So far, we have looked at the causes of the writer’s depression in Psalms 42 and 43. There are three noticeable ways in which the Psalmist deals with it.

He pours out his soul

This whole Psalm is an expression of emotions; it’s an intense song meant to show feelings. Feelings about depression are ok to share — especially with God. It can sometimes seem that depression is a good reason not to pray, but the opposite is the case. Our negative feelings can make us feel unworthy and undeserving of praying to God. We never deserve to pray; we need a reminder of that!

The act of prayer can seem so hard when God seems distant from us. We have a choice whether we clam up and wait for a day when we will feel like praying, or we pour out our dry and thirsty soul.

That’s what this man does. Even if all you can talk to God about is how you miss him — that  is so much better than nothing!

Feelings about depression are ok to share — especially with God.

When the praise doesn’t come easily, and we feel too heavy hearted and the prayer sounds hollow, Psalm 42 gives us a secret: we can remind ourselves things will change. I shall again praise him… cries the Psalmist defiantly. Your soul may be heavy and discouraged, but you know too much to treat that as the end of the story. There is a dawn waiting to break.  

He preaches to himself

The Psalmist takes himself in hand. Why are you downcast O my soul? (42:5; 42:11; 43:5). Martyn Lloyd-Jones made the point that spiritual depression is magnified because people do not talk to themselves enough. Instead of addressing their souls, they allow their souls to do all the talking. We should be the ones doing the talking, in this case, rather than listening to the lies that fill our minds.

When we share our emotions with God (and with friends, brother, and sisters in God), we also need to take ourselves in hand. Speak the truth to yourself, and remind yourself of the gospel, of God, and of the objective facts.

He considers his hope

We cannot live without hope, but there are countless things to hope in. Much of our depression may come from misplacing our hopes as we place too much hope in things which are not God. The Psalmist takes a look at what he has been hoping in — a revealing and convicting thing to do. We will find we need to repent for having our hearts set on things other than God, and in this way, bringing depression on ourselves.

A new hope

The remarkable thing is the Psalmist is able to place full confidence in God’s goodness. He is sure of God’s love (42:8) in a way that many Christians are not (though the Christian has more grounds to hope in God’s goodness). For us, Jesus has become the grounds for a more certain hope — a better hope (Hebrews 6:17-20; 7:19). Through his death upon the cross he has, once and for all, tasted the abandonment from God that we deserve.

Though we will know times of dryness and depression with God seeming absent from us (Psalm 4:9), he abandoned his son so he never leaves or forsake us.