Out of the Pit

Deep discouragement, fear and anxiety are no strangers to many of us, and they can lead to deep depression. That may well have been the case with the writer of this psalm. We don’t know what situation caused his soul to be so “downcast” but he is clearly in emotional and spiritual distress.

This psalm and the previous one (42) share a common theme: longing for God and an affirmation of hope in God in the midst of trouble. This psalm begins with a plea for deliverance and vindication from the “deceitful and wicked” (1). In the midst of his trouble, the psalmist feels estranged from and rejected by God; God seems far off and that is painful (2). How does one cope with such feeling of abandonment and hopelessness? The psalmist calls to God to rescue him, to “send forth your light and truth” (3) as God’s agents and messengers to guide and lead him to a place of safety and peace (both physical and spiritual). God will lead him out of his depression (and, perhaps, confusion) into the light of God’s presence.

Such depression may afflict any of us at any time. We can’t always control our circumstances, but we can learn from the psalmist how to respond. At the center of his mind and heart is both a challenge he puts to himself and his answer. “Why are you downcast, O my soul?” “Don’t you remember God’s goodness and deliverance in the past? If so, ‘put your hope in God.’ I know that he who was faithful in the past will prove so once again. Then, I know I will once again praise him!”

If you or someone you know is feeling deeply depressed because of a difficult situation, bring your cry to God and resolve to remember his past care.