Dealing With Depression, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ gave him a lot of the you know what you're depressed, nobody, nobody, David, just like we are is as I cried out to you oh Lord, what's the pivot said you are my refuge, my person in the land of the living give heed to my cry for he says, and brought very low. Deliver me.

He says my persecutors, for they are too strong for me bring my soul out of prison a great description of the Russian so that I may give thanks to your name for joining us today on this additional fellowship in the world Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhart now again he shows us how God's word meets our world cry out to God we call your past blessings, ask the hard questions and also the pivots radiator he says in verse 10, and then I said is my grief that the right hand of the most high is changed. This is really neat but hard to understand.

In English, but it's pretty neat using and what this is my fault. The right hand of God means the place of honor with God the place of closeness to God. The right hand.

The sun rises and sits at the right hand of the father. You see, he said, in my grief, God's right hand hasn't changed. He's love me and he's always love me is not changed at all. You see, nothing about God is change. This is me is my grief. That's the pivot point sort of in a sense his insight. He then says this I shall remember the deeds of the Lord.

Shortly I will remember your work. Your wonders of old. I will meditate on all your work and muse word that you could actually say consider all your deeds soon as he thinks about it like this is right. This is about me, this is me that God hasn't changed all notice.

Remember, remember, he says, meditate and consider how that's astounding what he is done he says there's a point when I have to think about these things, the deeds of the Lord and the wonders of old what is a beginning the do I think is beginning to do this whenever you're depressed usually starts out with a disappointment. But I'll call it, and some of them are major.

I get that but it's a molehill and then with enough depressive thinking you can turn that into a mountain. The bigger the mountain gets in the bigger your problem guides the deeper your depression gets and the smaller your God gets and so what ends up happening is a sub says you know what you got some impressive stuff. I mean there wasn't anything and you spoke and now there's everything not know about you but if you understand the size of the universe. You had to be impressed. You see, just spoken into existence created man in your image you see a color guy out of the Chaldees and you said I'll make you a people and more people. You did all these incredible things the Exodus, which will look at the moment you did them all God. Now here's the thought if you get all these incredible things. If God could speak in the known universe exists. Do you think it's possible he has enough power to handle the thing. It's disturbing you using you think that's possible that God has the resources to meet your need. That's what he's doing. You see, that's what Aesop is doing. If I put this in proportion.

He said it's my grief. Why am I think in this why my thinking that God's not able when he clearly is. You see, making good choices leads the good feelings. He's made a choice here of all the things that you could do when you're depressed, nothing more important than the right choice. I mention Paul Meyer before bed when when I was a Dallas seminary fragment with was Paul they had the men with Meyer clinic in Dallas, a large psychiatric clinic in Dallas both taught at the seminary.

They wrote a book in the early 1980s called happiness is a choice. That book was incredible in its reach. It was a book about depression and their medical doctor psychiatrist, but the book came down to fundamentally at the final end of it all came down to choosing Izzy. Happiness is a choice and not Frank used to say sometimes would be Dr. and with would say so was depression is a that's why the same thing could happen to two people. One person gets really depressed and the other person does not. It's not the circumstance is the choice you see. And that's what happens they saw he gets the point where he said I want to make a choice I would remember what God did so cries out to God because his past blessings, ask the hard questions and chooses to redirect his thoughts and now this longer section. He does something really interesting. He magnifies God to diminish his problem. He magnifies God to diminish his problem starting in verse 13 he says your whale goddess holy what God is great like our God. That's an important thing.

First of all, the character of God is holy because of the stuff that God does. He says, but is it what God is like our God.

This is kind of an interesting thing you think about if you are going to turn your back on God, if you're going to turn away from God and doing a turn toward something else.

The question I have for you is how does it measure up. You see, if I'm in a turn away from God and go to drugs or alcohol because I'm depressed. How does it measure up. If I'm in a turn away from God to something else. Another God of any sort how it measure up.

It's astounding to me that Christians will say one really disappointed in God so this is why did that will compare that to God you really want to be disappointed now. You see, that's what we end up doing and he says don't do that. He then says you are the God works wonders. You have made known your strength among the peoples you have by your power redeemed your people the sons of Jacob and Joseph recalled the Exodus has at work, not just the planes but what about the angel of death see what about that, what about the Passover having your edema. People that work having to do some so great for hundred years, 2 million people were slaves you got about.

You see what's he doing he's magnifying God what to do diminish his problem is he diminishes his problem because he knows while God, who have resources on credible notice. He gets even more graphic. He says the water-soluble God. The water saw you and they were in anguish. The deeps also trembled. The clouds poured out water.

The skies gave for the sound your arrows flashed here and there. The sound of your thunder, he said, was in the world.

When the lightnings lit up the world and the earth trembled and shook. I'm convinced Lord you can deal with my problem.

You see somewhat what had been like. Who knows he's off looking back is a Jew seen what was that like in the Exodus.

All this power, Moses, standing by the Red Sea. Watch God work. How you do that magnify God to diminish your problems because God L Ellie on all the way through this section.

That is the God that is the creator and protector. God, he says while you deliver the whole nation see if you think about that. My worried about you see one of my worried about if that's what God's done if Christ could come live a perfect life guy on the cross on your behalf get buried and rise from the dead, and he's coming back. God can do that.

How does that compare with what's bothering you. You see, what is the comparison that you have easy schemes magnify the Lord. It's an interesting way of putting it, but it does it puts my problem in perspective and then verses 19 and 20.

The reason I made it separate was simply because it's a continuation but a conclusion. I love what he writes. He says you work your way was in the sea in your past. He said in the mighty waters in your footprints may not be known. You lead your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron cry out to God, recalled your past blessings, ask the hard questions choose to redirect your thoughts magnify God to diminish her problem and trust God to do liver you are your depression. Just trust God. That's what it comes to you see that's where it sat in his interesting noticed it. It's poetry but it's a wonderful way in which he doesn't.

The first part of verse 19 He Says Your Way was in the see in your pass in the mighty waters you know even Cecil B DeMille really can do this justice. But if you've seen the movie you know this parting the Red Sea things pretty impressive. That's not about power. But what's the other side of the verse is poetry.

He says in your footprints may not be known. He said it looked a man like you want even there. He said when you're working only footprints he said you just work and then he goes on God's power to God's heart. He says you lead your people like a flock which you mean your Shepherd. What's that mean you're good, kind, this is not just a matter of your power.

What does a shepherd think of his flock.

You see when Jesus said I am the good shepherd so will kind of good Shepherd are you reset on the best I lay down my life for the sheep. That's what he's alluding to hear you said you my Shepherd is not just on you powerful enough to do it. Of course, God is he sitting you love me enough notice. He never says that he is going to change the circumstances. By the way, when most people come out of depression. Almost all the circumstances never change.

It's not like the circumstances change. You change that's what he's looking for. I want to change. He then says notice you lead your people like a flock in any said by the hand of Moses and Aaron was that mean God uses people used to God uses people feel depressed by the way, avail yourself, the people, people in the body of Christ, especially people of the gift of mercy. Gift of encouragement you see people expose yourself to people like God use people if you need to see a counselor C1 one who knows the Scriptures and love the Lord but C1 God will work through that cry out to God. Recall your past blessings asked God the hard questions choose to redirect your thoughts magnify God to diminish her problems and trust God to deliver you are your depression. You know if this was just one thing these feelings all the way through the book of Psalms someone I want to do now is I want to just read through to Psalm so you see these exact same things operating go with me first to Psalm 42 Psalm 42. Now this is written by the sons of Cora. And guess who the ring for the song was written for the choir director who is the choir director, a self theater writing this now listen to this and watch the same things show up.

He starts out with the conclusion as the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, will God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God uses one until I come and appear before God. Then he gets the depression. My tears have been my food day and night. He says, well they say to me all day long.

Worship God in an interesting always feel like that when you're a believer in your depressed where's your God.

These things I remember.

I pour out my soul within me, for I used to go along with the throng, he says, and leave them in procession to the house of God with the voice of joy and thanksgiving in a multitude keeping Festival. What's he doing.

Remembering the good old days. Remembering the past blessings I was somebody boy will hit a big feast. I was right there leaving the people of God. He remembers now the questions why are you in despair all my soul. Why have you become disturbed within me hoping God for I Shelley says again. Praise him for the help of his presence.

All my God.

My soul was in despair within me.

Therefore I remember I remember you from the land of the Jordan, from the peaks. He says of Herman and my knees are, he said. Deep calls to deep at the sound of your waterfalls all your breakers and your waves are rolled over me. The Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime and his song will be with me in the night a prayer to God, the God of my life and I will say to God, my rock, I have you forgotten me. Why going morning because of the oppression of the enemy.

He says as a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me. What's the problem was he depressed people as enemies. People can depress you, they can and that's what happens here.

He says why are you in despair of my soul. Why have you become disturbed within me that this conclusion hoping God for I shall yet praise him, you see the change in the pivot did he say I'm praising him now know he said I'm going to see he's made the change is change this thinking I will yet praise him praise is coming. He says the help of my countenance.

Wow that's directly related to depression, what's he saying I will fly countenance, but it's going to change.

He said the help of my countenance. My God, you see the same thing this time, the sons of Cora one last one. Psalm 142 100 Psalms West Psalm 142. Remove may soften the sons of Cora the David the man after God's own heart. I could pick several different Psalms for David Davis depressed quite a bit.

Remember that though he was depressed and he was the only person in the world. God called a man after God's own so doesn't make them unspiritual because he faces depression. He starts out I cry aloud, there it is. Same words I cry aloud with my voice to the Lord. I make supplication with my voice to the Lord. That means he's pleading, he said. I poured out my complaint before him, I declare my trouble before him when my spirit was overwhelmed within me. He just pulled himself up God my life's thinks you see, he just pours it out. He says you knew my path in the way where I walk.

He says they have hidden the trap for me. Look to the right and see there was no one who regards me there is no escape for me. No one cares for my soul.

That's a pity party. How do I know that David had men who were loyal to him to the death. David had a lot of people to love them but you know what your depressed. Nobody cares nobody see David just like we are pieces.

I cried out to you oh Lord, now what's the pivot I said you are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living give heed to my cry for I he says I'm brought very low. Deliver me. He says my persecutors, for they are too strong for me bring my soul out of prison. What a great description of depression so that I may give thanks to your name. He says the righteous will salon me, for you will deal bountifully with me. Notice again its future. He still depressed wise doing this cry out to God. Recall your past blessings asked God the hard questions choose to redirect your thoughts magnify God to diminish her problems.

Trust God to deliver you from your depression. Act one, scene two, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare caches speaking the fault, dear Brutus is not in our stars but in ourselves.

Each one of us is free to chart our destiny in the exercise of choice. I think the Lord would say to that, and when you find yourselves sinking into despair. Choose me this. Father, I am simply praying for two groups of people this morning from one group of people here, you're in good time in their life in a good spot in their life, so maybe on a mountaintop of their life. They wake up with joy and happiness, purpose and meaning they have hope and peace, but father, we are not naïve. There are always moments where we can find ourselves discouraged and despairing. I would pray that this outline that comes from a soft would be helpful to us in a preventative way as we begin to see ourselves in any way sinking that we go to the word of God, and allow the word of God to speak to us that we were able incorporate the transparency that is needed to be honest with God and the we are able to change our thinking. Once we get a perspective of how big our God is and how small problem father there's another group they're not on the mountaintop there in the valley this very day they find themselves discourage the may be depressed. I pray father that they could see an example here from the sons of Cora to David to Azoff himself, that they realize that they're not alone or unspiritual because some of the greatest men in the word of God, find them, but depressed at times. The question is one of the going to do about it. Father I pray that they simply read that Psalm Psalm 77 on a regular basis in every gilded that kind of transparency to the Lord to begin the change their thinking to begin to magnify you and diminish the problem.

Father, I thank you that you meet our needs.

You meet our physical needs or emotional needs are spiritual needs. I thank you that even though we live in a fallen world around sinful people we can get discouraged and despairing.

You still can course through that still have the capacity and the love for us to relieve us of our darkness and her depression rooster thing pastor broke your heart on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like listening to the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the Fellowship in the Word online at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio programs as well at Fellowship in the Word.

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