The Cure For Depression

Psalm 43:3-5 -  Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live.  There I will go to the altar of God, to God -- the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!  Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again -- my Savior and my God!

 

When we allow the world to attack our heart…satan quickly plants a seed of depression. The sadness and separation we feel from God will grow into a darkness that makes us feel trapped and lonely. We want to retreat into ourselves even further…and have a big pity party with ourselves…but we need to follow the advice of the sons of Korah that wrote this Psalm.

 

First…we need to acknowledge that we have let the world beat us down…and admit that we allowed that seed of depression access to our heart.  We need to ask ourselves why we are sad and discouraged. We need to put our hope in God and trust that he will make a way out of our darkness.

 

The next step is to ask God to shine a light on the pathway we need to walk out of the dark we let surround and trap us. 1 John 1:5 says…  “This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.”  God’s great light of love will illumine even the darkest gloom we have let grow in our hearts. His light shatters any hold the world and satan had over us to pout and feel sorry for ourselves.

 

The last thing they tell us to do is ask God to help us live in the truth. 1 john 2:27 says… “ But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you all things, and what he teaches is true -- it is not a lie. So continue in what he has taught you, and continue to live in Christ.”

 

These sons were so happy after they applied God’s light and truth to their problem that they wanted to run to the mountain where God’s Temple stood.  They wanted to raise the roof with worship and praise for chasing all that darkness out of their lives.  They wanted to thank God for helping them understand that the pity party they were about to have would only trap them in their depression longer.

 

I admit that I needed this lesson …about two weeks ago. Holidays are hard on those of us that have broken families…or loved ones in Heaven. This one was harder than the last…and I let myself slip into a pity party one Sunday a couple weeks back. I texted my friend …and told her my emotional state…and proceeded to stream lifetime movies that made me worse. God’s light and truth revealed to her I needed a shot in the arm...so she rang the doorbell later that day…and prayed with me. It touched me so much that God loved me that much…to send help…even though I was perfectly happy being miserable.

 

I am better now…he sent me on a wonderful retreat with our church youth …so I wouldn’t have too much time to think over break. God sure put the 100 watt bulb in those services…and helped me overcome my feelings of sadness …for good if I let him keep his spirit of truth turned on in my heart. His truth showed me that I need to be his hands and feet to others…and quit feeling sorry for myself.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder…and the great light you have shown on the darkness I let slip around me of late.  Help me to keep that light turned on with constant prayer to you.  Help me to really read the Bible…to understand what truth it has to tell me. Show me the path I need to take to find the job you need me to do for you. Show me how to be best friends with the Holy Spirit you gave me when I asked you into my heart…so that I won’t ever get lost in darkness again. Amen.