Most Christians have experienced a dark emotional pit at one point or another. I remember a season a few years ago when I was carrying a very heavy load in ministry and family life. Although I was endeavoring to walk with God, stay physically fit, and keep a positive outlook, I still awakened very early every morning feeling like I had a 1,000-pound weight on my chest. My mind would race with negative thoughts and it seemed that my moods ranged from ceiling to floor several times in the course of one day.

The Company of the Despairing

For those who have encountered seasons like this in life, whether long-term and chronic or short-term and acute, there is comfort in knowing that some of the great biblical figures also encountered dark moments of despondency.

For those who have encountered difficult seasons in life, whether long-term and chronic or short-term and acute, there is comfort in knowing that some of the great biblical figures also encountered dark moments of despondency.

In Genesis 15:22 we read that “horror and great darkness fell upon” Abraham. Job expressed the depth and darkness of his journey very transparently in Job 30. In Numbers 11:15, Moses was so despondent under the load of leading the children of Israel that he asked the Lord to take his life. First Kings 19:4 describes the great prophet Elijah feeling so hopeless that he prayed for death. King Saul struggled with a distressing spirit that could only be comforted by the music of young David. David, the great King and songwriter, expressed his downcast heart openly in many psalms. The Prophet Jeremiah was very open about his angst of heart in the book of Lamentations. Jonah, filled with anger and resentment, cried, “LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” (Jonah 4:3) The Apostle Paul spoke of a season when he was “burdened beyond measure, above strength” and declared that he “despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8).

The Causes of Our Despair

These dark seasons of the soul can be triggered by a variety of factors. Sometimes overwhelming circumstances can wear us down. Vince Lombardi was famous for saying that “fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Years ago a friend asked, “How are you doing?” I responded, “Okay, under the circumstances.” He replied, “What are you doing UNDER the circumstances?” He had a good point.

Years ago a friend asked, “How are you doing?” I responded, “Okay, under the circumstances.” He replied, “What are you doing UNDER the circumstances?” He had a good point.

The guilt of unresolved sin can also put us in the tank. David’s sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband created extreme misery in his heart until it was confessed and cleared. Psalm 32:3-4 records, “When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.”

Spiritual attack can contribute as well. The “fiery darts of the wicked one” can dishearten our souls and discourage our thoughts. If we fail to stand in the power of His might against these attacks, we can find ourselves in a spiritual and emotional ditch.

The “fiery darts of the wicked one” can dishearten our souls and discourage our thoughts. If we fail to stand in the power of His might against these attacks, we can find ourselves in a spiritual and emotional ditch.

Some people have a natural temperament that lends to a downcast demeanor. Whether they are characterized as a “Doubting Thomas”, “Negative Nancy”, or “Downer Debbie” – they struggle to see their lives and their world in a positive light. The glass that is always half-empty can rob their joy and emotional resolve.

Of course, some suffer from an actual chemical imbalance in the brain. Just as years of construction can give a worker a slipped disc and years of running can ruin the knees, some brains can also begin to misfire and affect the emotional well-being of the entire personality.

Three Primary Forces

Aaron Beck, a renowned expert in treating depression, concludes that three primary forces can converge to compound a state of emotional and mental gloom. These forces originate in our thinking. They are constant negative thoughts about our person, our situation, and the future. They lead to the symptoms of feeling defeated, defective, deserted, and deprived.

The Prayer of a Despondent Soul

Recently, I was asked to speak from Psalm 13 where David expressed his deep negative emotions but also demonstrated an approach that is instructive for every heart and mind. I was gripped by my study and want to use it as a guide to help us as we cope with seasons of struggle in our own journeys.

While we do not know the exact context for this psalm, most experts believe it was written during that era of David’s life when he was on the run as the jealous and murderous Saul was in hot pursuit. I am grateful that the Bible does not sugar-coat the raw emotion of the dark seasons of biblical writers. The Lord graciously allows us to apply these snapshots so we might also be helped in our dark moments.

I am grateful that the Bible does not sugar-coat the raw emotion of the dark seasons of biblical writers. The Lord graciously allows us to apply these snapshots so we might also be helped in our dark moments.

David’s situation seemed nonsensical and hopeless. He had been named by God to replace Saul as king. David had remained loyal to Saul but became the object of Saul’s paranoia. As he wrote this psalm he felt betrayed, forgotten, and defeated. He needed hope. He needed answers.

The Fight to Keep Perspective

Psalm 13 could be divided into two parts. In the first four verses, David is looking at his situation through the lens of self. His emotions are rough and his words direct as he expresses his deepest thoughts before God.

In the last two verses, David looks to God through the lens of truth. He turns his attention away from his problems to focus on the Problem Solver. This is the choice all of us can make daily, especially by the power of the indwelling Christ.

I often say that “discouragement is a temporary loss of perspective” and that “the hardest thing about the Christian life is that it is so daily.” Every day we must fight for perspective and make the choices that enable us to see ourselves and our situation through eyes of truth.

I often say that “discouragement is a temporary loss of perspective” and that “the hardest thing about the Christian life is that it is so daily.” Every day we must fight for perspective and make the choices that enable us to see ourselves and our situation through eyes of truth.

Take time this week to review Psalm 13. Next week we will see the three stages of David’s struggle and receive encouragement and equipping to address the moments of “emotional funk” common to us all.

Copyright © 2020 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.