Lament Psalms Depression Psalms the journals of healthy people as they dealt with life These people are honest and real; they experience all kinds of emotions and thoughts; and they have no problem turning to God with total openness and honesty Tonight Psalms that were written as people were dealing with depression 1. Types of Depression a) Clinical, biological, genetic born with a brain that doesn t produce enough serotonin i. Note: Bi-polar swing between depression and mania ii. Medication needed; but they also need to learn tools to manage it iii. Note: Even if a person is on medication, it doesn t mean a constant positive mood; there will still be some mood fluctuations b) Circumstantial/situational result of difficult circumstances death, loss, memories of stuff from the past, failure/guilt, overwhelmed with responsibilities and problems Medication may be needed for a period of time, but the main help will come from therapy and learning tools to manage it 2. Symptoms a) Change in appetite, weight; Change in sleep patterns; pain; overwhelming fatigue b) Difficulty concentrating, remembering c) Nothing gives pleasure 1
d) Anti-social; resist social interaction - Social settings create panic; desire to isolate; life seems overwhelming e) Loss of interest in things that normally interest them; lack of motivation f) Irritable; negative; pessimistic g) Feelings of worthlessness h) Feelings of helplessness; feel overwhelmed; don t cope well i) Note: Some don t realize they re depressed 3. How the writers of the Psalms deal with the topic A. Cause D. Responding to it in a healthy way Psalm 42 A. Cause No cause given. He is just depressed and can t figure out why Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? a) Thirst, a deep and powerful longing - As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? b) Lots of crying My tears have been my food day and night c) It feels like God has forgotten all about him While people say to me all day long, Where is your God?... I say to God my Rock, Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? d) Noisy in my head and spirit Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls Pictures the noise that crashing waves make as waves calling out to other waves e) Feels like I m drowning all your waves and breakers have swept over me. f) Physical pain My bones suffer mortal agony a) Memories of sweet intimacy with God These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng D. How he chooses to respond 2
A. Choose to trust Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. B. Choose to remember God s character and what He has done in the past My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan C. Look for evidence of God s love every day By day the LORD directs his love D. Choose to sing at night his song is with me E. Pour out your heart even though it feels like your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling a prayer to the God of my life. F. Note: He vacillates between trust and despair Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. G. Deep down he knows that God will bring him through this eventually Psalm 43 A. Cause Difficult circumstances opposition and persecution - Vindicate me, my God, and plead my cause against an unfaithful nation. Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked. a) Mourning Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? b) Like God has rejected him Why have you rejected me? c) Darkness a) I have banked everything on you You are God my stronghold. b) Times of intimacy in the past were very sweet God, my joy and my delight D. How he chooses to respond a) Prayer - Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. - Give me enough light in the darkness so that I know which direction to go b) Trust Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Then I will go to the altar of God. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. 3
Psalm 88 A. Cause - LORD, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry. I am overwhelmed with troubles. a) I feel like I m dying life draws near to death. I am counted among those who go down to the pit b) Sapped of strength I am like one without strength. c) Forgotten by people and by God I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care. d) In a deep, dark pit You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths. e) Feels like God is angry with me Your wrath lies heavily on me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. And it hits him repeatedly, like one wave after another f) All alone You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. even friends have pulled away; they don t want anything to do with me g) Feel like I m caught in a trap or in prison I am confined and cannot escape h) Constant crying; blinded by tears my eyes are dim with grief. i) Constant praying, but it feels like the prayers bounce off the ceiling I call to you, LORD, every day; I spread out my hands to you. Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits rise up and praise you? Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction? Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion? But I cry to you for help, LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you. Why, LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me? j) Darkness is my closest friend - You have taken from me friend and neighbor darkness is my closest friend. 4
He has had a very difficult life more difficult than most life has been one struggle after another From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair. Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me. All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me. D. What helped Note: The psalm ends with Darkness is my closest friend. It s the only psalm that doesn t end with hope or anything positive All he does is beg God for relief Sometimes, nothing we do lifts our depression. We have to just sit in it 5