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When It Is Not Well With My Soul - Pt. 2

October 16, 2016 Speaker: Ken Ramey Series: Psalm 42

Topic: Depression Passage: Psalm 42:1–11

Psalm 42

This beloved psalm is a divinely prescribed antidepressant for the soul. We all get depressed at times and we allow the circumstances of life to steal our joy. Rather than praising God and trusting Him, we question Him and complain about the troubles and difficulties He has ordained for our lives. Psalm 42 offers us great hope and help whenever we find ourselves in a spiritual funk. The Psalmist honestly admitted that he was discouraged and distressed and that his heart was fluctuating between faith and doubt, hope and despair, and peace and distress. In light of the ups and downs of life, he modeled how not to be controlled by our feelings or let our joy be dictated by our circumstances. His spirits were lifted when he reminded himself that while there were plenty of problems in his life to make him sad, there were far more promises in God’s Word to give him hope. When our soul is sad because of our feelings, enemies, trials, memories, etc., we have a simple choice to make; we can either throw ourselves a pity party or give ourselves a pep talk. What we choose makes all the difference in how we respond to the problems and pressures of life. Ultimately, it is our confident faith in who God is and what He has done and will do that soothes and steadies our soul.

1. THE CAUSES OF DEPRESSION (vv. 1-4; 6-11; 43:1-4)

A. ABANDONED BY GOD

B. ANTAGONIZED BY ENEMIES

C. AFFLICTED BY TRIALS

2. THE CURE FOR DEPRESSION (vv. 5, 11; 43:5)

Praise and thank God for ordaining depressing and distressing trials in your life so you can learn to trust Him and find your joy in Him and not your circumstances. Ask Him to grant you the same grace to not throw yourself a pity party but give yourself a pep talk whenever you are feeling sad or depressed.

More in Psalm 42

October 9, 2016

When It Is Not Well With My Soul - Pt. 1