The Biblical Cure for Depression, Part 1

The Bible has words of wisdom for good times, for bad times, for easy times, and difficult times.

Here's pastor and author, Dr. Michael Yousaf. I'm so deeply grateful to the men of God who are inspired by the Holy Spirit to write in the Word of God. Because these biblical heroes that we read about in the Scripture opened their hearts to us and showed us the difficult times, and the tough times, and the depressed times, and discouraging times. Not just the sunny side of life, which, of course, everybody likes to do.

For many, the holidays usher in depression for one reason or another. So for the next couple of episodes of Leading the Way Audio, Dr. Michael Yousaf introduces you to biblical heroes, those who fought against personal discouragement and hopelessness. And God brought them victory. It's a series called The Biblical Cure for Depression. Please remember, Leading the Way is listener supported. We rely on God's provision through God's people to find ways to stand with Dr. Yousaf at ltw.org.

Or call and speak with a representative at 866-626-4356. More later right now though, here's Dr. Michael Yousaf to begin this life-changing teaching. I want to speak to you about the cure for depression. And it is given to us in the Word of God in chapters 42 or 43 in the book of Psalms, or Psalm 42 and 43. That is the biblical cure for emotional downturn. That may be caused by economic downturn or caused by any kind of other reasons because there are a whole lot of reasons why people get down. The truth is that all of us at some point get down at some time.

Some of us stay down longer than others. And when you are down, you feel that God is so far, far, far away from you. When you're down, you feel that God has abandoned you and He is no longer answering your prayers. And when you're down, you feel isolated and you feel rejected by God. And you feel that when you're being down and discouraged and depressed and unmotivated and there's no way out. Turn with me please to Psalm 42 because here in this psalm, the psalmist literally opens his heart to us and he shows us what's going on inside of him. Literally, this is his self-talk, but he decided to put it on paper so that we can learn the cure of depression. What is more important, how to deal with those times of depression, those times of discouragement in our lives. You know, in modern culture, we've been taught since we were kids to bottle up, stuff our problems and not talk about them and keep them secret. They stay inside of us. And often we try to not even retrace our steps and find out why we got here. Why did we get to this point?

We don't even do that. And others, particularly men, immediately want to get on working, finding an answer and finding a solution and a way to get out of this. And many times they go for answers in all kinds of places except the only place. And that is why I am, for one, deeply grateful to the Word of God. I'm so deeply grateful to the men of God who are inspired by the Holy Spirit to write in the Word of God. Because these biblical heroes that we read about in the Scripture opened their hearts to us and showed us the difficult times and the tough times and the depressed times and discouraging times.

Not just the sunny side of life, which, of course, everybody likes to do. Moses was so depressed, wanted to die. Elijah was so depressed, he wanted God to kill him. Jeremiah was so down in the dumps that he wondered why he was ever born. The psalmist here, in Psalms 42 and 43 particularly, was going through one of those times. He was going through such a time. And thankfully, he did not bottle up his feelings and his emotions and his thinking.

Thankfully, he opened up his heart in order to show us the best way to deal with those times of discouragements. And today, there are many people who are apprehensive about their future. They're worried about their future.

They're going to answers in all the wrong places except the place where they really can find an answer. I've been reading recently about how some are going to fortune tellers and others are adopting transcendental meditation and all that stuff. Businessmen are resorting to excessive alcohol drinking and drugs and trying to tranquilize their feelings instead of going to the Word of God and finding exactly the right cure. And here the psalmist gives us the best way to deal with those difficult times of discouragement. How to deal with those difficult times of depression. Verse 1 of Psalm 42, and he begins not with the problem but with the answer.

That's often the way Semitic people think. They all start with the answer and then they go and tell you what the problem is. He starts not with what is causing him the heartache but the real answer to his heartbreak. He begins not with the difficulty but with the answer to his difficulty. Verse 1, as the deer pants for the streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. A deer pants for water in the land of Israel because they were chased by wild dogs and they run so hard until they're panting and then they need some water to give them relief. And I thought about this and I said, how many people today are running from wild dogs and whatever the wild dogs that are chasing you, whether they be fear or anxiety or a financial loss or family pressures or illness that you may be experiencing or whatever it may be. Others have said that back in that time in the land of Israel and still today, there are many wadis or valleys and from a distance you look there and you think those are filled with water but when you get close to them, there were really dry hole, no water in them. A deer would run and run and run and run trying to find that water only to discover that it is a dry hole.

And certainly many of us can testify to the fact that we have chased after what we thought be the secret to prosperity only to discover that there are dry holes. And that in itself increases the intensity of discouragement. But unlike us, the Psalm gets away from all of that religious gibberish. He gets away from all of the sweet talk of religious talk. He gets away from all the human theories about this causes that and that causes the other thing.

He gets away from all of that and he gets right to the heart of the matter. And he said, only God is the spring of the living water that satisfied our deepest longing. Though I may be going through a tough time, but I know that when I long for God, when I thirst after God, He will meet me, He will satisfy me and all of my needs will be met. Some people want God only for what they can get out of God. There are some people who want God only for what God can do for them. And the Psalmist is saying, no, no, no, no, he says it is the thirst for God himself. His thirst is for intimacy with God. His thirst is after wanting to know God better. His thirst is in the deep desire to be in the very presence of God. It is a thirst for delighting oneself in the Lord. That's the only thing that can truly fill your empty heart. And the Psalmist is saying, I am like that deer that is running and running and running and goes from wadi to wadi looking for the living water.

But there's only one spring of water that can refresh my weary bones. Verse 2, he said, my soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go to meet with God? When David was writing this Psalm, it was a time when he was away from the palace. He was on the run. He was away with his entourage and he left home. He was away from the temple and he's away from temple worship.

It's like all Old Testament saints in the Old Testament because they did not have the Holy Spirit dwells in them as we do in the New Testament. They believed of course in the presence of God everywhere, that God is everywhere. But they believed that God specifically and more concentrated presence is in the temple. There even the tent of meeting before the temple was built.

Why? Because the ark of the covenant was there reminding them of the presence of God. And that's what David was longing for, to be there in the temple where God is present in a unique way, in the worship and the adoration of the Lord. And when you and I feel isolated from God, listen to me, when we feel isolated from God, it's not because God left us. God promised never to leave us nor forsake us. It is because sin and disobedience is because distrust in him and in his promises make us feel isolated. It's because we moved.

He did not move. And those times we feel that heaven is like a brass and earth is like an iron and our prayers is not going above our heads. It is because we moved from God. And I know I can testify to you that when I have a sense of isolation from the Lord, it's because I have moved, not because God moved. And when I experience a loss of joy that only comes from the presence of God in my life, it is because I got so busy with ministry and failed to minister to him in praise and adoration and worship. When my spirit is as dry as a bone, it is because I got so busy working for him, not thirsting for him. And Jesus said, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. That is hunger and thirst for God himself. For, they will be filled.

They will be filled. You have God's word on it. To make things worse, look at verse three. It says David was thirsting for God and crying to God so much and so often that he was actually crying more than he was eating. What are these tears? What are these tears?

Listen carefully. The promised tears were the tears of pain over separation from God. They were the tears of grief over his isolation.

There were the tears of despair over his condition. And Jesus said that these kinds of tears are healing tears. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.

And when you thirst for God, not just for what God can do for you, when you thirst for the joy that comes only from the presence of God, God will quench that thirst. When you shed tears because you are thirsting for God, these are the tears of healing. These are the tears of release. These are the tears that are life affirming in the spirit. These are the tears that are acceptable to heaven. These are the tears that can bring an awakening to your soul.

These are the tears that can bring an awakening in the church of Jesus Christ. And what makes things worse for David is that people were taunting him. They were taunting him.

And you see it here. He repeats it twice and then again in verse 10. They were saying to him, you believed in God, why did he let you down? You put your trust in God, why didn't he come to your rescue so quickly? Why is he leaving you where you are in this terrible condition? You have put your faith in him, but he didn't answer your prayers. Listen, the taunting of people can be very painful.

You don't need me to tell you that. But how does the psalmist get out of this depressed condition? I think that's really the most important part about the psalm.

How does he get out of this depressed condition? Verse 4. He begins by remembering past faithfulness of God. He begins by remembering past blessings of God.

He begins by remembering the past goodness of God to him. And so he lifts his spirit by challenging his soul. Do you know that you need to challenge your soul every now and again? You do.

We all do. Challenge your soul. That's what he's doing.

How? By positive self-admonition. Not self-affirmation, but admonition.

There's nothing wrong with that. Look at verses 5 and 6. He said, in all of my past experiences, God never withdrew from me. In all of my past dealings with God, God never abandoned me before. In all of my past experiences, God never forsook me before. And why is he going to do that now? Why are you cast down on my soul?

Verse 5. And here's his prescription. This is not just a medicine that might help you. This is a cure. This is a cure. His prescription for overcoming depression is very clear. We have some prescriptions today, you know. People say, well, you know, if you're depressed, just wash your hair.

Right? Or go on the shopping spree. Ooh, that's dangerous. Go golfing. Go run and pump iron. Now I exercise, so I recommend that. It's always great. But good as all these things may be.

Honey, except for the shopping part. Helpful they may be. But his prescription is this. Listen carefully. Remember God's past blessings. Even the ones that you're not aware of.

Even the ones that you're not conscious of. Remember what he has done in the past. Verse 6. Therefore will I remember you from the land of Jordan and the height or the hills of Hermon. What is he saying here? He's saying, oh, I remember back yonder. It's found in 1 Samuel chapter 30 verse 6. Where it says David encouraged himself in the Lord.

What is that? What was this all about? When David refers to it, it's a milestone in his life. It's a very important part of his life. And back then, when David was on the run from Saul. He built a huge following. They had a town called Ziklag. That was his headquarters.

That's where they all lived. David would never touch Saul. Even when he could kill him, he wouldn't do it.

He said, I'm not going to touch the anointed of God. And he just stayed away and he stayed in this town of Ziklag. Well, one day he and his men were away. And the Philistines came over and they burned the city of Ziklag.

They burned it to the ground. And they took the women and the children captives. And David and his men come back and they see what happened. And all of his men turned on him.

He was getting it from everybody. That is why in that verse, chapter 30, first Samuel, verse 6, it says, David encouraged himself in the Lord. That's the only encouragement at that time when he had no encouragement from anybody else. See, at that time, David remembers how dark clouds surrounded him. He remembers how this thick fog surrounded the very valley of his life.

He remembered how back then darkness was all around him and it seems no way out. But God gave him victory and restored all his blessings back to him. And David said, now, I know that God can do it again. I know He'll do it again. I remember what He did back then. I know He'll do it again. Back when I was running from Saul, He saved my life over and over and over again.

And He'll do it again. Why are you cast down within me, O my Saul, verse 5? Let me ask you this. Are you going through a deep valley that's surrounding you right now? That you can't see a way out.

Are you going through a thick fog that is clouding your vision and not able to think clearly right now? Look back. Look back and see how God walked you through in the times of past times. Look back and see how far God has brought you.

Look back and see how God encouraged you back then and take courage that He's going to do it again. Verse 7, it says, deep calls to deep and the roar of your waterfalls. All your waves and breakers have swept over me. And when David saw the cataracts as if one calling out to the succeeding one. And he visualized his depressed spirit as if he's experiencing this one grief after another, one grief after another, one grief after another. And he did probably what some of you may have said one time or another, man, I can't take another piece of bad news. I can't take another one of those. Now even the secular world talk about, you know, coming in threes.

And you know sometimes when these things happen, one thing after another, I know we've been there. First, it was his son Absalom, rebuilt against his father. And then he went out and was trying to steal the hearts of people.

So they would follow him and not his father. And all of this would start coming, the news is coming to David. And then the next thing, Absalom announced that he's about to conduct a coup d'etat to kick his father out of the throne and put himself there as the king.

One wave after another, one wave after another. I mean it was just so overwhelming that David said, they're like those cataracts in this area of the Jordan. And then what really got even bad, that David and his entourage and his wife and children and everybody, they had to escape. They had to leave the palace behind. They had to leave the staff behind.

They had to leave everybody behind. Some of his army were on the run because Absalom was rebelling against his father. And then when you think, man, it can't get any worse, where he's sitting so far away, longing for God, thirsting for God, then he gets the word that one of David's close advisors, a man by the name of Ahitophel, a close friend of David, defects to the other side. He thought, well Absalom is the winning side, so I go with Absalom. Not only that, he gave Absalom an advice.

He said to him, don't just keep in a standoff with your father, he's on the run now, but really the best advice I can give you, I know your father, the best advice I can give you is kill your father. And David says, I can't take more bad news. It's like the cataract. One calling to the other.

Have you been there? And David was in so much of deep hurt. Now, beloved, whatever cataract that is pounding in your ears right now, only you know and God knows, whatever deep hurt that you are going through right now, God can give you a song in the middle of it as he did with David in verse 11. Why are you cast down on my soul?

Why so distorted within me? Put your hope in God. I will yet praise him my Savior and my God. That's a song that God can put on your lips when you thirst for him, regardless of your surrounding circumstances.

Job said the same thing when he was in deep trouble. He said, God gives me a song in the night. Only God can give you a song in the night. It is the song of his grace. It's the song of that unmerited favor that he lavishes upon his children. The song of the unconditional love that he has for all of his children. That love that we see poured out on the cross that is heaped over, pressed down, shaken together and running over.

Isaiah 59, 19 says, when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. Thank you for taking time to listen to Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. Let our team know how you listen or watch when you give us a call at 866-626-4356 or online at ltw.org. You know, the crew at Leading the Way often picture people listening while commuting or maybe grabbing a quick bite in the kitchen, but there are some who listen from inside of a lonely prison cell. Let me read a portion of a letter that we received from one such listener. It took being incarcerated, losing all worldly possessions and influences to be drawn back to the Lord.

Now all I have is the support of my family and the saving grace of Jesus. For the past year I've been listening to Dr. Michael Youssef on American Family Radio. He writes to go on and share that life changes that occurred from listening and how he prays for Dr. Youssef and for Leading the Way. Please know that when you support Dr. Youssef, both in prayer and financially, you make it possible for audio messages and resources to penetrate the very walls of prisons, to change hearts.

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