Mental Health In The Psalms: 42 Series

MENTAL HEALTH IN THE PSALMS: 42

PSALM 42:1-11

#mentalhealth

INTRODUCTION 1 … POOR BISHOP HOOPER PSALM 42 (EVERY PSALM) youtube.com/watch?v=wwDs1dKHZ1Q [4:33]

INTRODUCTION AND NEED FOR METAL HEALTH EMPHASIS… ‘Depression, Anxiety, and the Christian Life.’ Richard Baxter. Crossway 2018. Pages 74-84.

Last year (2022), I became acquainted with a book by a puritan pastor, Richard Baxter (1615-1691) which addresses depression and anxiety from a Christian perspective. Two things struck me about this book. First, it was written in the 1600s and the guy was 100% on target. Second, it was written in the 1600s and the guy was 100% on target.

I would like to share with you a little of what he explains about mental health and the Christian life because that is our focus for a few weeks in this sermon series in the Psalms. For example, Richard Baxter helps us with a definition of depression in that he says: [adapted edited for brevity, but quoted]

“I mean a diseased craziness, hurt, or error in imagination, and consequently of understanding. It is known by these following signs (not all of which occur in every individual case of depression):

1. They are fearful and everything they hear and see is apt to increase fears.

2. The imagination errs most in exaggerating their sin, danger, and unhappiness.

3. They are consumed with excessive sadness and think this is somehow proper.

4. Religion for them emphasizes mourning and punishment.

5. They are extremely self-critical and second-guess themselves always.

6. They continually sense themselves forsaken by God and are prone to despair.

7. They feel that grace has past them by.

8. They feel that God has rejected them.”

Pastor Richard Baxter then goes on to lay out 35 more marks of what depression looks like in a person’s life. Even in the 1600s, he could see the deep and hurtful nature of this type of mental illness. Some of our wording has changed from Richard Baxter’s time, but depression has not.

Why bring this up? We are continuing a series of sermons today in the Psalms and our focus is mental health. Before we get too far, we have to make sure we address an issue that may plague us in these weeks as we talk about mental health. 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. Many times, we believe in the separation of the mental and the spiritual and we do so at our own detriment. Also, many times we have attitudes and say things that are not helpful for those who deal with any type of mental illness.

* Churches traditionally tell people with mental illness to go elsewhere for help.

* Christians tell other Christians just to pray more and the mental illness will disappear.

* Christians tell other Christians just to read their Bible and everything will get fixed.

* A common suggestion is also to sleep with a Bible under one’s pillow to help feel happy.

* A common thought is that all mental illness is caused by demons or demon possession.

* Christians also say that ‘real’ Christians don’t get depressed or have eating disorders.

Every. Single. One. Of. These. Is. Wrong.

Our purpose in these sermons is to look at mental health in the Bible and to learn from the Scriptures what God says about mental health and emotional fitness and healthy patterns of thinking and feeling and living. We can do that because God already shares those truths with us.

TRANSITION

Let’s read from Psalm 42. If some of the words sound familiar, that is because Martin Nystrom wrote a praise song in 1984 which uses some of Psalm 42 and… I just played a song where you heard those words.

READ PSALM 42:1-11 (ESV)

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my Salvation 6 and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and Your waves have gone over me. 8 By day the LORD commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God, my Rock: “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.”