MENTAL HEALTH IN THE PSALMS: 30
PSALM 30:1-12
#mentalhealth
[Gather kids up front first]
INTRODUCTION 1… VeggieTales: God is Bigger than the Boogeyman… youtube.com/ watch?v=LK72_--ZsM4
CHILDREN’S SERMON
INTRODUCTION 2
We are continuing today a series of three sermons (this is 2 of 3) where we are focusing on the Psalms and mental health. Last April (2023) we focused on this same topic with the Psalms and I feel led to continue our conversation about mental health and the Scriptures. It is not a topic that is spoken about often in Church, but is a worthy topic for us.
Over the years, many Christians have left mental health to psychoanalysts and human-centered therapists to the detriment of generations of Christians. We sometimes divide mental health and spiritual health as two different areas of life. The mental and the spiritual need not be mutually exclusive. Not everything a psychologist or psychiatrist may offer is terrible or even untrue, but God has much to say about mental health because our mind is an integral part of how God Almighty made us. We are physical, emotional, mental, and spiritually integrated beings.
An emphasis on the mind and mental health exists in the New Testament and even in the ministry of Jesus. Let’s just take a look quite quickly at the Gospel of Mark for example:
READ MARK 3:20-21 (ESV)
“Then He [Jesus] went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when His family heard it, they went out to seize Him, for they were saying, “He is out of His mind.”
READ MARK 8:32-33 (ESV)
“And He said this plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But turning and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
READ MARK 12:29-30 (ESV)
“Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”
I cannot help but see in Mark 3 that Jesus’ family was concerned for His mental health as He began His ministry which was physically and emotionally taxing. In Mark 8, Jesus sees in Peter unhealthy thought patterns that were leading him away from God and towards Satan and Jesus wanted to correct them immediately. And even in Mark 12 Jesus cites the most important command from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) as focusing on God with our hearts and souls and also our minds!
Not only do we see this emphasis on the “mind” in the life and ministry of Jesus, but the word “mind” itself is used 139 times in the Bible, including Romans 12:2 in the New Testament:
READ ROMANS 12:2 (ESV)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
My point is simply this: We should not ignore mental health for it is an integral part of how God fashioned us as human beings. Because God knows us best as our Creator and as the All-Knowing Almighty, we should absolutely understand God’s Word for us about mental health.
TRANSITION
The Book of Psalms in the Old Testament is an ideal book to dig into mental health because the psalms often share with us unfiltered thoughts, raw emotions, and a mind that is awash with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Our Psalm today is Psalm 30. Some of the words may sound familiar from the video I showed a few moments ago.
Let’s read God’s Word.
READ PSALM 30:1-12 (ESV)
“I will extol You, O Lord, for You have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You have healed me. 3 O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. 4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to His holy Name. 5 For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” 7 By Your favor, O Lord, You made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face; I was dismayed. 8 To You, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it tell of Your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!” 11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing Your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever!”
TRANSITION
As we look at Psalm 30 this morning, we are going to look at the basic questions that our teacher shared with us in second grade: WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? WHY?
WHO?
This psalm was written by King David who started out his life as the youngest runt of his family and the one who did the lowliest jobs. He then by God’s planning, faced off in a battle with a giant warrior and won in a miraculous manner which set his path towards the throne of Israel. He was a poet and a musician. He was also someone whose mind and heart were often in crisis and turmoil in anger, depression, stress, and doubt.
This psalm was written to the people of Israel who followed God and wanted His presence in their lives. David wrote this as a song and it was used when Israelites gathered to worship. I think the Israelites realized they were more like David than they were different even though he was a king. I also happen to think that the psalm was written to us! Psalm 30 is God’s Word. Psalm 30 is Scripture. As you read through the psalms, I think you will realize that you and I are more like David than we are different even though he was a shepherd king who lived thousands of years ago. His words ring true.
The Who: From David to Israel and to us.
WHAT?
What does David write to us in this song? David talks about prevention, restoration, and also transformation in this song. He is under great stress and tension and mental anguish, but in the middle of all of it he sees God at work in his life in several ways.
In verses 1-3 and then again at the end in verses 11-12, we see that David has great urgency in his heart. David is dealing with difficult people in his life and he is thankful that God has been preventing them from gaining victory over him. The prevention of God in his life is not lost on him. He is thankful for God’s hand in preventing disasters in his life. He knows that life or situations could be so much worse if God were not working in his life.
David prays for God to prevent terrible things from happening to him, but also sings about God’s restoration of things when it all goes badly. In verse 2, David praises God for His “healing.” This healing could be from a physical illness, but it also can be from other types of issues. Restoration is something God does well. David knows that God’s Hand of healing and restoration is present in his life. David sees that whatever life hands him that tears him down and tears him up that God will be there to walk with him through it and to bring healing and restoration.
Verses 11-12 end with the idea that God is also a transforming power in his life. David sees his dire circumstances changing and his thought life being uplifted by God. David sees the mercy of God as his mourning turns to dancing and sadness turns to gladness. David knows he is not alone in life, but has God as a constant companion. To quote from last week in Psalm 28, David believes in God Who is our Rock and Strength and Stronghold and Shepherd and it is through God’s presence that David makes his way through any crisis.
The What: David is in crisis and knows that God is with him.
TRANSITION
As we think about the next questions, WHERE? and WHEN?, I’d like to combine them and focus on verse 5. I find this to be the crucial thought for this morning and a central emphasis of this psalm.
WHERE? and WHEN?
As we focus on WHERE? and WHEN? I want to read a series of verses from Psalms including 30:5 because there is a theme that David sings about and I hope you will see a central issue that is plaguing David in Psalm 30, but also in his life in general. It might also be something that you deal with. I cannot help but continue to think that you and I are more like David than we are different even though he was a shepherd king who lived thousands of years ago. His words ring true about his heart and mind and night and some of us can relate.
READ PSALM 6:6 (ESV)
“I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.”
READ PSALM 16:7 (ESV)
“I bless the LORD Who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.”
READ PSALM 22:2 (ESV)
“O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.”
RE-READ PSALM 30:5 (ESV)
“For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
READ PSALM 63:6 (ESV)
“When I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night…”
David has a consistent experience that nighttime is stressful, full of angst, full of tears, and is when his anguish and tension comes to the forefront of his mind and heart. I get the sense that David does not often sleep well or struggles to get to sleep. I get the sense that when the lights go out that the darkness creeps into his mind and heart. For David, one of his most difficult times mentally and spiritually and emotionally is at night when he lays down to go to sleep.
* He says in Psalm 6 that his sadness is fully present at night
* He says in Psalm 16 that at night his heart and mind are active
* He says in Psalm 22 that he finds no rest at night and no answers
* He says in Psalm 30 that his sadness is fully present at night
* He says in Psalm 63 that his mind is active all night long
I know David is not alone in this and that nighttime is hard for many when it comes to thoughts, feelings, emotions about life, and processing the day’s events.
ILLUSTRATION… frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnetp.2021.830338/full [adapted]
The human mind becomes more active at night both consciously and unconsciously. Brain chemistry studies show us that certain parts of the brain slow down at night while other parts kickoff running. At night, reason and logic and inhibitions tend to go to sleep when our bodies want to rest. Dangerous behavior and harmful thinking often increase during the night.
For example: The risk ratio of suicide is substantially increased at night a 4-fold greater risk at 2AM than any other time of day. In fact, Veterans are 8-fold more likely to die by suicide between midnight and 3 AM.
For example: Murders are more likely to occur between 6 PM and 1 AM and murder rates in Manhattan peak between 6 PM and midnight. More broadly, an estimated 55% of violent crimes are committed between 7 PM and 7 AM.
For example: Illicit or inappropriate use of substances increases during the night. Peak substance use is around 10 PM and an almost 5-fold greater risk of opioid overdose at night.
There is something about nighttime that is terrible for our mental health. This was true for King David thousands of years ago and it may be true for you today or true for someone that you love. Nighttime often brings overwhelming thoughts and feelings and impulses.
This happens because the business and busyness of the day has fallen aside and our mental and emotional guard is down. The mind reflects on things we couldn't while we were tending to more pressing matters throughout the day. Slowing down at night becomes hard.
This happens because we start worrying about work, finances, children or grandchildren, or a frustrating discussion from earlier in the day. We tend to overthink the events of the day and compile a list of wishes for what could have and should have went different. Night is the time we complain to ourselves about ourselves for all the things we didn’t do or we could have done, but chose not to do. Emotions run high.
This happens because during the day we are concerned about another’s point-of-view or opinions, but at night it is just us. Me, myself, and I are the only company at night and the only perspective or concerns or views we contend with are our own. Night is the time when a person is just him/her self with no pretentions and no complications. During the daytime we are 50% of our real selves because we can hide while at night we are 100% of our real selves with nowhere to hide. You are with yourself at night.
The Where? and When?: At night in bed trying to sleep
TRANSITION
Psalm 30 presents King David talking to us about mental and emotional crisis in the nighttime when we can’t sleep because thoughts and emotions and worry and tension are at an all-time high. Nighttime can be a nightmare whether you are asleep or not. Nighttime makes depression or anger or worry or stress even worse because our hearts and brains do not shut off, bit go into overdrive.
David tells us in Psalm 30 that he places all his thoughts and emotions and worry and tension in the hands of God. In the terribleness of the night, he prays. In the terribleness of the night, he places his trust in God. In the terribleness of the night, he seeks strength and grace from God.
Please remember, emotional health and spiritual health need not be mutually exclusive. It is my hope and prayer to overall encourage you in these weeks as we dig through the Psalms to look at mental health and to see it as a normal regular important part of life and health and wholeness. I want you to see the spiritual and the mental together rather than something that is separate. I want you to see that therapy or medicine is a blessing or a tool given by God to help. You may need to chat with someone about sleeplessness or intense stress at night. I also want you to see that God provides healing or also grace to make it just through one night… for He does both. My prayer is that you know that God cares about your mental health.
I want to re-read Psalm 30 from the Message Version and then dig into our last question: Why?
RE-READ PSALM 30:1-12 (MSG)
“I give You all the credit, God— You got me out of that mess, You didn’t let my foes gloat. 2-3 God, my God, I yelled for help and You put me together. God, You pulled me out of the grave, gave me another chance at life when I was down-and-out. 4-5 All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God! Thank Him to His face! He gets angry once in a while, but across a lifetime there is only love. The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter. 6-7 When things were going great I crowed, “I’ve got it made. I’m God’s favorite. He made me king of the mountain.” Then You looked the other way and I fell to pieces. 8-10 I called out to You, God; I laid my case before You: “Can You sell me for a profit when I’m dead? Auction me off at a cemetery yard sale? When I’m ‘dust to dust’ my songs and stories of You won’t sell. So listen! and be kind! Help me out of this!” 11-12 You did it: You changed wild lament into whirling dance; You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers. I’m about to burst with song; I can’t keep quiet about You. God, my God, I can’t thank You enough.”
TRANSITION
We have looked at WHO? WHAT? WHERE? and WHEN? Now we come to: WHY?
WHY?
Why did David think it important to turn to God in the middle of the night?
Why should we turn to God in the middle of the night?
I think the answer to WHY? comes at the end of verse 5. The last 5 words of verse 5 are tremendously powerful when we face a night full of stress and tension.
RE-READ PSALM 30:5 (ESV)
“For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
“Joy comes with the morning.” [repeat]
Joy is a unique state of being that is not dependent on circumstances or completely tied to our emotions. True lasting joy is a spiritual condition that results in abiding in God. It is not happiness although happiness is part of joy. It is not peace although peace is part of joy. It is not contentment even though contentment is part of joy. “Joy” is its own thing and is given by God. Psalm 30 shares with us a promise from God that “joy” comes from Him. God is the only source of joy you will ever find in this rotten stress-filled depressing world. God is the only source for true lasting joy that will bring happiness, peace, contentment, assurance, and direction to our lives in the middle of the night when things feel terrible.
David, the song writer of Psalm 30, absolutely believed this because he talks about “joy” over 50x in the Psalms. The same Psalms in which he writes about weeping in his bed and being emotionally wrecked at night he also sings about joy that comes from God.
READ PSALM 5:11 (ESV)
“But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your Name may exult in You.”
READ PSALM 16:11 (ESV)
“You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
READ PSALM 35:27 (ESV)
“Let those who delight in My righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the Lord, Who delights in the welfare of His servant!”
READ PSALM 51:12 (ESV)
“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”
READ PSALM 63:7 (ESV)
“For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy.”
READ PSALM 126:5-6 (ESV)
“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.”
READ PSALM 149:5 (ESV)
“Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds.”
I couldn’t help but notice Psalm 149:5. In Psalm 30:5, David is weeping and drowning in sadness at night, but in Psalm 149:5 he is singing for joy in his bed. His bed was an extreme place of sadness and tension and also a place of joy. The difference is turning to God. I do not think for those of us who deal with depression, suicidal thoughts, anger, stress, tension, addiction, and sleeplessness at night that we should just “take two prayers and call me in the morning.”
I am not saying that!
Do you hear me?! I am not saying that!
I am saying that turning to God in prayer because He is the only source for joy in this life should be part of your plan to be mentally healthy and emotionally strong. We must seek the Lord diligently at night when the darkness creeps in from under the bed or from our closet or from the inner recesses of our mind. We must seek the Lord when our mind is over-actively blaming us for every woe and problem in our lives. We must seek the Lord and ask for happiness, peace, contentment, assurance, and direction in our lives in the middle of the night when things feel terrible.
I am also saying that turning to medicine and therapy without God in the mix will lead you away from the only source for true joy that is offered. Please consider medication and therapy or some forms of self-care as God-given tools to help you in your mental and emotional health. Please do not consider doing it all on your own without God’s help. We must seek the Lord and ask for His help with medicine and therapy as we pursue happiness, peace, contentment, assurance, and direction in our lives in the middle of the night when things feel terrible.
CONCLUSION
In second grade, we are taught to ask the basic questions: WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? WHY? As we get older, I think we realize that perhaps the most important question of those is WHY? The WHY? tells us what is really important to us. WHY? lets us prioritize our goals and helps to ensure we are not off track. The WHY? is tied to purpose.
Here is the WHY? You and I need to seek the Lord in the middle of the night when dark thoughts and stress and tension are overwhelming because He is the only source of joy.
PRAYER
INVITATION
CHILDREN’S SERMON
That video we just watched was an oldie but a goodie. It was actually the first Veggie Tales that ever came out… I think! You may not know what Veggie Tales are, but when my kids were growing up they were awesome. Anyway, you saw in the video that the little asparagus was scared in his room.
Does that ever happen to you?
Do you ever get scared at night?
Today in the sermon I am going to be talking to all the adults about what they should do when they get scared at night. The same things that scare you kids is not the same thing that makes an adult afraid.
When you are afraid at night, what do your parents or grandparents tell you?
Verse 7 in the passage we are going to read today says: “By Your favor, O Lord, You made my mountain stand strong.” Can you say that with me? Repeat after me? “By Your favor, O Lord, You made my mountain stand strong.”
That small verse tells us that God is bigger than whatever scares us. That small verse tells us that when we have fear or are stressed or unsure that God can make us like a strong immovable mountain. We don’t have to have fear because we have faith in God.
That is an easy thing to say, but a hard thing to live out.
The next time you are scared about anything… it doesn’t even have to be at night… I want you to try and remember: “By Your favor, O Lord, You made my mountain stand strong.” Can you say that with me? Repeat after me? Because God is bigger than the boogie man.
