HOPE IN GOD; FOR I SHALL AGAIN PRAISE HIM
For the past two sessions of CrossTalk I have covered the dynamics of emotions as we are made of both body and spirit. One impacts the other so even if the cause of depression is outside of myself, physical or by an event, it impacts my spirit. Medical doctors can help on the physical side but God's Word and Holy Spirit strengthen the spirit. For the next two sessions we will be looking at the character of God and the how and why we can put our hope in Him when our emotions have such a grip on us.
Martyn Lloyd Jones, who was a medical doctor before he transitioned to preacher wrote regarding depression and Psalm 42:
“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them but they are talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. Who is talking to you? Your self is talking to you. Now this man’s treatment [in this psalm] was this: instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul?’ he asks. His soul had been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says: ‘Self, listen for moment, I will speak to you.’
... This self of ours… has got to be handled. Do not listen to him; turn on him; speak to him; condemn him; upbraid him; exhort him; encourage him; remind him of what you know, instead of listening placidly to him and allowing him to drag you down and depress you. For that is what he will always do if you allow him to be in control. The devil takes hold of self and uses it in order to depress us. We must stand up as this man did and say, “Why art thou cast down? Why are thou disquieted within me? Stop being so! Hope though in God, for I shall yet praise Him…” - Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression p. 20, 21
Come join us Thursday evening at 7:00 P.M. at the church and hear about our great God who gives us plenty to talk to ourselves about and how to quit listening to yourself.
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