Spiritual depression can also come from tempting of the devil and I would say this is a rationale depression as well. Look at the life of Peter who was tempted by Satan. Jesus said that Satan wanted to sift Peter and he did. We think of Job, who was under intense demonic attack to try and break his love of God.
Paul says that we are in the middle of spiritual battles in Eph. 6.12: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rules of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." This does not mean that we go looking for a demon behind every mood swing in our lives, but neither should we ignore this truth.
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There is also spiritual depression when we come to see our sin for what it is. David in Psalm 51 confesses his sins and mentions the bones that God has broken. He speaks of spiritual depression because of his sin. Sin, it may be said, is at the root of it all, though it may not be our sin. But we live in a sinful, fallen world, where we mourn and where our very souls are indented by the pain around us.
Now, in the Psalm before us, we are not given the reason for the spiritual depression of the author, only its effect. It is as if God has said: "It doesn't matter how you have come into this place. I will speak to your condition no matter what brought you here. I will simply reflect what you feel without bringing you to the bar to answer further questions as to why you got here."
The Holy Spirit reveals here a believer who has:
A Thirsty Soul (v. 1)
"As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God."
The longing for the presence of God comes to this Psalmist. He uses the language of a deer, flanks hot from the chase of a dog, breast heaving and struggling for air to describe his longing for God. This is a man who knows God. But note that this is more. He is longing for the company of God's people. In verse 4, he remembers going with the people of God into the house of God. He recalls worship. He longs for fellowship.
Have you ever been like that? I remember as a prodigal son, I sat in a place in life far removed from the saints of God, from the faith of my childhood, and I longed to come home to God. I once had someone ask me in my pastorate if I was bothered by the sounds of little children in the worship service. I told them that I love to hear the occasional slap on the wrists. I love to see the sight of little boys squirming in the seats and little girls whispering. These are the sights and sounds of life in the congregation of the faithful!