Hope for the downcast

The death of the Wales football manager Gary Speed in November 2011 shocked everyone, even those with no interest in football. The fact that it seems to have been related to depression enabled other men (especially sports people) to acknowledge that they also struggle with what Churchill called his ‘black dog’, and brought the subject of depression into open discussion.

It is said that 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience some form of the illness during their lifetime. I remember vividly in my teenage years watching my father struggle with depression after he was made redundant, and I have friends for whom depression has been a constant, if unwelcome, visitor throughout their lives. One of the reasons I love Psalm 42 is that it deals with this common human affliction, albeit from a slightly unusual angle – that of spiritual depression.

Spiritual depression occurs when we lose our sense of God’s presence and experience a loss of enthusiasm for the disciplines that normally sustain our relationship with God, like prayer, Bible reading and fellowship. It is an extremely common problem in Christian discipleship, highlighted in 1965 with the publication of Spiritual Depression, its causes and cures, the substance of a series of sermons preached at Westminster Chapel, London, by the minister Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

The anonymous writer of Psalm 42 appears to have been a highly committed and talented believer, probably a temple singer or musician. The context suggests this person has been exiled from Jerusalem (perhaps to Babylon?) and can no longer take part in the communal worship as before (42:4). He carries within him a deep sense of disappointment in God for allowing Jerusalem to fall to its enemies, and the taunts that God has deserted Israel exacerbates his melancholia (42:3,10). A deep sadness engulfs him and he weeps constantly (42:3). It seems as if God is to blame for his misfortune (42:7); eventually his health begins to suffer (42:10).

The opening verses of the Psalm are amongst the most well-known in Scripture and capture the essence of his desperate longing: ‘As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God (42:1-2)?’ He feels like a deer running for its life, harried and exhausted by the chase, desperate for refreshment and safety. Spiritually he is parched and dry. He knows that only God can satisfy his soul, but how can that happen when he is far away from the Promised Land?

Then it is that faith begins to rise within him; slowly and gradually light and truth dawn upon his troubled soul. The Psalm’s chorus, repeated three times (42:5,11 and 43:5) represents his fight back, and the way in which his prayer is answered: ‘Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.’

There are no magic formulas for lifting depression, and the fact that the Psalmist has to listen to his own advice repeatedly suggests that relief is likely to come gradually, but the flow of the Psalm (which continues into Psalm 43) shows a growing hopefulness and a sufficient lifting of the gloomy cloud to hearten anyone battling with a similar malaise. What then can we learn from his struggle?

Firstly, be honest. It is better not to pretend that things are better than they are. If you are downcast, admit it, at least to a trusted few. There is no shame in battling with depression, and we need not feel guilty because we feel overwhelmed or that we can’t cope. No-one can help us if we hide our symptoms and mask our true feelings.

Secondly, ask questions, especially of yourself. Why am downcast? Is there a reason for my feelings? This is one of the key insights of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. It helps us to see the connection between our thoughts and our feelings, and that wrong thinking leads to negative emotions, and eventually depression. Whilst not all depression has its source in a wrong belief system, spiritual depression often does, and it is worth exploring with a counsellor or wise friend our thought patterns. It is easy to see, for example, that if the Psalmist was thinking God had been defeated he would inevitably feel downcast. In fact God had not been defeated, and there was another explanation for the fall of Jerusalem, the discipline of God.

Thirdly, have faith. It is easy to allow self-pity to overwhelm us and sometimes we have to take ourselves in hand and speak faith to our troubled souls. This was one factor that Lloyd-Jones emphasised: ‘We must talk to ourselves, instead of allowing ‘ourselves’ to talk to us. Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself rather than talking to yourself.’ Faith has to be exercised, and in dark times we must remind ourselves of the truth that God has given us and believe that we will again praise God. Weeping may tarry for the night but joy will come with the morning (Psalm 30:5).

Fourthly, lean hard. The Psalmist is connected to God in a deeply personal way. He speaks of my God and my Saviour. Here is a moment to remember that it is God’s hold upon us that matters, not so much our hold upon him. He has taken hold of us and will never let us go, no matter how we feel. We are held in the grip of grace. We can lean our full weight upon his faithfulness, allowing him to take the strain and trust that we will sing again (43:4).

This does not mean that recovery will be easy or quick, but it does mean there is hope. However dark it is now daybreak will come and we will find once more the streams of living water.