| Psalm 42 says: | What we can learn from it |
| Verse 1 As the deer pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after thee, O God. | When you are depressed, you need God as much as you need water. Sometimes to find God, you must be like a deer and push your way through the bushes, climb steep hills, jump over trees and descend into ravines to find Him. Don’t give up. |
| 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? | You seek and seek but don’t feel like you are finding Him. You question why He’s not listening or answering. You question why you are not feeling Him or seeing Him work. |
| 3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? | You cry. A lot. Day and night. Christians have peace and joy, right? But you don’t. Others may not say it out loud, but you know that they are wondering where your God is. They question your relationship with Him. Indeed, you question your own walk with God. So you hide your depression behind smiles and denials. BTW, it’s not true. David was a “man after God’s heart,” but read the Psalms to know that he felt as you do. He felt God was ignoring him. But he didn’t give up. And you won’t give up. Also, go ahead and cry. You’ll feel better afterward. |
| 4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day. | You think about these things. Your emotions pour out of you. You find it helps to pour everything in your soul out to God, the good and the bad. You’ve gone to church. Heard the joy and praise. Been with other people who honor God. Do it again. Keep doing it. Don’t isolate yourself. Go to church. If you don’t have your own joy and praise, listen to theirs. Stay with the people who go to church. |
| 5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. | Depressed people often don’t know why they are sad. If you are sad because a friend died, you have grief and you know the reason why. Depression doesn’t always have understandable reasons. What do you do about it? Hope in God and praise Him for His help. Wait a minute! He hasn’t helped yet! That’s OK. Praise Him by faith for His help. There is power in praise. It gets His attention. And it brings you to Him. |
| 6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. | When you are depressed, remember God. Purposely say to yourself, “I am going to think about God and remember what He has done in the past.” Think about what is written in the Bible about Him. Recall stories told in church about His actions. Remember your experiences with Him in your life. |
| 7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. | Life can be a terrible storm. Problems are like waves crashing over your soul. Anxieties billow over and through you. David understood this. |
| 8 Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. | When this happens, KNOW that God still loves you. The Bible says it, and the Bible is true. In the dark night of depression, sing. In the dark night of depression, pray. If you praise, and sing, and pray, it won’t be long and you WILL feel Him. |
| 9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? | Depression makes you question God. You don’t know why you are mourning or why you are under depression’s oppression. It’s OK to ask Him why he’s ignoring you. Go ahead and question Him. He can take it. If you had no faith, you wouldn’t be asking these questions. These questions prove you have faith. When you are being tossed around in overwhelming despair, KNOW that God is your rock and He is underneath you, holding you up. |
| 10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? | Depression hurts like a sword. When people reproach you, that hurts like a sword too. If people are questioning your walk with God, they are acting as your enemies. (Even if they are your friends.) |
| 11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. | Problem: Being cast down and disquieted. Solution: Hope. Praise. Hold onto God. Note: Praise is good for your health. |
Here is an important question: Does David ever repent in Psalm 42?
He said his soul is cast down, disquieted, mourning and crying. He questions God’s love and His presence. If you read through the Psalms, you will notice this is a recurrent theme with David.
Christians often treat discouragement or depression as a spiritual failing or proof of lack of faith, and they tell the sufferers, “Just pray through.”
Did David repent? No, David doesn’t repent because depression is not sin. Remember that. Depression is not sin.
It can lead to sin IF you walk away from Him, murmur against Him, or become resentful. But depression itself is not sinful.
If you have sinned, by all means, repent, as David did in Psalm 6, 32, 38 and 51. Unrepented wrongs can definitely cause or prolong depression. But if you have repented of your sins, and you are still crying and feeling “cast down” and “disquieted,” be like David and don’t feel guilty.
Be like David and let God use your depression to bring you closer to Him.
