18 How Saints Handle Depression

Psalm 13

1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, 4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. 5 But I have trusted in Your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.
 (ESV)

  1. David’s Inward Struggle (vv 1-2).
    He felt God was ignoring him and hiding His face from him while he was hiding from Saul – God’s promises not materializing. He was disturbed about what the enemy was doing – also the enemy ‘self’ inside. We must realise how deceptive our feelings are, which are real but often woven with paranoia.

  2. David’s Outward Dangers (vv 3-4).
    He thought that he was about to die and asked God:
    a. ‘Look on me and scrutinise my heart.’
    b. ‘Answer me and send some encouragement.’
    c. ‘Give light to my eyes.’

  3. David’s Upward Look (vv 5-6).
    a. His Faith in God.
    b. His Fortitude.

Maybe you feel like David, but God is on the throne. His people don’t live on explanations but on His promises, which are as unchanging as His character. If He had no intension of keeping them, He would never have made them (Mat 9:29). Relying on the Lord leads to rejoicing in the Lord and in His salvation.

David’s circumstances haven’t changed, but the Lord changed David. That happened when David stopped looking at his feelings and his foes, and by faith started looking to the Lord.