WHY ARE YOU CAST DOWN?
Psalm 42:5
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”
I have always been something of a lone wolf, but during the 1990s I went through a very dark period in my life and began suffering from depression for several different reasons.
Throughout much of the 1990s, I was not in church fellowship or walking closely with the Lord, and this was a major cause of my depression, although family struggles and unemployment also contributed to it.
I began taking antidepressants, but for me they became counterproductive. I would take them late at night and then sleep until midday.
They were very strong tablets — Cipramil 15mg. The doctor continued prescribing them to me over and over again. At one point, I even started taking more than the prescribed amount each day. I became moody, angry, and frustrated with almost everyone and everything.
Stopping antidepressants suddenly can be dangerous, and anyone taking them should seek proper medical advice and support before making changes. In my own case, I eventually stopped taking them, but that was a personal decision and experience.
Depression is very real.
Someone once described it as “having no sky at all.” You feel hopeless, trapped, and overwhelmed. If you have never experienced depression yourself, it can be very difficult to understand what another person is going through.
Telling someone to “pull yourself together” or asking “why can’t you just get a job?” does not help.
Depression can sometimes lead people into thoughts of suicide. Many people reach that point because they feel they have no hope left.
But this is the truth:
There is hope.
In the film The Shawshank Redemption, the character Andy says, “Hope is a good thing.” But true hope depends on where you place it. If your hope is in anything other than Christ, then your hope is misplaced.
Devotional Thought
The writers of Psalms 42 and 43, along with many other Bible characters, experienced deep discouragement and depression. One of the clearest examples is Elijah.
Elijah had just experienced one of the greatest victories recorded in Scripture, yet shortly afterwards he wanted to die.
Both depression and suicidal thinking must ultimately be met with the message of hope found in the Gospel. People often feel trapped because they believe there is no hope left, but that is one of the enemy’s greatest lies.
No situation is beyond the reach of God’s love and saving power.
Elijah was deeply exhausted emotionally, mentally, and physically. God dealt with him gently and practically by providing food, water, rest, and encouragement.
We all feel low at times. I still battle periods of depression occasionally, but the thing that keeps me grounded is placing my hope and trust in God.
Sometimes emotional struggles can be connected to sin, but not always. In Elijah’s case, physical and emotional exhaustion played a major role.
James 5:16–17
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”
If you struggle with these kinds of thoughts and feelings, you need supportive people around you — trusted believers who will pray with you, encourage you, and walk beside you.
Knowing that God loves you is wonderful, but we also need the warmth, support, and understanding of caring Christian fellowship within a healthy local church.
You also need to bring your struggles honestly before your Heavenly Father. There is hope. God loves you deeply and does not want your life to be consumed by despair.
When we meet people who are struggling, we should not behave like Job’s friends by immediately trying to explain away their suffering. Sometimes the greatest thing we can do is simply listen.
Many people who suffer from depression have experienced rejection, trauma, loneliness, or deep personal pain.
To anyone reading this who feels cast down: I understand those dark places. I have experienced moments where I felt overwhelmed and hopeless. But God has been my hope, my rock, and my refuge.
The greatest answer to these struggles is a genuine relationship with God through Christ and the presence of the precious Holy Spirit within your heart.
Jesus gives this invitation:
Matthew 11:28
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”