Tag Archives: Psalm 42

Biblical Counseling, Depression Part IV

07 Sunday Sep 2014

Posted by in Biblical Counseling, Hope, John Bunyan, Psalms

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COUNSELING PROBLEMS AND BIBLICAL CHANGE

BIBLICAL SOLUTIONS FOR DEPRESSION, PART FOUR

 

DEPRESSION AND MEMORY

Memory is a curious thing when it comes to depression: Depression has the effect of muddling up our memory. When a depressed person attempts to remember things going on in the recent past, they tend make mistakes.[1]

Yet, depression also feeds upon memory.  Emily Dickinson wrote a poem which begins, “Remorse is memory awake”. In the final stanza she writes

Remorse is cureless,—the disease

Not even God can heal;

For ’t is His institution,—

The complement of hell.

 

A 14th Century book from England is entitled Ayenbite of Inwyt – the Again-bite of In-wit [one’s inner thoughts]. One of the great pains of life is not our mere present circumstances, but our memory of how we came to this place.

For example, imagine a man in living alone in an apartment in Hollywood. If the man had recently immigrated from rural Laos, the apartment and the city might seem a wonder and joy.

Now consider another man: Six months earlier he had been married and living in Bell Aire. However, through a series of foolish and wicked choices he now finds himself divorced and living in an apartment in Hollywood.

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Biblical Counseling for Depression, Part Three

25 Monday Aug 2014

Posted by in Biblical Counseling, Psalms

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COUNSELING PROBLEMS AND BIBLICAL CHANGE

BIBLICAL SOLUTIONS FOR DEPRESSION, PART THREE

Is there a cure for depression? Yes. But it is not in us. It is in God. The cure is to seek God’s face, so ours will not be downcast, which is what the psalmist does.

James Boice, “An Upward Look by a Downcast Soul”

 

  1. BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE WORD “DEPRESSION”

A mistake which can easily be made is that all “depression” is created equal. As we noted before, not every distress called “depression” has the same cause nor does it require the same response. Indeed, the Bible doesn’t use the word “depression” as a catch-all category for moods and behaviors which result in extreme bouts of unhappiness.

In the early 17th Century, Richard Sibbes wrote a book called, “The Soul’s Conflict With Itself” which details many different sorts of pain, sorrow, withdrawing — all of which might be loosely termed “depression.”

As we stated before, there are medical problems which can fall under the title, “depression.” Where there is a medical problem, then medicine is an appropriate treatment.  However, much of the medical treatment for “depression” has proven to be of little help:

In the January 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a large study found that in patients with mild, moderate or even severe depression, a placebo had the same therapeutic benefit as an active antidepressant medication.  Depending on the study, patients in these three categories make up 70 to 87 percent of all patients who present with depression. The study concluded that unless a person had very severe depression, a placebo pill was as effective as antidepressant medication. Even when treating very severe depression, the placebo effect could account for up to 80 percent of the effect of the antidepressant medication[1].

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The Soul’s Conflict With Itself.3

15 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by in affliction, Biblical Counseling, Richard Sibbes

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The previous post may be found here

In the third chapter, Sibbes turns to consider discouragements which arise form our own hearts and lives.

Physical Causes
He first mentions physical causes:

But to come to some particular causes within us. There is cause oft in the body of those in whom a melancholy temper prevaileth. Darkness makes men fearful. Melancholy persons are in a perpetual darkness, all things seem black and dark unto them, their spirits, as it were, dyed black. Now to him that is in darkness, all things seem black and dark; the sweetest comforts are not lightsome enough unto those that are deep in melancholy.

The discouragement itself does not take place in the body, even if the body lends a lense to the view of the world. Moreover, Sibbes notes that Satan will take advantage of any weakness in the body to corrupt and discourage the soul.

Sibbes then turns to 12 privatations which lead to discouragement. These could be summarized as a failure to rightly understand God and God’s actings. By a right failure to understand God and God’s means of interacting with us, many fall into despair.
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The Soul’s Conflict With Itself.1

13 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by in affliction, Biblical Counseling, Discipleship, Psalms, Richard Sibbes

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The Soul’s Conflict With Itself is Richard Sibbes meditation on Psalm 42 and the nature of grief and sorrow. It is 34 chapters long.

Sibbes begins with the observation that this Psalm shows “the passionate passages of a broken and troubled spirit.”

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.
From this he Sibbes observes:

He lays open his desire springing from his love; love being the prime and leading affection of the soul, from whence grief springs, from being crossed in that we love….Places and conditions are happy or miserable as God vouchsafeth his gracious presence more or less; and, therefore, ‘When, O when shall it be that I appear before God?’ ver. 2.

His desire thus gives way to his grief. The grief in the Psalm both comes from the loss of God and taunts of his enemies. The memory of his loss and present distress lead him to sorrow.

Chapter 1.

In this first section, Sibbes begins by making observations about the text. He first observes the nature of the human heart. Indeed, throughout the work, Sibbes uses the text to make detailed observations about the human heart which then inform his application. This is a point at which many preachers and teachers fail (largely because they have not been taught to do so, nor have they seen it much modeled).

He first explains that we must not be too quick to seek to change one with a sorrowful heart; the change may not occur quickly. Thus, we should not be discouraged that change occurs slowly; nor should we expect instant change from others:

Hence in general we may observe that grief gathered to a head will not be quieted at the first. We see here passions intermingled with comforts, and comforts with passions; and what bustling there is before David can get the victory over his own heart. You have some short-spirited Christians that, if they be not comforted at the first, they think all labour with their hearts is in vain, and thereupon give way to their grief. But we see in David, as distemper ariseth upon distemper, so he gives check upon check and charge upon charge to his soul, until at length he brought it to a quiet temper. In physic, if one purge will not carry away the vicious humour, then we add a second; if that will not do it, we take a third. So should we deal with our souls. Perhaps one check, one charge will not do it, then fall upon the soul again; send it to God again, and never give over until our souls be possessed of our souls again.

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The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.2

31 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by in Biblical Counseling, Contentment, Faith, Jeremiah Burroughs

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(The previous post in this series is here: https://memoirandremains.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/the-rare-jewel-of-christian-contentment-1/

Contentment is Inward:

Burroughs provides a thoughtful, comprehensive definition of contentment. First, he states that contentment is “inward”. By this, he means that contentment takes place in the heart. It is not contentment to merely maintain a calm composure; rather the face must reflect a quiet in the heart.

We can see that the heart, the soul must be true seat of contentment:

For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation. Psalm 62:1

Or again:

But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me. Psalm 131:2

The heart, the soul, the inner man is the place in which the human being truly interacts with God, and is the place where sin (Mark 7:21-23) and true faith (Romans 10:9) have their true root. In the Bible, the “heart” (soul, mind) is the complex thoughts, affections, memory and desire which constitutes the true self. The outward expression may be deceitful:

6 Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies, 7 for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. Proverbs 23:6-7.

Thus, true contentment must have its place in the heart — or it does not have a true place in the life. Indeed it is in the “soul” that distress has its place (Psalm 6:3). When the Psalmist is discouraged, it is his downcast soul which is “in turmoil within me” (Psalm 42:5).

Seeing that contentment must exist in the heart, and not merely in the face, it takes a fundamental hold upon the soul — it requires a transformation which can only be done by the Spirit, “It is a work of the Spirit indoors.”

Thus, the work of contentment is ultimately a work of submission, “it is the inward submission of the heart.” And here we see the trouble of contentment: It is not merely a tranquil emotional state. Rather it is the heart in submission to God.

What then must be done in teaching this matter? First, recognize that contentment will require great learning:

If the attainment of true contentment were as easy as keeping quiet outwardly, it would not need much learning. It might be had with less strength and skill than an Apostle possessed, yea, less than an ordinary Christian has or may have. Therefore, there is certainly more than can be obtained by common gifts and the ordinary power of reason, which often bridle the nature. It is a business of the heart.

How, as a practical matter, would one begin to learn such a thing. Certainly, we must know the target: submission of the heart in quiet. However, to know an end can often be a ground for frustration. Imagine a box containing dozens of pieces necessary to construction some furniture. I may know that in the end, I will possess a desk or dresser. But if I do not have instructions for use of the parts, knowing the goal will be of little help.

Yet, when we look to the matter of submission, we find a direction to follow. Submission is complex of how I understand myself, my circumstances and God. To lack submission ultimately means that I value myself too highly and somehow denigrate God’s authority, wisdom, goodness, strength.

Thus, to gain contentment, I would do well to begin to learn and meditate upon the nature of God. The Shorter Catechism explains that God is, “a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” A failure to understand and believe anyone of these aspects of God would lead to discontentment in my circumstances.

A massive erudite volume like “No One Like Him” (Feinberg) (as wonderful a book as it is) would crush a wavering Christian. Therefore, a counselor should suggest something shorter, like Tozer’s “Knowledge of the Holy” or Pink’s “Attributes of God” or a sermon series like Hughes’ sermons on Psalm 145 (http://calvarybiblechurch.org/site/cpage.asp?sec_id=180007650&cpage_id=180020121&secure=&dlyear=0&dlcat=The+Attributes+of+God+-+Psalm+145) would be a good source. Read (or listen) to the discussion of a single attribute. Make sure the counselee fully understands the particular attribute. After you have confirmed the knowledge, move to application. Doest the counselee truly believe (not merely state, but willingly trusts) that God is so? If the counselee really did believe God’s (power, goodness, holiness, etc) were true, how it change the way the counselee relates to the situation.

At the same time, the counselee needs to begin to examine himself: How is he being tempted to discontentment? When? Where? What is being desired? The counselee needs to be more acutely aware of his own sin, the need for daily repentance. The blessing of God’s free grace. Thus, journaling, prayer, meditation are needed.

There many wonderful songs which express God’s attributes and our response. A counselee should learn such songs to help focus his thoughts and affections. For example, “Great is thy Faithfulness” will help confirm and teach the reliability of God.

The main art in the manner of spiritual living

21 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by in Biblical Counseling, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Meditation, Psalms, Quotations

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The main art in the manner of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, you have to preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul, “Why art thou cast down?” — what business have you to be disquieted? You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself: “Hope thou in God” — instead of muttering in this depressed unhappy way. And you must go on to remind yourself of God, Who God is, and God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do. Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: “I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my God.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression, “General Consideration”