Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19980802.htm

PSALMS: DIARIES OF GODLY OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS
Psalm One Hundred And Nineteen (Daleth) - The Value And Use Of Scripture To Offset Mental Depression
(Psalm 119:25-32)
  1. Introduction
    1. Mental depression (not to be confused with physically-caused states of depression) is a national problem, something costing much not only in the form of medical bills, but in time lost in work and in relationships.
    2. Scripture is valuable in determining what causes mental depression, and in offering a solution as follows:
  2. The Value And Use Of Scripture To Offset Mental Depression, Psalm 119:25-32.
    1. The psalmist describes a depressed state of heart he experienced, and the hope of revival out of this state through the application of the Word of God, Ps. 119:25.
      1. The psalmist relates his "soul" (KJV) or life principle, the nephesh which consists of the whole mental, emotional and spiritual inner man as something that cleaves to the lowly dust, Psalm 119:25.
      2. Since the dust pictures a lowly state, the psalmist's inner man is in a state of depression, Ps. 119:25b.
    2. As there is a process whereby the state of depression is reversed through the application of God's Word, we view that process in a series of seven steps in Psalm 119:26-32 as follows:
      1. Step One - First, the psalmist bears his troubled ways to God in prayer, exposing them to the scrutiny of Scripture in hope that his erroneous views can be examined and exposed, Ps. 119:26.
      2. Step Two - Second, he gains insight through Scripture into God's precepts so that he can begin thinking on God's supernatural things in his musing instead of his own thoughts that so depress him, Ps. 119:27.
      3. Step Three - Third, the psalmist finds edification through Scripture to offset depression's grief, 119:28.
      4. Step Four - Next, what deceit or even self-deception that has led to misguided outlooks and actions that caused such depression is faced and handled by applying Scripture, 119:29. This is the heart of reversing depression -- facing the deception that has led to one's getting burned and depressed.
      5. Step Five - The psalmist then chooses God's truth revealed in Scripture as his point of orientation to reality as opposed to the false ideas and values that had caused his depression, Ps. 119:30. In doing so, he finds he is in complete agreement with the Word, in complete submission to its teachings, v. 30b.
      6. Step Six - Sixth, the psalmist decides to stay with God's concepts instead of falling back to adopt former, self-deceptive or deceptive concepts that had led to his former depression, Ps. 119:31.
      7. Step Seven - Consequently, the psalmist finds he can take on life's events on the run so-to-speak as opposed to his former state of lying-in-the-dust: since he does things God's way, he can operate under full emotional, mental and spiritual capacity in the inne r man in just the opposite state of lying in the dust really still, in a depressed state, contrast Ps. 119:32a with 119:25a! The reason he can do so is that God has fully revived and edified the psalmist's inner man through his use of Scripture, Ps. 119:32b.
Lesson: (1) Depression is the result of following a wrong concept(s) and carrying it (them) to full bloom only to see one's confidence get demolished when his beliefs let him down in life's real events. (2) The way out of depression is the edification one finds by believing and using Scripture's revelation of God's supernatural things as to correcting erroneous concepts that got him burned. This is because Scripture is TRUE and teaches us supernatural solutions to needs.

Application: (1) When a depressed party approaches Scripture and candidly seeks to be fully submitted to its truths, (a) he finds the supernatural God of Scripture not only providing a temporary balm but (c) also exposing the deception or self-dece ption that led to his thinking error, error that in turn has come to let him down and thereby get him depressed! (d) In so doing, God can restore the afflicted man's state of mind BECAUSE God's TRUE viewpoint DOES NOT LET HIM DOWN and Scripture's SUPERNATURAL God CAN NOT let him down! (e) Accordingly, he comes to exchange "living-in-the-dust of depression" for "living-on-the-run of vibrant mental health"! (2) One's desire to know the TRUTH is a health-producing one! (3) If we wish to be a beneficial friend, stick to Scripture and tell others what it really says, Pr. 27:6; also 1 John 5:2-3.