This Psalm is most appropriate for me today, and God in his wisdom when I wrote it several years ago, knew today would come. Today we have the status meeting for my sister Dorothy to determine where and when she will transfer to her permanent residence this side of heaven. As most of you who have been praying about this with us know, she was hospitalized with several major issues, including double pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and kidney insufficiency all of January. She is now in rehabilitation and is receiving dialysis three times per week. Her independent nature and assertiveness have helped her in overcoming what she is capable of dealing with, but now we have decisions to make about what is next.
To say the least, we two sisters caring for her have had moments of depression. Although we have many prayer warriors and our family has been in constant prayer over this stressful situation, we acknowledge we are tired and lean more and more on Jesus and those around us for understanding and care. As I reread this poem, written when only tiny concerns sometimes caused me to lose sleep, this one is a biggie. Hoperfully my Psalm will comfort you where you are today as we continue our prayers and contemplation for this season of Lent, 2025.
MY PSALM 304 DEPRESSION
Almighty God, Holder of my soul, Abba, Father,
Sometimes I am weighed down with grief, sorrow, pain
And cannot see clearly the blessings You’ve provided.
Help my unbelief, be my vision, give me insight as well
I am so encouraged by Your Word which shows me
Heroes of the Bible faced these same demons.
I am so thankful that they teach me to once more return
To Your Presence to seek comfort,
To once again find peace.
Thank You for the confidence
That You are eternal, omnipresent, and that You care.
You provide wise counsel, marvelous works of nature,
Hymns, songs, music to soothe my mind and heart,
Encouragement of stories from clouds of witnesses
Who have gone before me, traveled this path,
Suffered worse circumstances than I, or David, or Jeremiah
And found their strength in You, the Rock of our salvation.
Grant me the understanding I seek in the nighttime
When worries and concerns seem to breed,
Keeping me from sleep and even from praying
In confidence that my motives are pure.
Stop me from thinking about me
And turn my thoughts to others.
Omniscient Lord, You know me better than I know myself.
Grant me the understanding I seek
When the floodgates of insecurity open
And torrents of “Woe is me” invade the calm waters
Of quiet streams when I know all is well.
Preserve for me the nourishment I seek for my soul.
Show me, by Your grace, the positive things each day
Which far outpace the prompts feeding my depression.
When I once again return to the fountain of blessing
You provide, I am able, by Your grace
To embrace hope, assurance, and sure knowledge
That when I count blessings rather than hurts,
I am amazed at Your mercy and recover my right senses.
Be at once my mind’s gatekeeper and my guard
So that Your scriptures may guide each thought.
Keep the joy of my salvation ever in my mind’s eye
So that I see kingdom possibilities, not my liabilities.
Allow me the insight to break huge projects
Into manageable segments so I am not overwhelmed.
Help me to let go and let You guide,
For You know my weaknesses all too well.
And what I pray for my weary soul, I pray for others
Who may read my words and say, “Hey, that’s me too!”
And may Your message of eternal care and concern
Reach every troubled heart and soul,
For if You can keep the universe in its measured course,
Certainly, You can show me how to handle my moments
Which represent a nanosecond in eternal consequences.
Help me to remember that if it doesn’t matter in five years
It doesn’t matter in five minutes,
And that I need to trust outcomes to Your mighty hand,
For You handle all affairs for Your Glory and my good.
Thank You for being my loving Father. Amen.
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