| NASB | NLT | VOICE |
| 11 Why are you in despair, my soul? And why are you restless within me? Wait for God, for I will again praise Him For the help of His presence, my God. | 11 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again – my Savior and my God! | 11 Why am I so overwrought, Why am I so disturbed? Why can I just hope in God? Despite all my emotions, I will believe and praise the One who saves me, my God. |
The psalmist is talking to his own soul, showing us that there’s a personal struggle with depression or something similar. In the biblical context, the soul represents our inner self, focusing on our thoughts, emotional, and spiritual life. The use of “downcast/despair/discouraged” suggests his soul is being brough low, connecting to the trials that David had to go through. Even the term “unease/restless/sad” suggests a sense of restlessness or anxiety. The psalmist is experiencing what a lot of us feel: uncertainty and fear. The Israelites were facing external threats from other nations, enhancing the inner turmoil being felt.
The psalmist then shifts from questioning to praise. He’s encouraging his soul to trust in God. In the Old Testament, hope is connected to God’s covenant faithfulness and promises He made to His people. To put your hope in God suggests that you are making an active choice to trust in God’s character and ability to follow through on His promises. The psalmist sees a time of praise despite his current circumstances. He confidentlu expects God to deliver him and that God will be good.
REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How do praise God when you feel anxious and depressed?
I want to start off by saying that while praise can help pull you out of an anxious or depressed mindset, it may not be the only way. If you are feeling anxious and/or depressed, please reach out to a trusted friend, doctor, or therapist and talk through what may be causing these feelings. There’s a chance that additional therapy, medications, guided works, and more will help you overcome them. Participating in these things will not pull you away from God nor will make you not trust God, for God created all these things to help us function in our fallen world.
Even the strongest Christians, pastors, leaders, and more all experience moments of depression and anxiety. With our world as it is today, more people are being diagnosed with depressive and anxiety disorders than ever before. On average, about 1 in 4 adults globally experience anxiety or depressive disorder in a given year. See the following website for more information:
You are not alone in your struggles. You are not alone in your feelings. The situations that may have caused them are unique to you, but you do not have to stay isolated in those experiences. The call to give those to God is louder than ever before. Will giving them to God solve those issues? Not always directly, but it’s a great starting point. It may not be directly, but it’s a great starting point. When you can share those struggles with God, you may start to feel lighter. You are giving the things that have bogged you down to God and are being released from the chains that have held you down for far too long. You can give them to God and trust that He receives it with loving and caring arms. He wants to see you thrive and hurts when you hurt. He wants to see you succeed in the path that He created for you. When you struggle, He wants you to come to Him boldly and confidently, sharing everything that resides in your heart, and work toward a path united and reconciled together. When this happens, God becomes your firm foundation, and you can find courage and resilience you didn’t know you had. It reminds me of the verse that says: “If God is for me, then who can be against me?” (Romans 8:31) Who can be against you with God on your side? The evil powers of anxiety and depression will not be victorious with God’s strength and power. With God’s strength, anxiety and depression do not have the final word over your identity or your future – even when the struggle continues.”
REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: If you struggle with anxiety and depression, how has God helped you through those episodes?
(No PRAY Action for this one. Instead, take my normal PRAY Action time to do something that will help your mental health. Whatever that is for you, know that God is right there with you.)
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