God and Depression

• We are ALL emotionally fragile – we need God and we need Others
• God wants us to be honest and transparent with him
• He already knows what we feel – he wants us to GO TO HIM
• God doesn’t want us to deny or be ashamed of our emotions
• God wants us to share our hearts with him
• God wants us to ask him to change our hearts
• Depression is an Opportunity to rely on our Faith
• God understands that we are as emotionally fragile as we are physically
• fragile and gives us examples of very godly people to inspire us

KING DAVID
(Psalm 6:1-9)
David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). He was Israel’s most illustrious king yet also a man given to depression. Some emotions David expressed to God in the Psalms:
Fear: "When I am afraid, I will trust in you" (Ps. 56:3)
Weakness: "Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint" (Ps. 6:2)
Anguish: "My soul is in anguish"(Ps. 6:3)
Impatience: "How long, O Lord, how long?" (Ps. 6:3)
Grief: "All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears’" (Ps. 6:6)David recorded the symptoms of his depression:

• Faintness of heart
• Agony of the body
• Anguish of soul
• Weariness from groaning
• A Pillow stained with tears
• Eyes weak from sorrow

ELIJAH
(1 Kings 19:1-21)
Elijah was chosen to be God's prophet and yet he struggled with depression.

• Fear & Panic Attack (v.3)
• Isolation from Relationships – retreated alone to the desert (v.4)
• Suicidal – prayed to die, "I've had enough"(v.4)
• Just wanted to sleep – emotionally exhausted (v.5)

Elijah was discouraged and depressed and needed to hear from God to receive encouragement, direction and to let him know he was not alone. God met his needs during depression:

• God sent an angel with some fresh baked bread and a jug of cool water (v.6)
• Encouraged him to "go to the mountain of God" (v.8)
• Led him to "a cave" – a place to be alone with God and pour out his heart (v.9)
• God spoke very softly to him – gentle, reassuring, fatherly interaction w/ God.
• God sent Elisha – a friend to be with him and share the load.

JOB
Job was a righteous, godly man who after experiencing great loss.
Job 3:11-26

• Longed for death that would not come
• Felt turmoil and couldn't sleep
• Mentioned "misery" and "bitter soul"

Job 7:13-16

• "I despise my life; I would not live forever"
• "Let me alone; my days have no meaning"

Job 29 Job felt depressed when he reminisced over all he had lost – remembered "how his life used to be". When you lose a part of your life, there is pain, regret and loss.
Job 2:9-10
Job experienced deep sorry but did not allow it to turn into bitterness, blasphemy or unbelief

• "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"
• "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Pr. 3:5-6)

APOSTLE PAUL
2 Corinthians 1:8-9
Paul described an experience so devastating he almost gave up on life.

• Beyond ability to endure
• Despaired of life
• Felt sentence of death

Later he got perspective:

• BUT THIS HAPPENED THAT WE MIGHT NOT RELY ON OURSELVES BUT ON GOD.

RELYING ON GOD

• God draws close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18); (Psalm 51:16-17)
• God is gentle toward those who are bruised and broken (Isaiah 42:3)
• God will renew your strength and revive your spirit (Isaiah 40:28-31) (Isaiah 57:15)

GOD WILL MEET EVERY NEED

• He becomes the husband to the grieving widow (Is. 54:5)
• He becomes the comforter to the barren woman (Is. 54:1)
• He becomes the father to the orphaned (Ps. 10:14)
• He becomes the bridegroom to the single person (Is. 62:5)
• He is the healer to the sick (Ex. 15: 26)
• He is the Wonderful Counselor to the confused and depressed (Is. 9:6)