaining, count them a joy for the Lord is allowing it to happen so that you become more balanced in your faith and trust.

It's like teaching a child to swim. There will be times that the head will go under, they will swallow water, and lose contact with the bottom, all of which the child will find most unpleasant and even panicky. But these things will all help to have the swimmer face rough and treacherous water and yet over come it.

The psalm also spoke of waves and breakers. They went over him and he didn't like it. The waves and breakers of life may have also gone over you. But you are still here. In the swirling waters of life there is God who is like a rock to us. With Him we are secure and He will keep us until that new heaven and earth. That is our sure and firm hope and with that hope we can move on. Yes, hope in God, we will yet praise Him, our Saviour and our God.

Amen.