Divinely Dealing With Depression

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Bryan West
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1 Divinely Dealing With Depression CD No. also A-87 & D-82 Time: 1/ 5/ 2010 Wed.N. Text: Psalms 77: Introduction: Everybody gets depressed at times. However, we find from this Psalm that David didn t have the norm kind of depression; he had a serious kind of depression. We can tell by just reading this passage. We read about a lot of leaders in the Bible that got depressed; some to the point of asking God to let them die, Elijah was one of them. Now, there is a certain kind of depression that is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and they have to take medicine for it the rest of their life. This passage is not about a chemical imbalance, but from problems that came up in David s life. If you live long enough you will need to apply some of these spiritual truths to your life. I. The Characteristic of Depression A lot of people have this problem, but do not know what it is. A. It Will Affect Our Spirit V.3 Last Phrase-and my spirit was overwhelmed. The spirit of depression had a grip on his life. Depression had taken a control of his spirit. Have you ever had your spirit overwhelmed? The synonym words for overwhelmed are plagued, weighted down, snowed under and beset. Have you ever felt light you were weighted down? Have you ever felt like you were snowed under? Well you had an overwhelmed spirit, and it is not a good feeling. Page 1

2 B. It Will Affect Our Service V. 6a-I call to remembrance my song in the night God is not only a God of past blessings, but present. Being depressed can cause you to forget that the one who blessed you in the past can also bless you in the present. C. It Will Affect Our Speech V.4b- Last Phrase-I am so troubled that I cannot speak. Have you ever had your spirit so overwhelmed that you didn t want to speak or talk? A depressed person does not want to talk to anybody. A lot of times a depressed person don t won t anybody to talk to them. This is a sign of depression. D. It Will Affect Our Sleep V.4a Thou holdest mine eyes waking- A depressed person has a problem of sleeping. Have you ever had your spirit so overwhelmed that you couldn t go to sleep? This can be detrimental to your health because it can be damaging to your health. E. It Affects Our Smiling Psalms 43:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God. Page 2

3 You can tell by a person s countenance if they are depressed or not. If you see a person who continues to keep a smile on their face, it is a good sign that they are not depressed. There is a young teen age girl in our church who keeps a smile on her face most of the time and I have nick named her smiley; that is a good name. You can tell by a person s countenance if they are depressed. The Characteristic of Depression II. The Consequences of Depression I have already mentioned a chemical imbalance and I have already mentioned being overwhelmed by problems, but I want to mention a byproduct of having a depressed spirit. A. Pessimistic Out Look On Life V.2c Last phrase-my soul refused to be comforted. Some people don t want to be helped; they dwell on the bad things in life. That is all they talk about. Some wants to major on their big scars or their one of a kind disease; no one has one like it. No matter what you talk about, some way they will get back to all the bad things in life. It seems that there are some who really reuse to be helped. Again: V.2 Last phrase-my soul refused to be comforted. B. Defending Conscience V.3a I remembered God, and was troubled- Remember, David was a man of God and he said that when he remembered God that he was troubled. Page 3

4 We are in big, big trouble when we get to that point in our life; thinking of God troubles us. When David had his affair with Bathsheba he probably was troubled when he thought of God. He would have had a defending conscience. However, in our passage it seems that David was overwhelmed because of some kind of trouble. God is the last person that we should won t to erase from our minds because it is God who can help us. C. Complaining Spirit V.3 I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained- We find the word complained in V.3. When a person gets depressed, this usually leads to complaining. A depressed person usually develops a spirit of complaining. Have you ever been around a person who has a complaining spirit? Now, there is nothing wrong with anybody talking about their problems, but it is another thing to allow your problems to cause you to be a complainer. Now, there is nothing wrong in having a complaint, as long it is a legitimate complaint. However, David s complaining came about from his overwhelmed spirit. D. Un-trusting Attitude Read VV David was saying where is God? Where is God s grace? David was saying that God had stopped being merciful to him. When you begin to talk about God like He is on a trip, you are in trouble. The Characteristic of Depression Page 4

5 III. The Cure {aid} For Depression Sometimes, a person with a chemical imbalance will have to take medicine and live with that problem the rest of their life. However, a person who has some kind of overwhelming problem can be helped. I want to mention a couple of things that can help a person who is depressed. A. Personal Desire V.2b my soul refused to be comforted. A person can t be like this, they have got to get to the point that they need help. A person can t be helped if they don t want to be help. A person has got to have a personal desire to be helped. B. Personal Duty Let us notice some scripture principles that can help a person with an overwhelmed spirit who is depressed. 1. Admittance V.10 And I said, this is my infirmity- A person has got to get to the point that they will admit that they have a problem. A lot of people will not acknowledge that they are depressed. A person cannot receive help unless they acknowledge they have a problem. 2. Association V.13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary- Page 5

6 A person who is overwhelmed with problems needs to stay in church. The last place for anybody troubled is to stay at home in the back room with the lights out. A person needs to be associated with God s people who will be praying for them and who will encourage them. 3. Adoration V.10-And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high.11-i will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. 14 Thou art the God that does wonders: thou has declared thy strength among the people. David had got to the point that he was trying to remember some good things about God and his ability; this is good. Blessing and praising God even if you don t feel like it can lead you from a grumbling spirit to a glad spirit. 4. Acclamation V.12-I will mediate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. One should not only mediate on the good things of life, but talk about them when they get depressed. 5. Anticipation Psalm 43: 5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God. Here, from another passage we find David with a hopeful spirit. When a person gets depressed, the one thing that they have to believe is that things will get better. Things will not get better without putting God in the picture. Page 6

7 David said, Hope in God, not in a financial adviser, or hope in a smart educated man or woman, but hope in God. Conclusion: Divinely Dealing With Depression Did you notice how David went from not wanting to talk in V.2 and refusing to be helped to admittance, adoration, acclamation and eventually to anticipation, putting his hope in God? There was a progression in David s life of depression. One has to work their way out of depression sometimes. Page 7

sometimes i think, what will people say of me

Live Like That sometimes i think, what will people say of me when i sleep while the world moves on was i love when no one else would show up? was i Jesus to the least of us? i want to live like that! and