Experiencing God's Presence - When Depression Threatens

Have you ever felt really down for no apparent reason, almost like a dark cloud is hovering over your head, even on your brightest and happiest day? Stay with me as we learn how to handle those feelings of depression that we all have now and then. You don't want to miss today's broadcast. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Chip's our Bible teacher for this international teaching and discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians live like Christians.

In just a minute, we'll continue our series, Experiencing God's Presence, based in the book of Psalms. And as Chip just teased, he's diving into a really serious topic today that many Christians are struggling with. So let me encourage you to get our message notes to get the most out of this program. You can follow Chip's outline and fill in pivotal phrases to help you remember, then apply what you hear.

Download them under the Broadcasts tab at livingontheedge.org. At Listeners Tap, fill in notes. Well, if you're ready, here's Chip with his talk, When Depression Threatens, from Psalm chapter 77. You know, it's so exciting to get into God's Word together and get perspective.

You know, we're living in really challenging times, and we all know Jesus promised, I am with you always. But what we're talking about is how do you experience His power? How do you experience His presence?

In our time together today, I want to go to a very sensitive area. I'm going to talk about experiencing God's power and His presence when you're depressed. And I say that, and it's a pretty complex issue, so I'm not talking about clinical depression and the physical causes for depression. I'm talking about the normal run-of-the-mill, you feel blue, you feel down, you lose perspective. In fact, it's not abnormal at all for very godly people to be depressed. I mean, have you ever thought about Scripture? I mean, Elijah, now he gets so depressed after a great victory, he basically says, forget it, God, just kill me.

I can't take it anymore. And isn't it interesting that in the kindness of God, what he needed was some rest and some good food, and then to hear the Lord's voice? Or Jonah got depressed. Well, Jonah got depressed because God was so kind. We have other biblical characters like Jeremiah, who in a moment of ministry, he literally said, I wish I'd never been born. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, J.B. Phillips, some great men of God have really struggled with depression.

John Bunyan, the great writers of Pilgrim's Progress. You read the diaries of these people and you hear there's these up and down valleys that come with these mountains of great impact in ministry. And so all I want to say is, depression is not a sin.

Certainly, can it be? Can we let ourselves get down and go in a bad direction? But depression is something that happens to all of us when we lose perspective.

Sometimes there's some spiritual causes, emotional causes, some physical causes. But what I want to talk about is, what do we do with the kind of depression that we're seeing lots of people, I mean the articles I'm reading about pastors, pastors across America and across the world that are really discouraged and really depressed. And what I want to do is give you a few characteristics about depression so you can spot it and know, oh, this isn't just being discouraged.

This is something that's pretty serious. And then I want to pray with you. And then I want to take you to a place that I go, Psalm 77, where God will model for us through this worship leader, Asaph, when you are feeling depressed, this is what you do in order to experience God. Before we get there, let me give you a few characteristics of depression. It's a feeling of hopelessness. You tend to be apathetic. I just don't want to do anything. You lose perspective. It's hard to concentrate.

Sometimes there's some physical issues like, you know, I'm not hungry. I'm not motivated. I don't want to do anything. Low self-esteem. When you get depressed, many people withdraw. I don't want to be around people. I mean, the phone rings and you think, oh, gosh, I can't even answer it, right?

You just don't want anyone or anything. People often over sensitive. They're depressed and they can react either in anger or just over sensitive to you think, wow, I mean, that was a, that was a two cent issue, but it feels like a $25 one. And you respond in ways you think, why am I acting like this? Why do I deal these things? With depression often is guilt. You know, you feel like God's far away. You know, what did I do wrong?

I don't want to do anything. And I'm, I'm angry inside and all kinds of stuff going on. And so I want to take you where God takes me when I'm feeling discouraged and it's moving into depression. And there is a model of a very godly man named Asaph and he's a worship leader and it's found in Psalm 77.

I encourage you to open that in your Bible. And he walks through a process that I want to walk you through that as you struggle with depression or deep discouragement, this is the process. And I want you to notice a number of things. I've given you some notes and you can see, I'll give you a one word to fill in in each one because that's the key word.

That's how we can beat depression. Now are you ready? He starts in verses one through three and listen to the words. I cried out to God for help. I cried out to God to hear me when I was in distress. I sought the Lord at night.

I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered you oh God and I groaned and I mused and my spirit grew faint. And I would let you know right now, this isn't like a little prayer.

When he says I cried out, I mean he's talking about I feel desperate. God, I need you. And notice where are you?

I'm in distress and I don't know about you but I'm depressed at certain times but boy in the middle of the night it just seems amplified. Where is God? What's going on? He cries out. There's no feeling of God and he's reaching out and saying help me, help me, help me.

Can I tell you something? It's normal for godly people at times in certain situations to get depressed and he does the right thing. He didn't feel like praying, I'll guarantee, but he says I cry out. That's your first word. Cry out to God. Choose to cry out to God when you're really depressed. I mean you have to battle, you have to fight. And then notice what he does in the next section.

Look at verses four through six. You kept my eyes from closing. I was too troubled to speak. I thought about the former days, the years of long ago. I heard my songs in the night. My heart mused and my spirit inquired. You know he says God I can't sleep.

Any of you there? I'm thinking, I'm laying awake all night. These issues are going over and over and over and over in my mind and I can't get them resolved and I'm trying to pray and I don't hear anything and I don't have any answers and nuts are happening in my stomach. And then he goes you know I remember, I remember days when you know there were songs in the night. I mused and thought about when we were close and you know it's not like that now. I mean he's deeply deeply discouraged but he pauses and he begins to recall past blessings and he ponders them. And then what he's going to say is he goes look right now objectively my life is a mess and I don't feel anything and I'm angry and I'm hurt and it's dark and if you're around I don't know where you are. And then he goes I remember you know he brings some objectivity and this is what you have to do.

I remember this is true and this is where I was a few months ago. I mean these dark times would come and it was like God my emotions are telling me you're nowhere and my emotions are telling me you don't care. But your word and my past experience tells me you're here but it's just like there's a wall a black veil between you and me and in my emotions I don't feel anything. Now notice he chooses to cry out when he doesn't feel like it. He then says God I can't sleep and he shares honestly how he's feeling and then he recalls some past blessings because what happens when you get depressed? Man your perspective goes.

You start thinking really not good things about you know why do this. You know this marriage hasn't been very good this is time to opt out or you know I'm in the ministry and you know what it's just too much people's expectation this is ridiculous or you know I'm just gonna I'm just gonna call it in I'm I'm not gonna do my best work and who really cares and no one really cares about me. All these lies all these things about it just start to fill your mind and then notice and this is so unusual this is why I love God's Word. In the next section verses 7 through 9 he asks God hard questions.

You need to do that he can take it. You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and he'll be back to continue our series experiencing God's presence in just a minute but let me quickly tell you that we are more than a broadcast ministry we're supporting pastors globally developing helpful resources and sharing the gospel with this next generation so if you'd like to join us in these efforts become a monthly partner by going to livingontheedge.org. Thanks for your support. Well here again is Chip.

Six hard questions. Look at verse 7. Will the Lord reject forever? Translation hey I've been asking I've been crying so you say you're faithful you ever gonna show up? Will he never show his favor again? Am I not gonna experience your blessing again?

Is this it? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? I mean he's really saying what we feel. Do you care or not?

I mean do you really care? Haven't you felt that? Do you feel the passion? Do you feel the vulnerability?

Do you feel the reality? I meet people. I meet godly people. I meet pastors. I meet people that are elders and deacons and people that we all look up to who you know what they feel guilty about having these kind of thoughts. The psalmist didn't. This guy's a worship leader. He's being real and honest with his emotion.

When you try and cover up what you're dealing with I'll tell you what it just multiplies it. Now I'm a terrible person how could I ever those thoughts God says he's faithful and in my mind I don't feel like he is. Tell God notice he goes on has his promises failed for all time?

I mean he's wrong. You're gonna come through or not? Lord you said you would be with me always so where are you?

I mean that's what's happening here. He goes on to say has God forgotten to be merciful? In other words I know I don't have it all together. I know I've messed up but what about that great principle the hesed the mercy the the covenant loyalty.

Is that gone? You made promises and then finally has he in anger withheld his compassion? Isn't that how you feel? I don't measure up.

I mean literally I'm sure you get this too but people kind of laugh when I tell them this. When I get depressed I feel like I'm a bad person. I'm a bad husband. I'm a bad father. I'm a lousy pastor and I'm a bad friend.

Other than that I think I'm doing okay. But see that's what happens. You need to understand when you start getting discouraged and depressed your focus your perspective it really really gets warped. And the word picture I have is I live near the coast here in California and when I live near the coast is that you could look out on the ocean and you would see the fog and it would come in.

I mean it's just like it would just keep moving in moving in moving in moving in and sometimes the Sun wouldn't be really bright until like like one maybe even two o'clock. And and that's my experience with depression. It's like this gray or blue fog and you know you start to feel a little bit down you're a little discouraged and it just starts creeping up creeping up creeping up.

Here's what you need to understand. You got to fight when you feel like coming on. You got to fight.

You got to really really fight because the closer it gets there's part of it. This is where it feels kind of good. You know I think I'll be depressed. I think I'll have a little self-pity.

Yeah you know what I work so hard and you know I'm doing everything and people here at the house I'm taking care of that and there's all these people that I minister to and and you know and you can just sort of settle into that depression and I will tell you what it's it's lethal. So he gets honest he cries out he recalls past blessings he asks God hard questions but notice this we pick it up in verses 10 through 12. He chooses to redirect his thoughts. Look at verse 10.

He says then transition. I thought to this I will appeal the years of the right hand of the most high. I will remember the deeds of the Lord Yahweh. Yes I will remember our miracles of long ago. I will meditate.

I will consider your mighty deeds and your mighty works. Now did you hear a few things? I will. I will. I will.

I will. Let me tell you something. You can't believe your feelings when you're getting depressed or are depressed.

They are liars. And by the way when you start listening to your feelings the enemy will whisper. He'll whisper condemnation.

He'll whisper you know something this marriage hasn't been all that good. It's never gonna be any good. You know it's not worth it. Just you know forget the ministry.

Forget the church. You know you've worked hard. It doesn't matter. Boy you. I will. I will. I will. And did you notice five different words.

He goes I thought. I will remember. I will remember. I will meditate.

I will consider. Five different words he talks about that my thinking and then notice where his thinking goes. His thinking goes beyond his circumstances and his dark feelings and he chooses to think remember and consider and he remembers who God is. I love this where he says the right hand of the most high.

It's El Elyon. It's God creator God protector. And so what he does is he's he's in a battle and he's being honest. Yes he's cried out and he's remembered the past and where he's at and he's now going to say you know what I'm in the battle.

I need to choose to redirect my thoughts. I was in the middle we were about five months into COVID and I was getting depressed and what's funny too especially for those of us that are pastors or in church leaders. I don't know where we got it but like being depressed is like you're a sinner or you're a wimp or you don't have it together or I mean I thought you were a pastor and you really love God how could you get depressed right?

Don't we feel those kind of things about pastors or us that are pastors? And so I didn't even say anything to my wife for a few days and then it was getting worse and she she really understands depression a lot. She has a physical issue with her thyroid where she's experienced great depression so I've studied this a lot and finally I said honey I'm really struggling I've been discouraged off and on but I'm getting depressed and I said it like like how could this happen to me? How could I get depressed? You know and my wife sounds a lot like the Holy Spirit at times and she said oh so you think all this restriction and all this distancing and not being able to travel being stuck in our home not seeing friends not seeing family affects everybody else in the world except you in other words like hey Chip in light of all that's going on it's probably pretty amazing that you're not more depressed than you are we're all struggling with this and then what I realized was here's what happens in depression the focus gets inward inward inward and all I could think about was I wasn't doing it consciously but me me me this isn't happening for me I can't do this anymore this is a problem here what about that and I mean the Holy Spirit when I chose to think basically said hey Chip how do you think those pastors are doing in India in the Middle East Latin America Africa how about the pastors in small towns how about the people that don't have internet how about the people that don't live in a climate like you where at least it's it's nice outside you've been able to go out and take walks you've had it better than most people and then I heard the Holy Spirit say Chip here's what I want you to do get off yourself and I want you to just choose to love and to care and to get outwardly focused on someone else and in that moment God brought to my mind a friend in Egypt who's in charge of all the Protestant churches and I thought you know I'd been there recently and done a lot of training and saw the conditions I just set up a zoom call to say hey how are you doing and he shared with me how it was going and it was so amazing as he began to share I thought oh Chip in light of his situation mine is so much better but then something happened he said we're just trying to survive you know all these pastors all this situation we're just trying to get through this and I happen to say because I've been studying James chapter one I said I'm actually working on a series called the art of survival and he said well get it to me as soon as possible and since that moment are you telling me my depression lifted and my focus completely changed why I got the focus off myself and what I realized was I needed to help other people but man it was I had to cry out to God I had to recall past blessings and realize that's not where I'm at I had to choose to redirect my thoughts and then I love this next section verses 13 through 18 you need to magnify God to diminish your problems so you get your thinking straightened out then you what you need to have is a high exalted view of God where you remember his works remember his miracles where you exalt him because here's the deal I'm going to read it in just a second but I want you to I want you to see what the psalmist does a soft little by little by little by little he was looking at all of life through his problems and he was down discouraged wanting to give up God doesn't care and then what happened was he stopped and they begin to think and the more he thought and then there's miracles and this is what God in the past and this and this and this that problem got farther and farther away and then what you're going to read is he gets this grand remembrance of oh my you're the all-knowing God you're the all-powerful God you're the creator God you're the God that parted the Red Sea you're the God that gave birth to the universe and then all of a sudden all those problems get out here because here's the principle if you have really big problems you have a very small God when you have a very big God you have much smaller problems watch it pick it up with me in verse 13 these high thoughts lead to considering God's ways your ways oh Lord God are holy what God is as great as you you are the God who performs miracles you display your powers among your people with your mighty arm you redeemed your people the descendants of Jacob and Joseph now in that little section he says three things God you are holy you're completely other this word has the idea of separate that God reigns in unapproachable light in the midst of your discouragement my discouragement our depression we lift up our eyes into the Lord he is holy he is at this moment on the throne and angels are crying out holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come and they cover their eyes second he says he's great in other words he's powerful what God is like you and then he says I love this he goes on to say who redeemed your people and he uses a Hebrew word for the kinsman redeemer in other words he's transcendent and awesome and yet he cares he's getting this magnified clear powerful high view of God that is also tender it's the same word remember when Ruth got redeemed kinsman redeemer this is the same Hebrew word it's God saying I care about you he's he's all of a sudden his perspective is off of his own personal experience he started with this thinking and then his thinking led to these are God's ways but he's not done then he remembers something that you need and I need he goes on to say the water saw you Oh God the water saw you and they literally withdrew from the very depths and were convulsed the clouds poured down water the skies resounded with thunder your arrows flashed back and forth your thunder was heard with the whirlwind and your lightning lit up the world and the earth trembled and quaked he's giving us this picture of when God created all that there is and he alludes to even Mount Sinai when everything was trembling and the the lightning and then he goes back to what every good Jew does when you're really desperate you go back to the one great moment where you realize no matter what happens wait a minute God delivered me your path led through the sea remember the Red Sea your way through the mighty waters though your footprints were not seen invisible you led the people like a flock through the hand of Moses and Aaron tenderly pastorally in other words what he's saying is God you did impossible things there was a time when things were absolutely impossible there was this army behind us and there's this water in front of us and we said there is no way out and there's a lot of you right now that are experiencing as far as you know impossible times and you're wrestling with deep discouragement and you're wrestling with literally depression and God wants to say to you here's what I want you to do examine your thinking do you recognize first that it's normal so don't get overwhelmed with guilt and second where's your focus is your focus on God or on the problems then examine your behavior and your perspective is your behavior reinforcing more and more depression or are you doing things that are positive and good that bring you out of it the moment I battled this depression I decided I had to no matter if push-ups sit-ups treadmill I had to work out every day I had to worship out loud and sing songs I had to take the Psalms and read them out loud and I had to remember I literally I literally went through my journal and started reading where God was faithful in the past we even during that season my wife had a big birthday one of those milestones and we went through albums of our whole 40 years together I mean there was like nine of them and I looked at him and I thought oh my the hand of a good and amazing God has been so good to me this is when one of my kids was born and this happened when you know that son was in ICU and we thought we might lose him and that was our 10th year anniversary and that's when we went to this church and and as we looked at those pictures all the sudden little by little by little the depression lifted and then my focus has changed so examine your thinking examine your behavior here's the thing about depression when you're depressed the kind of behavior that follows depression causes more depression so you have to fight and then finally examine your future you know you have a history that God delivered delivered delivered in your past here's the question the God who did miracles in your past who delivered in the past do you really think he's going to leave you hanging out to dry now fight he's for you he's with you he loves you cry out to God be vulnerable ask the hard questions revamp your thinking and then magnify the Lord and then press ahead God bless you you're listening to Living on the Edge with chip ingram and the message you just heard when depression threatens is from our series experiencing God's presence finding hope for your troubled heart to learn more about this ministry or our many resources go to Living on the Edge org or check out the chip ingram app well our bible teacher chip ingram is with me now and chip there are many people listening right now who wholeheartedly believe in the work and mission of Living on the Edge and are considering becoming a financial partner with us but haven't yet because they think maybe their gift is too small or won't make that big a difference what would you say to them dave you know a lot of people think that but the fact of the matter it's not just a person giving say ten dollars or twenty five or thirty or fifty or whatever they think seems to be insignificant with the huge needs that there are to help people here and around the world it's the combined efforts i mean think right at this moment i mean over a million people are going to list on a radio broadcast a podcast or on the app i mean a million people if just a few thousand say if ten thousand gave ten dollars a month can you imagine what we could do here and around the world so i just want to encourage some of you who just don't feel like you have enough to give or it wouldn't make much of a difference would you pray and say lord i will just give whatever you would lead me to give and could you know when you do that it's a lot like the widow's might god will honor it and we'd be very grateful thanks chip if joining the Living on the Edge team is an idea that makes sense to you think about becoming a monthly partner with us your support multiplies our efforts and resources in god-sized ways set up your gift today by going to Living on the Edge dot org or by calling triple 8-333-6003 that's triple 8-333-6003 or visit Living on the Edge dot org app listeners tap donate well just before we close would you stop for a minute and pray for Living on the Edge today we've never seen a greater need for god's truth to go out than right now and by god's grace Living on the Edge has provided encouragement teaching and personal discipleship resources to more people than ever so thank you to those who support us in prayer god is doing amazing things well thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with chip ingram i'm dave truey and i hope you'll join us again next time you