Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20121104.htm

SPECIAL INTERLUDE
Guarding The Heart Through Scripture: Five Gems From Psalm 119
Part II: Section Daleth - Guarding The Heart From Depression
(Psalm 119:25-32)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    (1) Depression afflicts millions of people worldwide, and its effects are both painful and destructive: its symptoms include relentless sadness, anxiety or empty' feelings, hopelessness, pessimism, guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, irritability, restlessness, loss of interest in once pleasurable activities, fatigue, decreased energy, difficulty in concentrating, recalling details or making decisions, insomnia, early-morning wakefulness or excessive sleeping, overeating or a loss of appetite, aches, pains, headaches, digestive problems that do not respond to medical treatment and thoughts of or attempted suicide. (National Institute of Mental Health, "Depression," nimh.nih.gov)

    (2) However, regardless of its harm, prevalence and cost, what actually triggers depression eludes the medical world: the National Institute of Mental Health admits this on its web site, stating: "Most likely depression is caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental and psychological factors." (Ibid.) The world famous Mayo Clinic more directly asserts: "It's not known exactly what causes depression." (MayoClinic.com, "Depression (major depression)")

    (3) Even some Christians face great problems handling depression: in a letter to the editor of Answers in Genesis magazine, Answers (Oct.-Dec., 2012, p. 7), Jonathan H. of Haviland, Kansas, wrote: "I . . . work . . . with those struggling with severe and persistent mental illness. Individuals that go through our program at times will read statements like God made the cause of our problem clear in Genesis 1-3, and He has prescribed the only cure, Jesus Christ.' When they read these words . . . They say, Well, if Jesus is the Cure, then I don't need my medications.'

    When the hallucinations return, or the depression hits with triple force, they say, Well, I guess my faith wasn't strong enough,' or worse, God must not be real.'"

    (4) However, God called Christians to "rejoice evermore" (1 Thessalonians 5:16) in evident victory over depression LONG BEFORE the medical community developed anti depressive drugs, so ACTUAL depression ITSELF is inherently a SPIRITUAL issue.



    Thus, since Proverbs 4:23 NIV directs, "Above all else, guard your heart, for out of it is the wellspring of life," we ask, "What does God want me to do to handle and avoid depression?!"

    Need: "If depression is so damaging and prevalent with no medically known trigger, what does God want me do to guard my heart from it?"

  1. First, some physical ailments create depression-LIKE symptoms, so one with such symptoms should FIRST see a medical doctor.
  2. However, IF physical ailments are ruled out, depression is caused and cured in the SPIRITUAL realm as taught in Psalm 119:25-32, section Daleth in Psalm 119 on the written Word of God as follows:
    1. The psalmist claims his life principle, his nepesh of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual life (cf. Genesis 2:7 with Psa. 119:25a; Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1080 and p. 3) cleaves (dabaq, Ibid., p. 1080; B. D. B., A Hebr.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 179-180) to the dust (apar, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 779), and Psalm 44:24-25 reveals this figure alludes to a state of affliction, one contrasting greatly with the initial creative order: God formed man from the dust (apar, Ibid., Kittel, p. 3 re: Gen. 2:7) of the ground and gave him breath to make him a nepesh (Ibid.), that he might cleave (dabaq again, Ibid., Kittel, p. 4; Gen. 2:24) in joyful, loving life to his spouse, NOT cleave to the dust in death or suicide! The destructive effects of depression on man's entire nepesh seen in its leading one to be near or to long for death versus long for his spouse in joyful, loving life shows how the medical world can not identify what precisely triggers depression!
    2. However, Psalm 119:26-32 reveals this TRIGGER is a DAMAGED SPIRIT that has been hurt by DISILLUSIONMENT over having ADOPTED ERRANT BELIEF, and SCRIPTURE CORRECTS the ERROR to HEAL the SPIRIT, and, as a RESULT, to restore one's mental, emotional, physical and spiritual vitality (as follows):
      1. The psalmist describes (sapar, Ibid., Kittel, p. 1081; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 707-708; Piel = intens.) his painful state to the Lord in prayer, and God answers (anah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 772-773) him, teaching (lamad, Ibid., p. 540) him Scripture, Psalm 119:26.
      2. As the psalmist muses (shiha, Ibid., p. 967) on Scripture, he notes remarkable (pala', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 810) truths that give understanding ( bin, Ibid., p. 106-107; Hiph. = caus.), 119:27.
      3. The "weeping" (dalap, Ibid., p. 196) "grief" (tugah, Ibid., p. 387) of depression nepesh (Ibid., Kittel) is thus countered by Scripture's "raising up" or "maintenance" (qum, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 877-879; Piel = intens.) of the nepesh, the psalmist's entire mental, emotional, spiritual and physical being, Psalm 119:28.
      4. To clarify, the problem causing the depressed state was the adoption of falsehood (sheqer, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1055), errant belief that, adopted as true, disillusioned when it failed to bless as it was false, and that in turn led to a sense of hopelessness and resulting depression. The psalmist then asks God to remove the false belief ( sur, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 693-694; Hiphil = causative), giving him the truth on the subject involved by God's grace (hanan, Ibid., p. 335-336), Psalm 119:29.
      5. Consequently, the psalmist chooses (bahar, Ibid., p. 103-104) the way of faithfulness and trust (emunah, Ibid., p. 53) in God and His Word, and His judgment decisions (mishphat, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1048-1049) in Scripture intensively smooth, still (shawah, Ibid., p. 1000-1001; Piel = intens.) the psalmist, 119:30.
      6. However, having once been hurt by adopting errant views, the psalmist finds it hard to trust anyone -- even God and His Word -- to express the TRUE "reality." Thus, in faith, he must exchange cleaving his nepesh to the dust in death (or suicide) with cleaving (dabaq, again, Ibid., Kittel; cf. Psalm 119:25) to Scripture's solemn charges (edut, Ibid., p. 730), asking God not to let him be ashamed (bosh, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 101-102) in letting him get disillusioned again for cleaving now to His Word, for that would produce a worse relapse of depression (Psa. 119:31a,b). The psalmist fears the failure we reported in our introduction that Jonathan H. from Kansas reported some Christian mental patients he knew had experienced! (Ibid., Answers)
      7. Wonderfully, God's Word, being perfect, does not disappoint (Ps. 12:6), so the psalmist comes to run (rus, Ibid., p. 930) in its truths, reflecting mental, physical, emotional and spiritual vigor opposite his past experience of cleaving to the dust in death or suicide, for God has enlarged (rahab, Ibid., p. 931), or caused the psalmist's heart, inner man (leb, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 524-525) to grow large in vitality! God has revived (hayah, Ibid., Kittel, p. 1080; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 310-311) him through His Word, 119:25b.
Application: May we (1) trust in Christ for salvation, John 1:11-12. (2) If facing depression-like symptoms, (a) may we first see a doctor to rule out physical issues, and then (b) apply Psalm 119:25-32!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

 In our sermon introduction, we cited a letter by Jonathan H. from Haviland, Kansas to the editor of the latest issue of Answers, the Answers in Genesis magazine. In it, Jonathan, a Christian working with mental patients on medication, reported he saw professing Christian patients stop taking their medications upon reading that the "only cure" to their problems is "Jesus Christ." Then, upon suffering relapses, they concluded their faith was not strong or God was not real.

Providing, of course, that their symptoms are not caused by physical ailments, these beliefs voiced by these patients, in line with our sermon lesson, reveals that it is errant theology that is BEHIND these patients' relapses, a fact we can readily explain as follows:

(1) First, it is errant Pelagian belief to think that one's "faith" must be "strong enough" to achieve anything, for faith is not a work (Ephesians 2:8-9); rather, the object of one's faith, GOD, is the Entity Who produces blessing. Jesus spoke of faith as tiny as a mustard seed, a WEAK, SMALL faith, but, that if it was placed in God [and in line with His will, 1 John 5:14-15], HE would work wonders, Luke 17:6.

(2) Second, it is errant atheistic belief to think "God must not be real," for Romans 1:20 states God has revealed His eternal power and Godhead in the created universe alone! Any human with normal cognitive abilities has no rational basis to believe that God is not real!

(3) Thus, what these patients need is for a fellow believer to point them to Scripture to expose and to correct these false, destructive VIEWS , and to replace them with Scripture's REALITY toward providing healing of their damaged spirits and entire nepesh!

They will ALSO LIKELY need EXTENSIVE exposure to Scripture in VARIOUS OTHER realms of life to readjust them from what INITIATED their ORIGINAL depressive states! That will take long-term exposure to Bible exposition by God's messenger(s), cf. 2 Timothy 4:1-2!



May we heed Scripture, that ITS revelation become OUR REALITY, to AVOID false beliefs and their depressive effects. Then, we can live by God's grace ABOVE depression, and "rejoice evermore" as God directs in 1 Thessalonians 5:16!