The Basis of Our Hope
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.
Psalm 42:5
American sociologist Lewis Mumford once said, “Without food man can survive for barely 30 days; without water for little more than 3 days; without air hardly for more than 3 minutes: but without hope he might destroy himself in an even shorter time.” Hope is not wishful thinking; it is the present assurance of some future good. Depression is a sense of hopelessness born out of a negative and often false perception of ourselves, our circumstances and the future. The resulting emotional state may not be based on reality nor perceived truthfully from God’s perspective. Remember that if what we believe does not reflect truth, then what we feel does not reflect reality.
In Psalm 13, David exhibits many of the classic symptoms of depression including hopelessness, negative self-talk, thoughts of death and sadness. David is depressed because he is focusing on his circumstances, sees no future hope, and has a false perception of himself and God. Even though he believes in God, he is depressed, because what he believes about God is not true. How can an omnipresent and omniscient God forget him for even one minute, much less forever? Depressed people often have a distorted concept of God and of themselves. If you believe that God has forgotten you, then you have no hope. If you think you have lost your salvation or never had it, then you have no hope.
David’s wrestling with his thoughts (see Psalm 13:2) is the endless rumination of self-talk. There is no answer in that squirrel cage. Turning to God is the answer, and that is what David does (see Psalm 13:5-6). So does the oppressed psalmist when he repeats the following verse three times: “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” (Psalms 42:5,11; 43:5).
David overcomes his depression in three ways. First, he places his trust in God’s unfailing love (see Psalm 13:5). He had always trusted in God, but he had allowed his negative circumstances to draw his attention away from the Lord. The light of God’s eternal love illuminates his dark, temporal, and fleeting circumstances. God is the only constant in this ever-changing world.
Second, David’s heart rejoices in his salvation. He remembers that he has a covenant relationship with God—and so do we. God hasn’t changed, and His Word hasn’t changed (see 1 John 3:2-3). When we find our hope fading, we should recall again who God is and who we are in Christ.
Third, David sings to the Lord. Singing is one of the key ways to focus our minds. One of the main determinants of whether a depressed mood will persist or lift is the degree to which we ruminate. Worrying about what is depressing us makes the depression more intense and prolonged. Singing hymns of praise can help us stop wrestling with our thoughts, and it is something we can choose to do. There is also a spiritual dimension of music we shouldn’t overlook. When David played the harp, the evil spirit departed from Saul (see 1 Samuel 16:21-23), and the hand of the Lord came on Elisha when the harpist played (see 2 Kings 3:15). Martin Luther also struggled with depression and wrote the classic hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”
A few questions to ponder:
How can the present assurance of some future good help the depressed person?
In Psalm 13, what are some of the symptoms of depression that David exhibits? In what ways is David’s concept of himself and God distorted?
In what three ways does David overcome his depression?
How can a true knowledge of God and a true understanding of who you are “in Christ” be a defense against depression?
What can you do when you find yourself caught in negative self-talk?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.