You can be sure that God will respond to your pleas for mercy when you feel hopeless. Maybe not when you want or in the way you want, but [H]e is your loving, merciful Father, and he can’t ignore the cries of his children. He will put a new song in your mouth and set your feet upon the rock. Joy will come in the morning.
HELPFUL RESOURCE: Christians Get Depressed Too
Verse #4: The Lord Is Your Shield
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head (Psalm 3:3).
God is your shield when you are weak, helpless, and hopeless. He is standing over you, guarding you, protecting you, keeping watch over you. You’re not alone. Even though you are broken by depression, the almighty God is your shield.
He will lift your head out of the dirt and set you on your feet again. He will move you to sweet places and green pastures. You can trust HIS sustaining, protecting power even though you have no strength in yourself.
Verse #5: God Is Near To The Brokenhearted
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all (Psalm 34:18-19).
When you are sunk into the depths of depression, you feel constantly brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. The soundtrack of your life is in a minor key.
God has a special place in his heart for the sad, brokenhearted, and crushed in spirit. When you find yourself under a crushing burden, God draws near to you. He sees you in the midst of your affliction and moves toward you with deliverance. Even though you can’t feel [H]is presence, God is nearer to you now than ever, and [H]e is working on your behalf.
Verse #6: The Lord Will Renew Your Strength
…but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31 ).
Few things sap your strength like depression. Everything seems overwhelming and impossible. Even the most mundane acts require a massive amount of effort.
The good news is that God is in the business of giving strength to those who have none. He loves to sustain those who are fainting and give life to those who feel completely depleted. Wait for the Lord and [H]e will give you life. He has promised to renew your strength even though you don’t feel it now. He has good things in store for you.
Verse #7: A Bruised Reed He Will Not Break
…a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice (Isaiah 42:3).
A bruised reed is one that that is on the verge of breaking, and a faintly burning wick is a flame that is almost entirely extinguished. That’s a very apt description of depression. You feel as though you’re about to be completely broken or totally extinguished.
And though others may judge you because they don’t understand what you’re experiencing, God most certainly does not.
But [He] doesn’t break bruised reeds or blow out flames that are sputtering and smoking. Rather, [H]e nurtures them and heals them and brings them back to life. God doesn’t despise you in your bruised, broken, smoldering state. Rather, [H]e is near to you, nurturing you and sustaining you.
Verse #8: Come All Who Labor and Are Heavy Laden
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).
Jesus gives rest to those who are crushed by the weight of the world. He is gentle and lowly in heart, and [H]e doesn’t rebuke those who find themselves laboring under the overwhelming yoke of depression.
Come to Jesus in your depression and find rest for your soul. Remember what he says in these Bible verses about depression. Let him carry the heavy end of your burden. Confess your utter weakness and frailty and let [H]im be the burden bearer.
Verse #9: Nothing Can Separate You From God
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).
When you’re haunted by the specter of depression, you feel very cut off from the love of God. Everything seems dark and bleak as if there will never be another good thing in your life. You feel as though God has left you to wallow in the mire.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Because you are in Christ, nothing can separate you from God’s love. The only way God will stop loving you is if [H]e stops loving Jesus. Though you may feel alone and unloved, there is absolutely NOTHING, including depression, that can stop God from loving you; so spend time pouring over those Bible verses about depression to remind yourself about this.
Fear Not The Storm
Charles Spurgeon, who was no stranger to depression, said:
Love letters from heaven are often sent in black-edged envelopes. The cloud that is black with horror is big with mercy. Fear not the storm, it brings healing in its wings, and when Jesus is with you in the vessel the tempest only hastens the ship to its desired haven.
In the midst of your depression, all you see are clouds that are black with horror. Remember, it is God himself who controls the storms and Jesus is with you in your boat. You may not feel [H]is nearness and it may seem that [H]e is asleep in the stern, but [H]e is with you nonetheless.
When the moment is right, [H]e will deliver you. Until then, hold fast to these Bible verses about depression.
