Healing From Depression Series

Simon Wiesenthal (1908-2005) was an Austrian-Jewish architectural engineer and a Holocaust survivor. He became famous after WW II for his work to hunt down Nazi war criminals. In his book, The Sunflower, Wiesenthal describes an episode of his life toward the conclusion of WW II. It is 1943 and Wiesenthal is in Austria assigned to a work detail at the local military hospital, the same building that used to be his technical high school. While at the hospital a nurse takes him aside and asks him to follow her. She leads him to the room of a dying SS officer named Karl. The SS officer requested that a Jew be brought to him on his deathbed. Wiesenthal obviously did not know what to expect. What followed was a detailed, gruesome account of the officer’s crimes against some Jewish civilians and his unending remorse after the fact. The Nazi officer was responsible for the destruction of a house where approximately 150 Jews had sought refuge. The SS officer confessed to destroying the 150 Jews inside the home by fire. Wiesenthal was prepared to jump up and leave at any moment. Yet, something keeps him at the dying man’s bedside. He shoos a fly away from the SS officer’s bandaged wound and holds his hand. At the end of the officer’s confession, the Nazi officer asks for forgiveness. Faced with the choice between compassion and justice, silence and truth, Wiesenthal says nothing and simply walks away. What would you have done? That’s the question Wiesenthal asks after he wrestled with his decision. He wondered, “Did I do the right thing?” In an attempt to find an answer to his question, he asks more than fifty prominent theologians, political leaders psychiatrists, human right activists, and Holocaust survivors of Bosnia and Cambodia. Yet, more than twenty-five of the world’s leading opinion makers could not say whether Wiesenthal did the right thing. Approximately half of those who were asked for their opinion simply leave Wiesenthal in his foreboding thoughts and questions on forgiveness.

Is there such a thing as healing from the fallout of the world’s tragedies? Can we locate healing from depression as if we are searching for our lost car keys? Today, we tackle the subject of depression in Psalms. We do this for the second time in this series. This maybe surprising for many of you. It maybe a surprise to note that the Scriptures, especially Psalms, frequently deals with depression. It seems to be a common affliction for God’s people right from the beginning.

“O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath!?2 For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. 3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.?4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness,?6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning.?7 For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.?8 I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. 9 O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.?10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.?11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off. 12 Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long. 13 But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth.?14 I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. 15 But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.?16 For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!” 17 For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me.?18 I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.?19 But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully.?20 Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good. 21 Do not forsake me, O Lord!?O my God, be not far from me!?22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!” (Psalm 38:1-22)

We are in a eight week study of the Psalms, entitled God Talk: Conversations through the Psalms. The Psalms are a collection of poetry and praise, where we see both God speaking to His people as well as a window into an ancient world. This window into the faith of Jews before the time of Christ gives us a glimpse of the prayer and the praises of this ancient people. With more than 150 chapters of poetry and praise to God, this book will transform your prayer life. This book is to be sung and cherished. Our pictures throughout the Psalms are not cold, abstract studies found in the pages of psychology textbooks. Instead, they are truth revealed through the emotions, desires, and sufferings of the people of God. We see that they talk to themselves… they bare their souls… and they are honest with themselves and consequently, they are honest with us.