Psalm 42; Hebrews 4:15
Living on a mountain can be interesting. Not too long ago a fog seemed to come out of nowhere and descend on the mountain. I could barely see my hand in front of me.
Frederick Buechner is a minister and author, who loves God, but has lived in a fog of sorts for years. The fog rolled in for Buechner, according to his story Telling Secrets,1 when he was a child and his father committed suicide. Another pastor, Dr. M. Craig Barnes, recently of National Presbyterian Church in Washington DC, ministers through the fog of questions: of why his father, a pastor, left home one day and never returned.2 A few years ago, John Piper delivered a wonderful series of addresses on Charles Haddon Spurgeon, arguably the greatest preacher since Whitfield. At the heart of this presentation was the mystery of Sprugeon's frequent descent into the fog.3
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There is an emotional fog that can descend on us called depression. I mention the stories of three pastors because I want you to know that such times of depression know no difference between mature Christians, new Christians and/or unbelievers. Sadly, some Christians try to act like it doesn't exist because it is not necessarily the best advertisement for Christianity. Some Christians, who believe in a myth of a higher life through good works, or perfection in this life, fail to account for what experience — and I think the Bible — says is true: that even Christians are subject to the fog of spiritual depression.
Depression, or melancholia, as it used to be called, is a growing reality in America. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, who was a physician before he was a minister, warns pastors to use differential counseling when dealing with this matter.4 That is, as we counsel, we should differentiate, as best we can, between possible physical and spiritual problems. When in doubt, refer to a medical doctor. But where there are signs of spiritual problems treat it with the Word of God. Lloyd-Jones reminds us that body and soul are linked and play off of the other. I have no interest or training or credentials to go further than that on the physical side, but the Word of God compels me to address the spiritual reality of spiritual depression.
The Psalms speak to the condition of the human soul. Of the 150 sacred songs of David and others, there are several genres to be identified: Psalms of Ascent, Psalms of Praise, Petition, Liturgical Psalms, and Psalms of lament. Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 are of that variety and go together. They are Psalms written by exiles from the Temple. The sacred notes tell us that the Sons of Korah wrote it as a Maschil. The "Sons of Korah" could be a sort of ancient Levitical musical ensemble or could literally be descendants of that man who opposed Moses and was swallowed in the earth. Many believe that they are with David in the North, because of the reference to the heights of Herman, perhaps running from the rebellion of Absalom. This word, Mashil, is also obscure in its meaning. It may mean a "contemplation" or it could be from a Hebrew word meaning insights. So, what we have in this sacred text is an insight or contemplation by the Psalmist on a case of spiritual depression. And here we also have divine insights into finding God in such times of our lives.