It was Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones-a Christian minister and author that first coined the phrase Spiritual Depression.  He preached a series of sermons called: Spiritual Depression, Its Causes and Cures,” Dr. Lloyd –Jones used Psalms 42 and 43 as an example of the cause and cure for Spiritual Depression:

Listen to the words of the psalmist “Why are 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.”   Psalms 42:11 NASB reads-Why are you in despair, my soul? The word “despair” means: the absence of hope:

Other signs of Spiritual Depression include:

Struggling to find joy in worship, Withdrawing from your church or religious community, Avoiding other members of the church, Losing interest in your regular church activities or performing them only from a sense of duty, Feeling as if Bible study or other religious pursuits have lost their meaning, Failing to find comfort in prayer, Negative or cynical thinking about God or religion, Questioning or doubting your faith and A sense of spiritual hopelessness or discouragement

Depression signs according to Healthline .com

A sad or hopeless mood on more days than not,, A feeling of guilt or worthlessness,, A loss of energy or motivation, Trouble managing emotions,, Sleeplessness and fatigue.

It affects 1 out of 10 Americans

The percentage of adults with depression per state—the #1 state that has more people suffering from depression- West Virginia followed by Kentucky & Tennessee:

There are a lot of myths about why Christians should never experience depression. This has caused many Christian being afraid to admit that they are or have experienced depression.

Spiritual Depression is a reality:

There are a couple of myths given why Christians should never experience depression:

“It’s all in your head”—Some Christians will say, you need to stop acknowledging your depression, we are people of faith.  You just need more faith; the problem with that statement is that real faith is not the denial of problem.

A survey was performed at Vanderbilt University-on depression along religious groups. Pentecostals and Charismatic people are more likely to become depress than any other religious groups.  I believe that the reason why this is true is because of an unbalance teaching on the health and wealth gospel that’s being preach and taught today. Word of Faith movement teaches if you have enough faith nothing bad will happen to you. One prominent Word of Faith minister stated that the reason why the apostle Paul suffered so much was because of a lack of faith. Another prominent minister stated the reason why Christians get sick is because they were not walking in faith.

We lived in a fallen world where a lot of things can go wrong to Christians and non-Christians. Suffering from clinical depression is one of them. This is caused by an imbalance chemistry in the brain not because of a lack of faith.

Christians can have a Biological issue—Christians are not known as being very health consciences—just watch Christians after Sunday morning service at their favorite restaurant. Poor eating habits and sugary drinks, the old saying, you are what you eat and by the company you keep. Another reason is our bodies are wasting away—it affects us, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Paul wrote—Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day.  2 Corinthians 4:16

Second myth: Why Christians should never be depressed”

No one in the Bible ever experienced Depression. There are plenty examples of people in the Bible who suffered depression.  In the book of Psalms—David is all over the map-emotionally—it shows us how human Biblical charters were in the Bible: David said in Psalms 6:3- I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me?

Elijah the Prophet of God fell to depression—But he (Elijah) himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”  1 Kings 19:4

How about Job—Job 3:1 says–Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

Charles Spurgeon was known as one of the most powerful preacher that ever lived. Yet he battle regularly with depression.  Spurgeon once said—“There are dungeons beneath the castles of despair” It was well known that Martin Luther the founder of the protestant movement battle with depression.

In Psalms 42 and 43 records King David battle with depression. To give you a little background. Some Biblical scholars believe David is writing about his experience when Absalom’s, David own son lead a rebellion against him and seized control of the Kingdom of Israel.:

David brought with him one of the sons of Korah, a Levite, who penned Psalms 42 and 43. These two Psalms are about personal struggles that David had in making sense of the experience he was going through. Betrayal by someone who is very close to a person can be as hard as going through a divorce it’s very emotional and depressing.

Psalm 42 starts out:

Verse 1– As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?”

Absalom stole the hearts of the people almost everyone in Jerusalem has abandoned David and pledges themselves to Absalom: In a condescending manner those who betrayed David are saying, “Where is your God” this led David into a deep depression: 

I believe we can find four factors in these two recorded Psalms that led to David depression:

First Factor that lead to David’s Depression-Unfulfilled Hope:

Verse 1-As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Notice that last line: When shall I come and appear before God?

Remember David has been driven away from Jerusalem were the temple of God is located that represents the presences of God. The heart of a worshipper longs to be in God’s presences: David said, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” David is experiencing unfulfilled hope, when we lose hope we become prone to spiritual depression.

 Proverbs 13:12- Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

The Message Bible reads- Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick.

The Second factor why David was experiencing depression, he came under Personal Attacks:

Verse 3- My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” Verse 10- As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

David was personally attacked from those he didn’t expect would attack him which added to his depression.  Whoever these people were that were attacking David wasn’t showing any mercy. David said, they continually say to me, all day long “Where is your God” Just image the stress David was under from these attacks.  Proverbs 12:25-Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad. David wasn’t receiving any support from those whom he trusted; those who once were his friends those with whom David had worshiped God together. 

David recorded another similar situation of being betrayed by a close friend. In Psalms 55:13-14 David writes, “It is not an enemy who taunts me, I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me, I could have hidden from them. 13 Instead, it is you—my equal, my companion and close friend.”

The third factor why David was experiencing spiritual depression:–He kept rehearing the past.

Verse 4- When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

Notice David said; “When I remember these things” –David is rehearsing the past

“I pour out my soul within me” the New Living Translation says, – “My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be” For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God. 

These are memories of better days– the “good old days” Its ok to remember the past but don’t live in the past.

The last contributing factor of David’s depression was he became self-absorbed.

A basic problem that leads some people into depression is self-centeredness, when reading Psalms 42 and 43 there are 51 personal pronouns (I, me, my) Only 20 times did David mentions God. What happened, instead of David having his eyes on God he placed them on his situation and began to feel sorry for himself. 

Becoming self-absorbed in your hurt from what others have done or said about you will not help you from climbing out of your pain. God can and will heal you from your wounds if you will just yield to His grace.

What is the cure for spiritual depression?

#1- Replace your thoughts with God’s truth: “Hope in God”

Listen to what David said in verse 5

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.

David had a little talk with himself and asks the question why.  “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote—“Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself”

#2- Replace your past with your future: “for I shall yet praise Him”

The word Hope appears three times in Psalms 42 and 43

David said, “I will put my hope in God.” Your outlook will determine your outcome.

#3- Replace self with God:  “For the help of His countenance”

How do you do that? Focus upward instead of inward.

Corrie ten Boom said — “Look around and be distressed. Look within and be depressed. Look to Jesus and be at rest”

If you are battling spiritual depression I just want to encourage you, Look to Jesus and be at rest. He is our hope and our comfort.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.    2 Corinthians 1:3-4

How we view God determines what kind of relationship you will have with Him:
 
If we have a view of God who is always ready to punish us every time we do something wrong instead of correcting us in love and mercy our relationship with Him will be hinder by guilt and condemnation.
 
Psalms 139 is a beautiful psalm of David that gives us an insight of his relationship with God, one of total transparency. Because of the personal pronouns David uses over and over again it is believe that this psalm is actually a private devotional between David and God.
The repeated personal pronouns are: You have, You know, You see.
 
Now imagine somebody who knows everything about you:
 
For many that would be uncomfortable, even a little bit scary.  The fear of being exposed to others, or having others knowing everything about you.
 
The God you and I serve does knows everything about you and me– what we are thinking, what we are going to say before you say it:
 
Listen to what the psalmist David says about the God who knows everything about him.
 
Psalms  139:1-3
O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, Lord.
 
Notice what David says here in Psalms 139:
Verse 1-You know everything about me:
Verse 2- You know my thoughts:
Verse 3-You know everything I do:
Verse 4-You know everything I am going to say
 
One of the attributes of God: He knows everything: God is all-knowing—He is Omniscience, meaning– God is unlimited in what He knows.
 
The prophet Isaiah asked this question-who taught God:
 
With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding?
And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge,
And informed Him of the way of understanding?   Isaiah 40:14 NASB
 
The answer to that question: is no one! God knows everything:
 
There is a false teaching circulating today called “open theism,” or the limited knowledge of God, which states that God doesn’t know everything.
 
That God is actually learning -that God created a universe in which the future is not entirely known, not even to God.

This is the opposite of what the word of God teaches: That God is everlasting. He has always existed and always will exist. He has no beginning and he has no end. He is eternal.
 
God knows the past, present and future-but He is so personal that He knows you and me, think about that for a moment, God personally knows each person who has ever lived, or is living right now and even those who are yet to be born.
 
God is so personal; He knows our struggles, our fears, disappointments-our victories and defeats
 
He knows what concerns you—what worries you—what’s amazing, He knows all about our failures and weakness—and yet He still loves you and me:
 
King David is simply getting lost in this Psalm as he thinks how good God is:
 
David wasn’t a perfect man—he had many failures in his life—adultery-guilty of causing an innocent man (Uriah) to be killed. David wasn’t the greatest father either: Yet he is called- “a man after God’s own heart”.
 
You seeGod loves us in spite of ourselves:
 
David continues in Verse 5- You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
 
Sounds like a Paradox—You go before me and follow me!—not only is God all-knowing—He is Omnipresence, meaning He is always present.

The Living Bible translate this verse- I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too—your reassuring presence, coming and going.
 
David acknowledges the ever presences of God.
Verse 7– I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
    if I go down to the grave, you are there.

You can understand why David says in Verse-6 -Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! NLT
 
 David is saying; I just can’t wrap my mind around this:
 It’s too much for me to understand— Such knowledge is too wonderful for me!
 
Message Bible says- I can’t take it all in!
 
The God we serve who knows all about us, with all our faults and failures, yet loves and accept us:
 
What a comforting thought—
 
God surrounds our lives: He is before us, behind us, above us, below us, beside us!
Good news is—He is for us:

This flies in the face of the false teaching called: Deism—opposite of atheism
Deism acknowledges there is a God but He has nothing personally to do with mankind:
 
Like the great watch maker—God created the world——-left it to run on its own:  No interaction- a non-personal God:
 
There is a God who knows you, loves you, He is for you, not against you-to help you, comfort you, guide you, and bless your life:
 
Look again at the second half of verse 5: “You place your hand of blessing on my head.”

We are always afraid God is going to smack us on the top of our heads:

David is saying, God hand is on us for good: to bless us—God wants to do more for us than what we can ever image:

Unfortunately many of God’s children are filled with guilt and condemnation—feeling unworthy:

1 John 3:20- For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

Depending on your relationship with God, a Christian who always feels unworthy can asked forgiveness and yet still feel condemned. 

John says, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

The Holy Spirit will convict us but He will never condemn us:
 
Because God loves us He will reveal those things that need to be placed under the blood of Jesus through repentance.
 
Listen to what Hebrews 12:5-6 says- “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.
 
God disciplines the one He loves.  
 
David in the past experienced the discipline of the Lord—the Lord forgive him, but he still suffered the consequences of his actions:
 
David knew firsthand how sin can rob a person of God’s blessings:
 
David ends his devotion with these words:
 
Verse 23 & 24– Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
    and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
 
David personalizes it, “searched me.”
 
The phrase: “searched me.” Is a very strong word in the Hebrew, the word search means to see through, to pierce.—– the idea here, God please search me inside and out.
 
Point out anything in me that offends you:
 
Author/Speaker France Chan said: “The very fact that a holy, eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, merciful and just God loves you and me is nothing short of astonishing.”
 
Whatever you are going through right now—remember you’re not alone—God is with you. He knows you personally
 
I want to encourage you to get to know the God who knows you!
 
Sit at His feet, opened up the Word of God, allowed the Holy Spirit to help you develop personal one-on-one relationship with Jesus.