How King David battled depression
“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?” the first part of the fifth verse of the 42nd Psalm seems so familiar at times. Or maybe the sixth verse from Psalm 6 — “I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.”
Many of us may be able to identify with the emotions behind these verses. And that’s the reason I am in awe of the book of Psalms at the cost of sounding traditional. Different psalmists have written down their feelings of depression, anxiety, panic attacks and fear — all totally human emotions. The fact that these emotions have been documented in the Bible shows us how God doesn’t judge the depressed or the anxious.
But one of the psalmists who’s always stood out for me is King David. Just look at his life! His father treated him as an insignificant person. He showcased his sons proudly before the prophet Samuel, except for David, his youngest. Samuel had to enquire whether there was anyone left after he was hardly impressed with the rest of Jesse’s sons. I don’t think this was the first time David was treated like this by his father. There might have been multiple occasions where David didn’t experience the fatherly love his brothers received. Imagine the toll it might have taken on his young mind. Maybe that’s how he got close to God, alone in the wilderness, looking after the sheep and fighting the furry enemies.
Then came his time to fight Goliath. He did promise King Saul he’d win, but what if fear suddenly crept up within him? The time when King Saul grew jealous of him, tried to kill him by sending his soldiers or throwing a spear at him — what if David had doubts about whether it was God’s will for him to become the king? The time when prophet Nathan warned him when he got Uriah killed — what if his heart was guilt ridden and that sinking feeling refused to go away? The time when his friends deserted him or when his son Absalom turned against him — what if he had panic attacks wondering where his future was headed to? Or the feeling that God rejected David — “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?” (Psalm 13:1)
So how did King David deal with his mental health? How did he stay mentally healthy? He cried out to God, remembered the wonders and miracles of the past, acknowledged the Lord’s unfailing love, worshipped Him and bounced back from his depression. He was human and would slip into anxiety again. But he’d bounce back because of the Lord’s mercy!
God strengthens us when we cry out to Him in the midst of our emotional turbulence or hopelessness. He takes us out of the pit! Every time we feel anxious, He watches over us. Every time we get panic attacks, He gives us hope. Every time we slip into depression, He gives us peace that transcends all understanding.
Maybe you need to talk to someone. Maybe you need therapy. And that’s okay! Go ahead. Do it. But when there’s nobody around or you don’t have anyone to talk to or you feel no one will understand you, remember there’s Someone who will always empathise with you and work for you. Let Him be your first option, not your last resort. Let your focus be on God and “…in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
Maybe King David acknowledged this when he wrote “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” (Psalm 23:1).
