I’ve always looked at depression with a skeptical eye. I’ve since learned that it is very real. As a spectator it is easy to peer into someone else’s life and say, “just get over it.” I’ve learned it’s not that easy. Some of the greatest followers of Jesus suffered from depression. I have several friends that are dealing with it right now. I love you guys and want you to know that I pray for you often. I wanted to share this scripture with you.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
listen to my plea!
Answer me because you are faithful and righteous.
2 Don’t put your servant on trial,
for no one is innocent before you.
3 My enemy has chased me.
He has knocked me to the ground
and forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave.
4 I am losing all hope;
I am paralyzed with fear.
5 I remember the days of old.
I ponder all your great works
and think about what you have done.
6 I lift my hands to you in prayer.
I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.
Interlude
7 Come quickly, Lord, and answer me,
for my depression deepens.
Don’t turn away from me,
or I will die.
8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,
for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk,
for I give myself to you.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;
I run to you to hide me.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
May your gracious Spirit lead me forward
on a firm footing.
11 For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life.
Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.
12 In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies
and destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.
Hear my prayer; Answer me; losing all hope; paralyzed with fear; I remember the days of old; I ponder your great works; I think about what you have done; I lift my hands in prayer; I thirst for you; come quickly; answer me; my depression deepens; Don’t turn away; I am trusting you; show me where to walk; I give myself to you; rescue me; I run to you; hide me; Teach me; lead me forward; preserve my life; bring me out of this distress; silence my enemies; destroy my foes; I am your servant.–Amen
OH JEFF! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for your blog! I cannot tell you how encouraging it is to hear your pastor, affirming that this horrible crushing disease is more than just whining and feeling sorry for yourself! I believe it is one of the most pressing ministry opportunities for the Lord’s Church in existence today. Wow! I love you! You have started my day off in such a fresh and more hopeful way! Thanks again!
Very nice blog! Depression affects so many people! But today there is more help for it than ever before, also. Prayer, medicine, and relaxing, etc. I am a firm believer in the relaxing (doing something to get your mind off your troubles). Sometimes something as simple as playing a game and concentrating on that for a while helps alot. There are so many times we should relax and do something enjoyable instead of pushing ourselves into more responsible things. Perhaps resting on the Sabbath, just enjoy doing something that makes us happy, could make a big difference during the weekdays. The internet has given us more opportunities to chat with people, etc. than we’ve ever had before so we might as well take advantage of it, to help with depression.
Thanks for caring. I wish I could say more, but I can’t.
Wow! I love it!! Yea, sometimes the only friends I can share in this struggle with are those found in the Bible-Jeremiah and David especially. In times where Im down and medication seems to have lost its effect, I look to David’s psalms. How cool that at the beginning of many of them, he is truly depressed, has lost all hope, and the focus is on himself…but by the end of the psalm, he is praising God and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I am so thankful that I am not the only one dealing with this and this past week, I’ve truly learned what it means to take my focus off myself and look to God. This will be an ongoing struggle, but thanks for the encouragement, Jeff. Very cool! Great message today as well
Kinda glad to see this old post revisited! Being a person who has dealt with a spouse with clinical depression for years (some of those years neither of us having a clue WHAT was going on, just seeing the ramifications of it), trust me it is a very very real condition and don’t believe Tom Cruise — medicines can and are very effective and helpful! It is hard to understand something that doesn’t effect oneself — I haven’t truly got a depressive bone in my body, so I’m STILL learning the ins and outs of this whole gig from the outside looking in — medicines can help and adjust and things can be wonderful and then BLAM out of the blue something just goes kaphlooey! But the one thing that never goes kaphlooey is the fact that God is always there and constant and wanting to help and listen regardless of which side we are on in the struggle to deal with the disease. It’s similar in my mind to someone being diabetic (which my spouse also is — double whammy on the mood swings!), they need insulin. Someone can’t see, they need glasses. Someone’s has depression, they may require a medicine to alleviate that. Etc. etc. But in our society, all things are accepted so well and openly, except for discussing mental illness — it’s still viewed as there is something “wrong” with the person. No one views a broken arm as something “wrong” but a broken “brain” is tabu. And it’s not broken, just the wiring is a bit off and needs to be re-directed. We’re all broken with something, sometimes with plenty of things, but God loves us all and is helping us with all those attacks on our being every day — big and small. (I will vacate my soapbox now…)