Even Christians get depressed sometimes. When we are weighed down with family issues, troubling finances, newscasts, and don’t know where to turn, I’m here to tell us (me included) that God says He is always near, always hears our pleas in our prayers, and is a citadel against all forces that assail us. From my book, Restore My Soul Psalms, written especially for the season of Lent when we are self-examining our walk with Jesus, I deal with the things that hamper us from the joy of Jesus. Death, depression, sorrow, doubt–all these negatives of mortal life–are portrayed now so that we an deal with them in the bright light of the Resurrection.
Jesus knew torment. He wept over Jerusalem (He would today, too). He couldn’t let death keep Lazarus. He knew betrayal. He even asked God, His loving Father, why He felt deserted by Him during the crucifixion. Should we compare our petty issues to His? He was tempted, He had no home, nowhere to lay his head. He and His disciples traveled without resources. He totally trusted God, knowing that at His request, angels would come to His aid. While we have no such assurances, we know by faith, not sight yet, that God is ever present with us.
Hopefully this verse will help:
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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