MENTAL HEALTH IN THE PSALMS: 40
PSALM 40:1-17
#mentalhealth
INTRODUCTION 1 … POOR BISHOP HOOPER PSALM 40 (EVERY PSALM) youtube.com/watch?v=lmFwV00q6RQ [5:07]
INTRODUCTION AND NEED FOR METAL HEALTH EMPHASIS… who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response
The World Health Organization (WHO), who?, I said the World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in.”
Why bring up this definition? We are beginning a series of sermons today in the Psalms and our focus is going to be mental health. Before we get too far, we have to address an issue that may plague us in these weeks as we talk about mental health. I have to dive right in and bring it up right away or you may tune me out right away.
The issue is: We may not think this is a worthy topic to address in sermons or from the Bible or in church. Mental health is not a topic that the Church (the big ‘C’ church) traditionally addresses well. Over the years, we Christians have left mental health to godless psychoanalysts and human-centered therapists to the detriment of generations of Christians. We divide mental health and spiritual health as two different areas of life. Not everything a psychologist or psychiatrist may offer is terrible or even untrue, but God has much to say about mental health because our mind is an integral part of how God Almighty made us.
An emphasis on the mind and mental health exists in the New Testament and even in the ministry of Jesus. Let’s just take a look quite quickly at the Gospel of Mark for example:
READ MARK 3:20-21 (ESV)
Then He [Jesus] went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when His family heard it, they went out to seize Him, for they were saying, “He is out of His mind.
READ MARK 8:32-33 (ESV)
And He said this plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But turning and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
READ MARK 12:29-30 (ESV)
Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
I cannot help but see in Mark 3 that Jesus’ family was concerned for His mental health as He began His ministry which was physically and emotionally taxing. In Mark 8, Jesus sees in Peter unhealthy thought patterns that were leading him away from God and towards Satan and Jesus wanted to correct them immediately. And even in Mark 12 Jesus cites the most important command from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) as focusing on God with our hearts and souls and also our minds!
Not only do we see this emphasis on the “mind” in the life and ministry of Jesus, but the word “mind” itself is used 139 times in the Bible, 75 times in the New Testament, and 10 times in the book of Romans including Romans 12:2:
READ ROMANS 12:2 (ESV)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
My point is simply this: We should not ignore mental health for it is an integral part of how God fashioned us as human beings. Because God knows us best as our Creator and as the All-Knowing Almighty, we should absolutely understand God’s Word for us about mental health.
TRANSITION
The Book of Psalms in the Old Testament, many written by King David, is an ideal book to dig into mental health because the Psalms often share with us unfiltered thoughts, raw emotions, and a mind that is awash with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Our Psalm today is Psalm 40. Some of the words may sound familiar from the video I showed a few moments ago.
READ PSALM 40:1-17 (ESV)
“I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! 5 You have multiplied, O LORD my God, Your wondrous deeds and Your thoughts toward us; none can compare with You! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.6 In sacrifice and offering You have not delighted, but You have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. 7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.” 9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as You know, O LORD. 10 I have not hidden Your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness from the great congregation. 11 As for You, O LORD, You will not restrain Your mercy from me; Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness will ever preserve me! 12 For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me. 13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! 14 Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! 15 Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, “Aha, Aha!” 16 But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation say continually, “Great is the LORD!” 17 As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my Help and my Deliverer; do not delay, O my God!”
ORIENTATION OF VERSE 12
ILLUSTRATION… SCENE FROM NOTTING HILL
Notting Hill is a 1999 Romantic Comedy movie starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant which still stands all these years later as one of my favorites. The story centers on William Thacker, an unsuccessful Notting Hill England bookstore owner who meets Anna Scott, the world’s most beautiful woman and best-liked actress, when she enters his shop. A little later, William literally runs into her again spilling orange juice over her. Eventually, Anna and William get to know each other better over the months she is in England and that’s all I will tell you about “a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her.”
One scene in that movie came to mind as I thought about Psalm 40 and the orientation of the Psalm and where it is leading us. At one point in the movie, the famous Anna Scott joins William Thacker for dinner where she meets his closest friends. At the end of dinner, the host says: “I am going to give the last brownie as a prize to the saddest person here.” It is a competition among all who are there at the table.
One man speaks up and says he works at a job he does not understand and everyone gets promoted above him and he has no romantic prospects because he is overweight. A lady at the table admits she works a low-paying job in the world’s worst record store, she has googly eyes, is attracted to cruel men. The wife of the host chimes in that she is in a wheelchair the rest of her life in a house full of ramps, she’s given up smoking, and she and her husband cannot have children. The host then points out William who is unsuccessful professionally, divorced, used to be handsome and is now “squidgy around the edges,” and that his nickname in school was Flobby. He is of course embarrassed that his friends have done this in front of his maybe-movie-star-girlfriend.
In a twist, the starlet Anna thinks she should have a shot at the brownie. She mentions she’s been on a diet since she was 19 and has been hungry for a decade. She has had a series of not-nice boyfriends one of which was physically abusive. The newspapers splash her heartbreak about like it is entertainment. She states she’s had two major painful surgeries to get her movie star looks and she is afraid that one day the fame will go away and she will be left with nothing.
Who gets the brownie?
This scene from the movie shows a very awkward human perspective about the hardships of life and brings everyone at the dinner table on the same level because life is difficult. That sentiment… that life is difficult, is the orientation of Psalm 40 and of David when he wrote this psalm. Verse 12 in the Psalm summarized this well for us:
RE-READ PSALM 40:12 (ESV)
For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me.
Psalm 40:12 tells us that a discouraging amount of disagreeable malignant unpleasant sadness and distress has encompassed him. When he uses the word “evils” in verse 40, that type of emotional state is what he means by the word he uses. The word means: malignant unpleasant sadness and distress. The word means: adversity and misery and unhappiness that leads to injury. We have a word for that: depression.
Psalm 40:12 further describes for us that for David this state of feelings and thoughts means that his heart is failing him. He thinks about his life and all he feels is guilt and darkness all over his life. It is important that we note that his state of being is not influenced by one thing or one event or one mistake or one person or one pressing issue, but rather his depression comes on him because of more heavy issues than he can possibly count and this results in heartbreak. We have a word for that: depression.
In Psalm 40:12, David tells us that his state of being and his orientation for life is utter heart-forsakenness. His heart feels deserted. He looks inside and there is a vast emptiness and he feels abandoned and empty. We have a word for that: depression.
The orientation of Psalm 40 is depression.
DISORIENTATION: DEPRESSION [content: Gary Collins, Christian Counseling, 2007, pages 119-139]
The word “depression” covers a wide variety of symptoms and mental difficulties that vary in severity, frequency, duration, and reason.
Depression impacts feelings and brings about sadness, low self-esteem, self-criticism, hopelessness, shame, worthlessness, pessimism, and anger. It also impacts thinking. Depressed people have negative thoughts that seem as real as any thoughts they might have when thinking differently. Self-destruction, self-criticism, and trouble concentrating are the order of the day in the mind. Depression impacts behavior in that apathy is real as well as social withdrawal, neglect, and constant complaining. Depression also impacts physical health in that fatigue is common as well as sleeplessness or sleeping too much, and aches and pains.
Depression can come for a season. For some, depression can come in the winter months or can come in a particularly hard time of life when unexpected changes happen or when a loved one dies. Depression can also be something that is genetic and stays with a person for a lifetime. This is called chronic daily depression or dysthemic depression that lasts for years and is often treated with medication. Depression can also be more severe such as bipolar disorder, postpartum depression after the birth of a baby, and even major depressive disorders that are explosive, disruptive and most likely have a cause in brain chemistry.
Why do I share all of this with you?
I share it because depression is real.
Depression is real for the person whose life shifts and changes in unexpected ways and for a season their life is turned upside down and sideways and their heart reacts with sadness or a critical spirit rules them for a while.
Depression is also real for the person whose brain chemistry is ransacked by genetics or drug use or unhealthy patterns of living and the depression stays not for a season, but for years or decades of their life and many times for a lifetime.
EXAMPLE: HANNAH IN 1 SAMUEL 1
A great example of depression that comes and goes, but definitely lasted for years comes from 1 Samuel 1 with a woman named Hannah. Hannah has a loving husband, but he is also a bonehead because he has more than one wife. Hannah had no children while the other woman did have children. This brought great stress and self-criticism and shame and low esteem to Hannah year after year. Her life pattern was one of shame and it impacted her outlook on life, her appetite, and the depression would get worse every time she would go to worship with her family.
READ 1 SAMUEL 1:7-8 (ESV)
So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore, Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
We have a word for that: depression.
EXAMPLE: ELIJAH IN 1 KINGS 19
A great example of a seasonal or situational depression comes from 1 Kings 19 with the prophet Elijah. Elijah literally and figuratively has a mountaintop experience in 1 Kings 18 where he called people to repentance, called down fire from heaven, and droves of people worshipped the Lord. It was awesome! Then we have chapter 19 where the prophet Elijah sinks into a deep depression. As a result of his success on Mount Carmel, Queen Jezebel whose prophets of Baal had been killed and chased away threatens Elijah’s life and literally strikes him with deep fear. Elijah then runs away and as he is running sinks deeper and deeper into depression. Listen to verse 4:
READ 1 KINGS 19:4 (ESV)
“But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
We have a word for that: depression.
EXAMPLE OF KING DAVID IN THE PSALMS (including this one!)
A great example of depression that touches on dysthymic or chronic depression is King David who wrote Psalm 40 and who wrote many of the other Psalms and whose life we read about in 1 Samuel 1 and 2. We see a pattern of thought and feelings from David that seem to indicate that depression was a persistent damaging impactful part of his daily life.
READ PSALM 6:6 (ESV)
I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.
READ PSALM 13:2 (ESV)
How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
READ PSALM 42:3 (ESV)
My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”
READ PSALM 69:20 (ESV)
Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.
READ PSALM 102:4 (ESV)
My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread.
We have a word for that: depression.
TRANSITION
Psalm 40 is one that brings depression to the forefront of our mind and makes us pay attention to this very human emotional state. Verse 2 talks about a “pit of destruction” an David describes his heart as being in a “miry bog.” Verse 12 clues us into David’s state of mind and heart. So, what do we do when depression is a seasonal or chronic part of our lives? Do we seek counseling? I hope so. Will we be open to medication that will help aid the healing of our brain chemistry? I pray so. Will we look to the Word of God for guidance as to new patterns of thoughts to adopt and allow God to transform us by the renewing of our minds? I want you to and that is precisely what we are about to discuss.
REORIENTATION [adapted from newhopeli.com/depression-psalm40/]
In the midst of David’s daily chronic oppressive depression, I want you to notice how he was attempting to train his heart with God to push back from the depression by reorienting himself. I would count King David as a mature person dealing with depression especially since he seemed to deal with chronic depression and he did not have access to medicines as we do. I personally consider him an expert. What did he do?
#1 Verses 2-3 tell us that as he was making his way through depression that he sung praises to God. His focus was a pattern of praise even though his heart was a pattern of pessimism and problems. The result? He believed God would draw him from the pit of destruction and place him in a secure place. That “drawing up” by the way is a continual and ongoing process because depression is also continual and ongoing.
#2 Verse 4 shares with us that David placed his trust continually in God. This is not a one-time placing of trust, but a daily continual effort to trust God even though the depression darkened his mind and heart. David continually trusted in God Who brings blessings. Human beings have a spiritual tendency to back off of God when in distress. Don’t do that. Don’t leave God out of your problems because that only compounds the issues. The consistent process of choosing to trust God is difficult at times, but we can be confident that He will be faithful to complete the good work which He began in us (Psalm 40:2, Romans 8:28, Philippians 1:6).
#3 Verse 5 reminds me of verses 2-3 because David says in the midst of his depression he focused on the wonderful blessings of God and tried to be thankful. A major part of depression, any type or shade of depression, is negative self-defeating thinking patterns that continually bring us down into a pit that feels like it will never end. We must prayerfully train our mind to focus on the lovely things that are worthy of praise; things that are true, honorable, and pure (Philippians 4:8). These thoughts will work in our minds along with the Holy Spirit to create a natural outpouring of thanks.
#4 In verses 6-8 we see that King David, in the midst of the miry bog did not leave God’s Word behind. We tend to do that as well… when life gets rough our Bible goes unread. We see David finding delight in God’s Law. The Holy Spirit can and will and does activate His Word in us and use it to restore and encourage us. We must must must be in God’s Word daily and filling our heart with His Word or the depression will fill our heart instead and will win. Period. That is simply true whether or not you have a solid medicine regimen or Dr. Phil himself whispering sweet nothings in your ear… there is no permanent help without God’s Word.
#5 Verses 9-10 David tells us that not only does he work on patterns on the inside, but he makes it a habit to verbalize goodness and faithfulness and thanks. He does not restrain his lips to speak positive and to thank God for His goodness. We must make it a continual practice, led by King David who is the mature expert, that the overflow of our heart needs to lead to our mouth. We should not hide what God does in us, but share it. This beats back the depression in a practical way that our heart can follow.
#6 In some of the final verses of chapter 40, verses 11-15, King David who is in the midst of oppressive depression himself, says not to trust ourselves or our own hearts or our own patterns of thought or our dark feelings and impulses, but to place all our confidence and trust in God. God will preserve us through His lovingkindness and truth and will work in us by His Spirit to show us our self-deception and disillusionment. David shares that when he was consumed by his iniquities and is apart from God, he was not able to see himself or his life properly.
RECAP
#1 Sing praises to God forming new patterns of thinking
#2 Continually and ongoingly place trust in God
#3 Be thankful on a regular basis forming new patterns of thinking
#4 Be in God’s Word daily
#5 Verbalize thankfulness and the goodness of God forming new patterns of speaking
#6 Repeats himself to trust in God
CONCLUSION… IMAGINE THE SCENE
Imagine this scene. You are at dinner with your closest friends. At the end of dinner, the host says to everyone: “I am going to give the last brownie as a prize to the saddest person here.” It is a competition among all who are there at the table.
One man speaks up and says he works at a job he does not understand and everyone gets promoted above him and he has no romantic prospects because he is overweight. A lady at the table admits she works a low-paying job in the world’s worst store, she has googly eyes, is attracted to cruel men. The wife of the host chimes in that she is in a wheelchair the rest of her life in a house full of ramps, she’s given up vaping, and she and her husband cannot have children. The host then points out another person who is unsuccessful professionally, divorced, used to be handsome, and that his nickname in school was Flobbit.
And then everyone looks at you. You have never been more depressed in your whole life. Nothing seems to go right. Instead of joining in the competition, you tell everyone that even though you feel depressed, daily you praise God for your family and that you have a job even though it feels like everything is empty. You tell them that you trust God to work things out for your good. You list three things you are thankful for that happened that day. You read to them a Bible verse you were pondering that morning. You repeat that even though it feels like a discouraging amount of disagreeable malignant unpleasant sadness and distress has encompassed you, you trust in God. You pass on the brownie.
PRAYER
INVITATION
