Morning Dew
Key Passage: Psalm 43
Key Text: Psalm 43:5 – Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my [sad] countenance, and my God.
Sometimes when things don’t go as well as we have planned them, we tend to be disappointed and if we do not check this disappointment in time it can lead to a type of depression. Also, when we feel that things are not working for us or circumstances are against us, we can get depressed and our souls are downcast as the bible says. The bible actually says hope deferred makes the heart sick. This simply means if we have expectations that are not met, it can cause our souls to be sick or depressed.
Whenever I find myself in a moody state and I begin to feel down and unhappy, I have learnt to look deep within me for the reason why. It is not sometimes obvious why one feels down, it may be a combination of things and if one is not careful to isolate these reasons, one could easily become so bound up in sadness and depression, that it becomes rather difficult to come out of it. In my understanding, once I am able to isolate the reason for my downcast feeling, it is then easy to find the light of God’s perspective to lift me up and out of the sinking feeling in my soul.
Today’s passage is quite instructive in dealing with depression and that feeling of lowness that just makes us moody and sad. In verses 3 and 4, we see that the writer of the Psalm, prayed, he said “Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.” God’s way out of depression is to send His word and His word brings light and His light brightens up our souls and the dark clouds of depression are expelled. Actually to put it bluntly, a depression has to do with the presence of the wrong perspective in person’s soul. It simply means one has allowed another perspective in other than God’s. We all do it, but we all must learn how to resist this temptation to dwell in this state.
The answer and antidote to depression is always getting into God’s presence and getting God’s perspective in. It is a guaranteed way to be free. Psalm 16:11 says that in God’s presence there is fullness of joy. You can’t be depressed and joyful at the same time. One gives way to the other because they are diametrically opposed. Just light light and darkness. Darkness always gives way for light. Joy is the antidote to sadness and depression and it can only be obtained in God’s presence. Joy is heaven’s atmospheric condition, because all is well in heaven and there is no depression there. So as a child of God, we must learn how to run into His presence and allow our spirits and souls to be infused with God’s joy and our depressive minds will leave.
The writer of today’s Psalm found himself questioning his soul. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” This writer was wise to recognise that the issue was not in his spirit, but his soul. His emotions will and mind. He knew he has the authority to command his soul and order it to get the right perspective.
Lastly some people have described depression as a dark cloud that envelops them. This is quite interesting, because the dark cloud has come to hide the rays of God’s light from shinning upon us. So as every pilot knows that above the dark clouds the sun is still shinning, so all we need to do is go higher than the clouds and we would see that God’s perspective still stands and the dark clouds are not powerful enough to stop God’s light from shinning.
Today you may be under the fog of a dark cloud. Hear me, just get into God’s presence, either by studying His word, or worshipping Him or praying to Him, and I am certain, God will lift you up and out of that depressive thought. God’s plans for you are not of evil but of good to give you a hope and a future. Someone may have disappointed you, but God says I will never leave you nor forsake you. You may be physically ill, God says He is the Lord who heals you. You may have lost a loved one and are saddened by this, God says weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. He promised to give you the oil of joy instead of the spirit of mourning, beauty for ashes AND A GARMENT OF PRAISE INSTEAD OF HEAVINESS.
Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my [sad] countenance, and my God.
LET’S PRAY: Father God, I thank you for this day. I choose to look up to you and trust you and believe your perspective in my current situation. I command my soul to trust in God and hope in His goodness. Father, I draw on the atmosphere of heaven and receive joy in my spirit that is able to drive out the foreboding depressive darkness I feel. Father thank you for your light and the lightness of heart you have given me. I rejoice in you and know that it is well with my soul. I praise you and glorify you in Jesus name. Amen.