Almighty God, you have not left us without instruction. You've not left us with a mystery regarding your will. You have not left us without a word of direction. And we pray that tonight you would direct our hearts, that we might find our rest and our all. in you through your Son Jesus Christ. Open our eyes that we may behold wondrous things out of your love. Open our hearts to receive the truth and be filled with your Spirit. In Jesus' name, Amen. Psalm 6. I'm using the New International Version. Psalm 6. O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint. O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord? How long? Turn, O Lord, and deliver me. Save me because of your unfailing love. No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? I am worn out from groaning. All night I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow. They fail because of all my foes. Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed. They will turn back in sudden disgrace. The Word of God. One writer, speaking of depression, put it very, very simply. It's hell. I have a dear sister in Christ in the congregation where I serve, who has twice now during my time there gone into deep depression. And when she told me about it one time, she quoted that writer. It's described vividly as hell and those of us who have never been through depression really can never fully enter into what that means. The person who is in a state of depression feels as though the world is black and getting blacker. The person who is in depression thinks that they can look up all they want and all they see is down. They feel as though it's a bad dream that's gone worse and will never end. You can't wake up from this nightmare. There's no relief. It's far too common and far too easy to respond to the person who's in depression. Just snap out of it. Stop being that way or repent of your sin and get on with life. That was Eliphaz's counsel to Job, if you've ever read the book of Job, and it wasn't very effective at all. It didn't help Job one bit and it doesn't help the person who's in depression to tell them just snap out of it, wake up and just remember the Lord is good. The person who's in depression has a tough time knowing anything's good, much less that the Lord is good. David understood what it was to be depressed. Now it's hard to believe that he ever got depressed. sometimes, but if you read his life carefully, particularly the time after his sin with Bathsheba, it's hard to believe he wasn't depressed all of the time when you think of what his life was like. First his child dies, then one of his sons rapes a daughter of his, and then another son kills that son, and then that son rises up with a force to overthrow his father. that he's surrounded by his son's army. He defeats his son, but his son is killed in spite of his hope that his son might survive to repent. And then, right after that particular rebellion, there's another rebellion, and things just go from bad to worse for David. It's hard to believe that he wasn't depressed all the time. Now, our psalm is an expression of David's emotion. We're not entirely sure what the moment was that he was experiencing at that moment, but it seems that he may have been involved in acknowledging that he was being justly punished for sin. You notice that he talks about God being merciful. It talks about God not disciplining him in his wrath. We also have a hint in verse 7 that he was facing foes, enemies of some kind. It could be that he was facing Absalom. It could be that he was facing the enemy that followed Absalom. We're not sure. But the fact is that this is often referred to as a penitential psalm because of David's acknowledgement of God's justice. But what's striking is the utter depths to which David has fallen. He moves from begging God to not be too angry with him, to crying out for mercy, and then to effectively saying, it's too much for me to bear, I cannot take much more of this. God is dealing with David in a severe way, and David is expressing real human emotions. This is why the book of Psalms is so well loved by so many people, especially older folks, because every emotion you can possibly feel is expressed in the Psalms. If you're feeling down, it's a good thing to go to the Psalms, and if you don't know what to pray, simply pray one of the Psalms back to the Lord. because the Lord acknowledges his word and his word never returns to him void. It always accomplishes the purpose for which he sent it forth. But after seven verses of expressing his agony, his time of depression, his utter despair, there's suddenly a jarring note as he strikes a different chord and he moves from the depths to the heights. And the very suddenness of this change teaches us something of how David's faith of how David's relationship with Yahweh led to his deliverance, because David never ever says that he's alone. He may feel alone, he may feel as though he's been deserted, but it doesn't last for long. We'll see this as we follow the sweet psalmist of Israel from the depths of despair to the heights of triumph. Now I want to put in a little bit of a warning here with regard to what I'm about to say. Nothing I'm about to say tonight rules out or is inconsistent with seeking medical help with depression if you need it. There is such a thing as clinical depression. Adam's sin has corrupted the emotions and the mind and the neurological structure of our bodies such that it may be you do need medical help. But it may or may not please the Lord to use medical assistance to help you. But it is a choice of either or. What I'm about to say tonight applies in every case. If you need medical assistance, by all means get it. But don't rely on the medicine. is the Lord who brings the healing. It's up to him to use whatever means is proper in your case. Having said that, I want to deal first with the depths of despair and then with the heights of triumph in David's life. We begin with the depths of despair. What was the cause of David being in the depths of despair? Well, we notice verse 1, O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. He acknowledges there's been a reproof that God has been chastising him. We don't know specifically what the sin was, but we do know that his conscience told him, it may well be, Lord, that I deserve what I'm getting. And so all he can do at this point is say, Father, you know I'm weak. You know my frame. You know that I'm frail. You know that my frame is but dust. Remember that. Don't deal with me in your anger. I can't handle your anger. If you're angry with me, I'm going to fall apart. I can't make it if you're angry, because I know it's a terrible thing, a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. So please, don't rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath." He doesn't deny that he deserves the wrath of God. He doesn't deny the truth of the fact that he deserves to have God angry with him. Now, it's not always the case in depression that sin is involved in the problem you're dealing with. And the key thing to do is to quickly search your mind, your memory, pray for the Holy Spirit to help you, and see if there's a specific sin that God is dealing with. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. But if you can't put a name to your sin, then don't go there. Because the Holy Spirit never leaves you in doubt as to what sin the Lord is displeased with. He will show you your sin. If he doesn't show you sin, then you're dealing with a simple depression. Is there such a thing as a simple depression? I don't think so. But at least at that point, you've moved out of the way one reason, one possible reason for your depression. And if it is the case that you sin, then confess your sin and repent of it. You may not immediately be lifted out of the depths of despair. But at least you know that your conscience is clear because you've been washed in the blood of Jesus afresh. So David begins with the probable cause or possible cause that God was dealing with him because of a specific sin. But then he moves in that same verse to a cry for help. Not, don't reprove me. Not, don't chastise me. But don't do it in anger. This is a cry for grace. Look at verse 2. Be merciful to me, Lord. Be merciful to me. Why? Because I'm faint. He's asking for grace, favor, mercy that's undeserved. Literally, the Hebrew says, show me favor. Specifically, he's asking for healing. O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony. I hurt so badly emotionally that my joints ache." And that happens in depression. Your body doesn't feel normal. Your body is in physical pain. The emotion starts to take over everything. And then he cries out in verse 4 for salvation. Turn, O Lord, and deliver me. Save me because of your unfailing love. Deliver me from my hell. Deliver me from my sorrow. Deliver me from my pain. He is in the midst of agony and all he knows to ask God for is for an end to that agony. He's not asking for death at this point. He's asking for deliverance from the pain. This is an encouraging portion of scripture to read. It's very encouraging. Why? Because the fact is that the Lord inspired David to put pen to paper and record this prayer. And if God wanted him to record the prayer, then what he's interested in us knowing is that he understands what it's like to be in the depths. And of course, his son, his only begotten son, would come hundreds of years later and he himself would be in the depths. in the garden, sweating great drops of blood, on the cross, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? But God understands our emotions. He made us emotional creatures. He made us real creatures. He doesn't deny that there are times when you are in despair. He understands that. And more importantly, if you're in depression, you need to understand that God doesn't condemn you for being depressed. He doesn't say, oh, grow up and stop crying, you big baby. That's not our God. Our God understands how He's made us, and He understands how sin has affected us. He understands, and He cares about your hurt. He cares about your pain. It means something to Him, or He wouldn't have put this in the Scripture. He's made us with a full range of emotions. And perhaps one of the most important things I can say to you tonight, it is not sinful to feel despair when God's hand lies heavy upon you. It's not sinful to feel despair. Indeed, it may be exactly what God wants you to feel. Because you've been relying on yourself. You're thinking, if I lift myself up by my bootstraps, or I pull myself up off my back, perhaps I can heal myself. God doesn't want you dependent on yourself. He wants you right where you are. So you look to Him. Helpless, look to you for grace. It reminds us that there are times when all we can do is cry out to God for relief. And we can't even get the words out. Maybe just the word help. Help me Lord. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to feel. I don't know what to say to you. And that's when the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with words that cannot be uttered. This is an encouraging portion of scripture because God in this portion of scripture tells us, I understand where you are. I put you there and you're not sinning and feeling what you're feeling. I'm at work. You may not understand what I'm doing, but that's okay. You will one day understand. And also as we've seen, what we have here is we're shown several legitimate grounds for our pleas for relief. Look at verse 2. Be merciful to me, Lord. Why? Because I'm faint. I'm about to pass out. The pain is too much. I can't make it. He says as well, O Lord, heal me. Why? Because my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. Help me because I can't help myself. It hurts too much for me. You see what the psalmist is saying? This is more than I can handle. And there's no sin in confessing that. And so David makes his problem the grounds for his cry for help. He's saying, I can't do it. And then look at the wonderful, wonderful word at the end of verse three. How long, O Lord? How long? How long do I have to hurt before you understand? How long do I have to hurt before you make it better? He's pleading his helplessness. This was Calvin's favorite cry, John Calvin's favorite cry when he was suffering. He suffered from severe migraines, severe weak spells, and he would cry out, How long, O Lord? How long? Calvin died fairly young. because he was simply not a healthy man for most of his most fruitful portions of his ministry. And then he pleads in verse 4. Turn, O Lord, and deliver me. There's a cry again for deliverance. Save me because of your unfailing love. Now those words unfailing love are the Hebrew word chesed. It refers to God's covenant mercy, His covenant faithfulness, His covenant love. And so David pleads the ultimate ground for God helping him. You've made a covenant with me. You are in covenant with me. You said I'm a man after your own heart. You said you would not take your covenant mercy away from me. Well, save me because of your covenant mercy. And then he pleads God's glory in verse 5. No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? Yeah, you could let me die, Lord, but if I die, you'll get no more praises and worship from me. Not on this earth anyway. David did not have a full understanding of what would happen after death, but he understood enough. A man in the grave doesn't praise God. A man in the grave is unable to do anything but be silent. And God's glory would be obscured by his destruction in his present distress. God's glory would be obscured by that, but it would be manifested in his salvation. Read verses 4 and 5 together. Turn, O Lord, and deliver me. Save me because of your unfailing love. No one remembers you when he is dead who praises you from the grave. But, Lord, if you save me, if you deliver me, you will receive glory for it. That's always a legitimate ground for crying out to God for help. Moses did that. Lord, if you destroy your people, just think, the nations will hear about it and they'll say the Lord couldn't save his own people. But if you spare Israel, O Lord, you'll be glorified. And of course, the Lord listened to Moses. Abraham did the same thing. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? It's always a legitimate ground for crying for help by telling the Lord, your glory is at stake. Because God loves his glory more than he loves anything else. Now we don't like to hear that because we like to think we're that important to God. But in the book of Ezekiel he says, I'm going to restore Israel to the land, deliver them out of exile, but not for their sake, but for the sake of my glory. The glory they obscured by their sin. God is very, very concerned for his glory and he will hear the plea of his glory. And then David basically says in verses 6 and 7, I'm at the end of my rope. I'm worn out from groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. Have you ever cried so hard that your pillow was soaking wet? I remember watching a minister that I was having lunch with hear about a little girl who was hit by a car. We stopped to pray for him, and as he prayed, he wept so hard. There was a pool of tears on the table in front of him. His heart was that moved with compassion and pity for the little girl who had been hurt. Well, David's been crying so hard that his couch is drenched with tears. It's soaking wet. He's in the depths. All God's waves and billows are flowing over him. He says, my eyes grow weak with sorrow. They fail because of all my foes. He has no ability to see straight anymore. He's been crying so hard he can't see through the tears. And he's also suffering because there are some foes that he has been facing. David is at the end of his rope. He has nothing left to put into life. He has no strength. He has no resources. He has no ability to recover from the depths of despair into which he has fallen. Perhaps most compelling, we're able to hear, as I mentioned or hinted at earlier, an echo of the Savior in the garden. Is it not possible for this cup to pass from me? Please! Okay, if that's what you want, your will be done. Three times. And then on the cross, near the end, My God, I'm forsaken! Why? You see, Jesus understands your despair. Jesus understands how it feels to be in the depths. Is that what his cry on the cross tells you? My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? This is someone you can go to in your time of need. This is someone to whom you can look when you're in the depths. of despair. He is able to help you, having himself sunk into the depths and been saved from them. You never go through a time of despair alone, if you're a Christian. You never go through a time of despair alone. There's always someone who has gone there before you and come out on the other end, and rejoicing in the salvation of God. Jesus went to the cross, cried out in despair, and three days later he rose from the dead. He will not leave my soul in Sheol. The father didn't do that. Which means, That we have someone we can go to who understands where we are, who will not laugh at us, who will not tell us simply snap out of it, will not tell us, oh, your faith is failing you. Rather, he'll carry you through it. He'll bear you up. He'll keep you safe. And if that's the case, it also means that we will experience in God's good time God's raising us up from the depths of despair to the heights of triumph. And here's where the hymn, the psalm, changes its character almost shockingly. You have six verses of a descent into the depths of despair to the point where he can't even see because of the tears he's been crying. He's failing because of his foes, he's failing because he's bone weary, because he's emotionally weary, he's mentally weary, he's physically weary, he can't take anymore. But suddenly he changes and he says, away from me all you who do evil! For the Lord has heard my weeping. Notice the sudden note of confidence. The psalmist is convinced that the Lord will hear his cry. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy, verse 9. The Lord accepts my prayer. He's no longer pleading for God to help him. He knows that God will help him. He knows that God will deliver him. And He addresses His enemies with that stinging rebuke, Away from me, all you who do evil. For the Lord has heard my weeping. He has a living God. He has a living Lord who is in covenant with Him. And he expects total vindication. Look at verse 10. All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed. They will turn back in sudden disgrace. With one mental sweep of his hand, he sweeps all of his enemies away and he says, you don't matter anymore. There's no more reason to be depressed. The Lord has heard me. The Lord has accepted my prayer. The Lord will deliver me. You see, David never forgets who God is. Who is he? He is Yahweh. He is the Lord. He is the one who is in control of his life. He is the Lord of David's personal history. He is the Lord of David's circumstances. He is the Lord of every part of David's life. There isn't a single part of his life that David doesn't realize the Lord is in control of. And so he never forgets who God is, and he never forgets who he, that is, David, is. He is the Lord's covenant child. Look back in verse 4, the second part. Save me because of your unfailing love, your covenant love. He recognizes he has a Father in heaven. He recognizes that the Lord loves him. And with that realization, he's saved from his despair. God has committed himself, you see, to hearing the cries of his children. Hebrews 5, 7. During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. And this was the promise that the Lord gave him that Jesus was holding on to. In Isaiah 49.8, this is what the Lord says, In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you. And what was the day of Christ's death other than the day of salvation? I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritance. This promise is not just for Jesus. but for all who are joined to Jesus Christ by faith. He promises in the time of His favor to help you. Christian, you are always living in the time of God's favor. There's never a time when you're out of God's favor. Did Jesus just die for your sins in the past? Did He? No. He died for your sins past? present and future. Your sin is always pardoned from the perspective of God because Jesus took them away. So therefore you are always in the time of God's favor and he says in the time of my favor I will answer you and in the day of salvation I will help you. You live always in the day of salvation. Always. And He promises further, I'll keep you and will make you, well that's Jesus, to be a covenant for the people. And the promise of the restoration of the land is simply a promise to us that He will restore us to a perfect condition in the day of the new heavens and the new earth. When you cry to the Lord from the depths, therefore, He will hear and He will raise you up. Now, perhaps not on your time schedule, I know when you want to be saved from your despair, yesterday. Not today, not an hour from now, but yesterday. Well, God doesn't work on our schedule. The brother prayed earlier, our brother prayed earlier, and he said that the Lord of the Year answers prayer yes, no, or wait. If God is working in your life, he's working to make you like Christ. He was a man of sorrows acquainted with grief, and if you're to be like Christ, you've got to be a man or woman acquainted with grief, and that's part of God's plan for your life. So sometimes you will need to be in the depths of despair because it fits God's program. But he promises to keep you, and he promises he will deliver you. Sometimes, as in the case of a hymn writer named William Cooper, he may not deliver you until the day of your death, from your despair. But that's God's business, not ours. But he will never let you go. And thus David shows us the way out of the depths of despair. And so I ask you, are you in the depths tonight? Are you feeling forsaken? What you need to do is acknowledge God's justice in sending you into the depths. One of the problems we have as believers is we think we know better than God does. God, if you loved me, you'd never let me fall into the depths like this. But that's not true. He sent his son into the depths and he loved him dearly. Still does. He still loves you dearly. Never measure God's love for you by your comfort level. Never measure God's love for you by the amount of peace and ease you have in your life. Measure it by the fact that He never lets you go, no matter what you're going through. And then cry out with honesty about your condition before Him. Tell him honestly how you feel. He won't be shocked at your words. He already knows what you're thinking. He already knows what you're feeling. If you've got hard words to say, you ought to confess your sin, but speak clearly to God what it is you're feeling and what you're thinking. And then cry out for grace and salvation. Plead his covenant mercy. Plead his desire for his own glory, even while you admit that you are utterly devoid of personal resources or any desire for his glory yourself. God has proven his faithfulness. He's shown his covenant mercy in giving his son for your sins. With confidence, cry out with the psalmist, the Lord has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord accepts my prayer. The way out of the depths always follows the course of shifting your attention and your hope from yourself and your circumstances and sending them upon God and His mercy. Let me repeat that because that's very important. The way out of the depths always follows the course of shifting your attention and your hope from yourself and your circumstances and sending them upon God's mercy. In the time of His favor, He will answer you. He will answer you when He's ready. If you're hearing this and you're depressed, but you're not a Christian, and that's entirely possible, but you are seeking help, your first step is this. You must turn to Christ. You must understand that your sin stands between you and peace with God and peace with yourself and your circumstances. You are under the wrath of God and you have a worse problem than depression. You need to confess your sin. Believe in the death of Christ for your sins. Cry out to him for salvation. He will hear you and he will, in his time, help you. Let us pray. Almighty God, remember your covenant mercy to us. Remember your promise that you will never test us beyond what we are able, but will with the temptation nor the test. Provide a way of escape that we may be able to stand. Silence the foe, the enemy of our souls, as he tries to lie to us and tell us that you don't care, because we know from your word you do. Help us to remember that we live in the day of your favor, in the day of your grace, the day of your salvation. And according to your promise, O Lord, keep us safe. For Jesus' sake. Amen.