DEPRESSION DOES NOT SCARE GOD! THERE IS A WAY OUT

WHAT SHOULD WE DO WHEN WE ARE FEELING HOPELESS?

Psalm 77:1-3

I cry aloud to God,

aloud to God, and he will hear me.

In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;

in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;

my soul refuses to be comforted.

When I remember God, I moan;

when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah

Are you discouraged? Does everything look bleak? Are you wondering if you are becoming depressed? Are there situations in your life that seem hopeless? Do you feel like you cannot shake the sadness in your heart?

The writer of this psalm is surely overwhelmed by his troubles. God is inspiring him to write these words for our benefit, and we can learn from them how to deal with our own ‘days of trouble’. They can also help us not to be superficial when dealing with those who are struggling to find peace in their spirits.

The writer has come to the place where thinking of God causes pain. When he stops to think about God, his fainting spirit becomes even more discouraged

Psalm 77:4-6

You hold my eyelids open;

I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

I consider the days of old,

the years long ago.

I said, “Let me remember my song in the night;

let me meditate in my heart.”

Then my spirit made a diligent search:

Can a person become so discouraged that he loses the desire to live? The writer cannot sleep; he has lost his desire to talk. He tries to remember his joyful times with God and to meditate in his heart. He wonders about what God is doing. God allowed these verses to be in Scripture so that we would be aware that this can happen to us, too.

Psalm 77:7-9

“Will the Lord spurn forever,

and never again be favorable?

Has his steadfast love forever ceased?

Are his promises at an end for all time?

Has God forgotten to be gracious?

Has he angrily shut up his compassion?” Selah

Has God changed? Is He going to be angry forever? Is His love truly steadfast? Could His love change or be directed to someone else? Has His grace ended? Will God ever change in His disposition towards me? These thoughts can be entertained even by those who know God.

At this point the writer must make a choice about what is going to rule his thinking. He can make his situation and plight his own focal point, or he can think about who God is. He must choose to either retreat into himself, or to push himself to the direction of his God.

Psalm 77:10

Then I said, “I will appeal to this,

to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

He chooses to hold on to his God, the Most High. By using that description, he is reminded of God’s power, His character, His position. There is no one like Him. Although his personal situation has not changed, and he still sees no light at the end of his tunnel, he concentrates on what he knows about his God. This is where we must direct our thoughts, if this is the way we feel and this is how we can help those who are depressed.

Psalm 77:11-15

I will remember the deeds of the LORD;

yes, I will remember your wonders of old.

I will ponder all your work,

and meditate on your mighty deeds.

Your way, O God, is holy.

What god is great like our God?

You are the God who works wonders;

you have made known your might among the peoples.

You with your arm redeemed your people,

the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

The writer chooses to think about what the Lord has done and Who He is. He stops thinking about himself and concentrates instead upon what he has seen to be true about God.

He remembers what the Creator and sustainer of the universe has done for him in the past, for He has watched Him do mighty deeds. He meditates on God’s holiness. He is like no one else. He has revealed Himself to His people and redeemed them.

When we find ourselves slipping into depression, we must not lose sight of God’s character and His care for us in the past. We cannot forget that He chose us, He reached down to us and has redeemed us at a great price. His love has never been something we attracted or deserved, but in His wonderful grace, He chose to love us. God continues to be as powerful as He has ever been.

Psalm 77:16-20

When the waters saw you, O God,

when the waters saw you, they were afraid;

indeed, the deep trembled.

The clouds poured out water;

the skies gave forth thunder;

your arrows flashed on every side.

The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;

your lightnings lighted up the world;

the earth trembled and shook.

Your way was through the sea,

your path through the great waters;

yet your footprints were unseen.

You led your people like a flock

by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

God has proven His power to lead the children of Israel through desperate situations He cared for them as a shepherd tends his flock. Yes, the situation is hard. Yes, there is no end in sight. Things might continue to be overwhelming for a long time, but the author will not allow his present trouble to darken what he knows to be true about his God.

Dear friends, through this psalm, God is inviting all of us to keep our thought life under control during difficult times. We must continue to saturate our minds with what we know is true about God.

May God teach us to be patient with those who are struggling in their difficulties, even when they are tempted to question God’s love and care. We must, like the psalmist, gently remind them of God’s character, His power, and His provision.