Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Depression
Bible Questions Answered:
“...our neighborhood prayer group,
some 15 of us meet and discuss current events, and read from your
blog postings. Some were wondering about....actor who suffered from
depression, and if the Bible might have a thing to say concerning
that...”
Will/ Pasadena, California U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
There was a man who had in his employ a
young boy. One day in a fit of depression and anger, the man threw a
sword at the young boy, but he escaped.
Had this man inherited a pair of genes,
too tight, taking his breath away, thus making him ill-tempered
towards others?
Some would call in the doctor, the
psychiatrist, the psychologist, or psychoanalyst etc. but this was
1063 B.C., and there weren't any.
The man was King Saul, his young
servant, a giant killer by the name of David.
How had a man chosen by God to be king
fallen into such a sorry state?
I Samuel 15:1-9 NLT
1 One day Samuel said to Saul, “It
was The Lord who told me to anoint you as king of His people, Israel.
Now listen to this message from The Lord!
2 This is what The Lord Of Heaven’s
Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the
nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt.
3 Now go and completely
destroy[a] the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children,
babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
4 So Saul mobilized his army at
Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from
Judah.
5 Then Saul and his army went to a
town of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley.
6 Saul sent this warning to the
Kenites: “Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die
with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when
they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites packed up and left.
7 Then Saul slaughtered the
Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt.
8 He captured Agag, the Amalekite
king, but completely destroyed everyone else.
9 Saul and his men spared Agag’s
life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat
calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them.
They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.
Saul rejected by The Lord
10 Then The Lord said to Samuel,
11 “I am sorry that I ever made
Saul king, for he has not been loyal to Me and has refused to obey
My command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that
he cried out to The Lord all night.
12 Early the next morning Samuel
went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of
Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”
13 When Samuel finally found him,
Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May The Lord bless you,” he said.
“I have carried out The Lord’s command!”
14 “Then what is all the bleating
of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel
demanded.
15 “It’s true that the army
spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle,” Saul admitted.
“But they are going to sacrifice them to The Lord your God. We have
destroyed everything else.”
16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop!
Listen to what The Lord told me last night!” “What did he tell
you?” Saul asked.
17 And Samuel told him, “Although
you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the
tribes of Israel? The Lord has anointed you king of Israel.
18 And The Lord sent you on a
mission and told you, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners,
the Amalekites, until they are all dead.’
19 Why haven’t you obeyed The
Lord? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in The
Lord’s sight?”
20 “But I did obey The Lord,”
Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission He gave me. I brought
back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else.
21 Then my troops brought in the
best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to The
Lord your God in Gilgal.”
22 But Samuel replied,
“What is more pleasing to The
Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to His
voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than
sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
23 Rebellion is as sinful as
witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because
you have rejected the command of the Lord, He has rejected you as
king.”
I Samuel 16:1 NLT
1 Now The Lord said to Samuel, “You
have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of
Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a
man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons
to be My king.”
13 So as David stood there among his
brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and
anointed David with the oil. And The Spirit Of The Lord came
powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to
Ramah.
I Samuel 18:6-11 NLT
6 When the victorious Israelite army
was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from
all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and
danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals.
7 This was their song:
“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”
8 This made Saul very angry. “What’s
this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with
only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!”
9 So from that time on Saul kept a
jealous eye on David.
10 The very next day a tormenting
spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in
his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did
each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand,
11 and he suddenly hurled it at
David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.
I Samuel 16:14-23 NLT
14 Now The Spirit Of The Lord had
left Saul, and The Lord sent a tormenting spirit that
filled him with depression and fear.
15 Some of Saul’s servants said to
him, “A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you.
16 Let us find a good musician to
play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He
will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.”
17 “All right,” Saul said. “Find
me someone who plays well, and bring him here.”
18 One of the servants said to Saul,
“One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player.
Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good
judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and The Lord is with
him.”
19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse
to say, “Send me your son David, the shepherd.”
20 Jesse responded by sending David
to Saul, along with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a
wineskin full of wine.
21 So David went to Saul and began
serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor
bearer.
22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse
asking, “Please let David remain in my service, for I am very
pleased with him.”
23 And whenever the tormenting
spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then
Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go
away.
How had a King come
to such a place as this?
By not obeying the
commands of The Lord (disobedience to His Word.)
By anger and
Jealousy, he opened a door to evil forces in his life.
Davids worship
music (Psalms) help to keep the evil at bay.
If you are not
“right,” with The Lord, get right, which means repentance for
sin, faith, and obedience to His Word!
Fill your life
with the things of God, His Word, His service, His people, His
music, His everything etc. etc. into your life!
II Chronicles
7:14 KJV
If My people, which are called by My
name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn
from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will
forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
If you are a
faithful Christian, believe The Word!
Deuteronomy 31:8
NLT
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for
The Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He
will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Joshua 1:9 KJV
This is My command—be strong and
courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For The Lord your God is
with you wherever you go.”
II Samuel 22:2
KJV
"... The Lord is my Rock, and
my Fortress, and my Deliverer;
Psalm 16:8 KJV
I have set The
Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be
moved.
Psalm 28:6-8 KJV
6 Blessed be
The Lord, because He hath heard the voice of my supplications.
7 The Lord is
my Strength and my Shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped:
therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise
Him.
8 The Lord is
their Strength, and He is the saving Strength of His anointed.
Psalm 34:18 NLT
The Lord is close to the broken
hearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
Psalm 145:18 KJV
The Lord is nigh unto all them that
call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in Truth.
Isaiah 41:10 NLT
Don’t be afraid, for I am with
you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you
and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand.
Isaiah 46:4 NLT
I will be your
God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I
made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save
you.
Jeremiah
29:11-12 NLT
11 For I know the plans I have for
you,” says The Lord. “They are plans for good and not for
disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
12 In those days when you pray, I
will listen.
John 14:15-18
KJV
15 If ye love Me, keep My
commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and
He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for
ever;
17 Even The Spirit Of truth; whom
the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth
Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless:
I will come to you.
Matthew 28:20
NLT
Teach these new disciples to obey
all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you
always, even to the end of the age.”
II Corinthians
1:10 KJV
And He did rescue us from mortal
danger, and He will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in
Him, and He will continue to rescue us.
Hebrews 13:5-6
KJV
5
"...for He hath
said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6 "... The
Lord is my helper..."
James 4:8 KJV
Draw nigh to
God, and He will draw nigh to you..."