Truth Over Emotion

There are times in every believer’s life when they can struggle to reconcile what they feel with what they know from God’s Word. I pray that these studies will help you to reconcile your thoughts to God’s Truth. 
 – Pastor Jonathan Dellinger

Overcoming Insecurity:
Helps from the Life of Leah

Genesis 29:16-30 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. (17) Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. (18) And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. (19) And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. (20) And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. (21) And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. (22) And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. (23) And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. (24) And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. (25) And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? (26) And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. (27) Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. (28) And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. (29) And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. (30) And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

Leah felt unwanted.

A. A big part of insecurity is the feeling that no one wants you.

    1. You might feel rejected because of what you have done or who you are.
    2. And you see each rejection as just another reminder that nobody cares about you, nobody wants you around.
    3. Leah knew what it was to be unwanted by those who should have wanted her the most.

B. Even in the introduction of Laban’s daughters we see that Leah is perceived as less wanted than Rachel.

    1. The description of Leah is that she was tender eyed, but Rachel… she was beautiful and well favoured.

Explanation: I’ve heard a lot of ideas about what it means when we read that Leah was tender eyed. Everything from her having a lazy eye or being cross-eyed, to people thinking she was just flat out ugly. I’ve done some of my own study and I am more prone to agree with the thought that her eyes were just plain. Nothing special about them. In Leah’s ancient eastern culture the eyes were often held up as one of the most attractive and beautiful features of a woman. It was the hope of every woman to have beautiful eyes, but Leah, regardless of how beautiful or ugly she was in other regards, was likely just plain and unimpressive in the color and appearance of her eyes. But Rachel was in all ways beautiful and was well favoured for her appearance.

  1. Even though Leah was the elder sister, it seems that Leah was always less favoured when compared to her little sister.

C. Laban showed that he did not think any man would want Leah.

    1. Part of the Father’s role for his daughters was to help her get a husband. The fathers of this time played a much larger role in their daughter’s marriage than fathers in our own culture.
    2. Laban did not go about finding a husband for Leah in the proper way. He did not find some man of God’s people to marry her, nor did he find a man who would want to marry Leah. Rather than doing either of these things, he got her a husband through deceit.
    3. Showing that he did not think she could get a husband any other way.
    4. He promised Jacob Rachel, but after a wedding feast, and likely a fair bit of drinking, Laban sent Leah to Jacob on the wedding night instead of Rachel.

Illustration: This family has a history of tricking each other to get what they want. This is not even a decade after Jacob, and his mother Rebekah, tricked Isaac into giving him the blessing that his father wanted to give Esau. Now the same kind of trick is played on Jacob by his father-in-law that he played on his own father.

D. Though she was now married Leah still did not feel wanted, because her husband made it clear that he did not want her.

    1. Jacob showed his disappointment in Leah from the very beginning of their marriage.
    2. In the morning, when he finally noticed he had just married Leah, this was his response.

What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

  1. Imagine how you would feel in Leah’s position. You just got married and the first thing your new spouse does is complain that they got you when they wanted someone else.
  2. And it only got worse when he got the wife he wanted.

E. Rachel did not want her.

    1. Rachel did not want Leah around for a couple reasons.
    2. One, she felt betrayed by their father and likely by Leah, because the man she wanted to marry married Leah first, and then Rachel had to wait another 7 years to marry Jacob. For 7 years she got to see her boyfriend every day, knowing that he would go home to her sister, his wife every night.
    3. Once Rachel finally got Jacob as her husband, everyone knew that Jacob loved her more.
    4. But the greater love of Jacob was not enough. For soon Rachel had her second reason to want Leah gone. Leah started having children, and Rachel seemed barren.
    5. This made Rachel envious of her sister Leah.

Gen 30:1 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

  1. Think about how many times Leah and Rachel had played together, all the years they had as sisters growing up in Laban’s home. I am sure they bickered like all sisters, but how many good memories did they share? But now her own sister did not even want her.

F. Every person that made Leah feel unwanted and rejected should have made her feel wanted and accepted.

    1. Laban was her father. He was the first man in her life that should have shown her love. And he should have done his best to behave as a good example and honorable father for his daughter.
    2. Jacob was her husband. He should have loved her above all others.
    3. Rachel was her sister. From our text it seems that Leah and Rachel were Laban’s only daughters. In her only sister Leah should have found a loving friend, but instead she found an enemy and rival.

G. We have all felt unwanted.

    1. There were friends that did not want to be our friends anymore, teams we did not make, or groups that did not accept us.
    2. And like Leah, we may feel unwanted by those whom we would look to for acceptance.
    3. It may be that your own family makes you feel unwanted instead of loved. Your parents may have abandoned you or put you up for adoption.

Illustration: Some of my family works with a children’s ministry that helps care for kids whose parents cannot care for them. While the goal of the ministry is physical and spiritual rehabilitation and reunion for the families, the sad truth is many biological parents want drugs or other objects of selfish lusts more than they want their own children.

  1. It may be someone you have been friends with in the past now wants nothing to do with you. Years of comradery and good memories are all ignored and the one you used to count so close now makes you feel unwanted and unworthy of friendship.
  2. You may be divorced, and it could have been all your spouse’s fault or idea. I know of couples that got divorced when one spouse wanted to work it out and be a good Christian couple and the other rejected them and left, making them feel unwanted by the one person that promised to always want them.

H. No matter how unwanted you feel by others, know this, you are wanted by God.

    1. God wants you so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that you could be together.
    2. God gave Himself to suffer the penalty of your own sin so that you and He could be together for eternity.
    3. No matter who you are and no matter what you have done, God still wants you, and that will never change.

A. Like many today who struggle with insecurity, Leah had a warped perception of herself.

    1. She was afraid of losing her husband to Rachel.
    2. Even though she had been married to Jacob 7 years longer than Rachel, she knew Jacob did not love her like he loved Rachel
    3. So, in her mind, Leah began to judge her worthiness for her husband’s love, based upon what she could do.

B. This is the same wrong thinking that people still have when they are insecure.

    1. We judge ourselves by what we do instead of by what we are.
    2. If we are successful, then we think that we deserve acceptance and love.
    3. But if we fail, then we think that we and others should be disappointed in us and have no reason to accept or love us.

C. Leah started to think that she could earn security and acceptance by being a good wife for Jacob.

    1. Or at least by being a better wife than Rachel.
    2. And she thought that she could prove herself the better wife by having children for Jacob.

D. Leah drew here sense of security from Jacob.

    1. Because of that fact, she lived in constant fear of rejection and abandonment.
    2. Leah’s entire sense of acceptance and worth was tied to how Jacob felt about her.
    3. And every day she saw that Jacob loved Rachel more.
    4. Over many years Leah learned this truth; it is impossible for you to find peace if the source of your security is temporary.

 E. But it took her years to grasp that truth.

    1. We can track Leah’s struggle and her spiritual state through the names of her sons and the proclamations she made upon their births.

  1. Reuben, meaning See, I have a son.
    1. With this name, Leah is hoping that Jacob will now see her as a good wife because she had a son.
    2. When Reuben was born, Leah said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. 
    3. She hoped that giving him his first son would make her worthy of love and acceptance.
  2. Simeon, which means hearing.
    1. Showing that God knew she was hated in her home and had heard her prayer. The Lord answered by giving her another son.
    2. After his birth Leah said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also.
    3. She knows that God answered her, but her source of security is still Jacob, whom she now hopes will love her as a husband should.
  3. Levi means attachment.
    1. When Levi was born Leah said, now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons.
    2. She again hoped to receive the love and security that she had longed for her entire marriage.
  1. But with each new son Leah still felt insecure and unloved.

 F. When you base your sense of worth and security on others or the things of this world, like Leah, you will never have peace.

    1. You will constantly struggle with fear and insecurity when you find your worth and security in anything other than the Lord.
    2. For this world and the people in it are fickle and ever changing.
    3. The finances that make you feel successful and safe could be worthless or stolen tomorrow.
    4. The position you hold that makes you feel secure could be taken away in an instant.
    5. The spouse or family you love so much could turn on you or be taken away through death.
    6. Like Leah, you may give your life to trying to earn the acceptance and love of others, but no matter how hard you work, still feel inadequate and insecure.

G. It is my prayer for you today that you will learn to look to the Lord.

    1. Parents, spouses, siblings, and children are often wonderful blessings from God.
    2. But they are never to be our source of worth and security.
    3. That position must be reserved for the Lord alone.

A. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi had all failed to earn Leah the affection she wanted from Jacob.

    1. I cannot imagine what theses years of marriage were like for Leah.
    2. Knowing every day that her husband did not really love her, while he did love another.
    3. The competition for Jacob between Leah and Rachel led to more and more wickedness.

 B. God has never and never will condone polygamy.

    1. Jacob should have stopped getting married when he married Leah.
    2. But he wanted Rachel so then he married her.
    3. Then, in their strange competition, Rachel had Jacob marry Bilhah to have children and then Leah had him marry Zilpah to have more children.
    4. Years in insecurity and fear led to many sins by both sisters and Jacob.

C. And insecurity in your life will lead to sin as well.

    1. For insecurity is fear, and fear is a lack of faith.
    2. And when we allow our lives to be driven by insecurity and fear, we will always be driven to sin.

Application: I know many Christians who have left church and the Lord because they were insecure and sought to find security in this world. Rather than trust in the Lord and know that He loved them, they sought love in the arms of another person, usually an unsaved or ungodly person. And that hunger for acceptance led to one sin after another. Like Leah their pursuit of carnal security led to a downward spiral of wickedness.

D. But praise the Lord that Leah eventually understood the truth.

    1. She recognized that the Lord was all she truly needed.
    2. In Him she could find security, in God she found the love and acceptance that she could not find in this world.
    3. We see this realization in the name and proclamation of her last son.

 Judah means praise.

    1. When Judah was born we see a shift in Leah’s thinking.
    2. This time it is not about Jacob and the security and love she wanted from him.
    3. This time her focus is on the Lord. We see this in what she said.
    4. Now will I praise the LORD. There was no stipulation, no mention of Jacob, just a recognition of the Lord and the reason she had to praise Him.

E. Finally, Leah had determined to rely on the Lord rather than looking at her circumstances.

    1. Leah did have some terrible circumstances in her life.
    2. Worse than most of us have faced in our lives.
    3. But she decided to trust and praise the Lord. And through her all the world has been blessed.

F. It is through Leah, Jacob’s first wife, that all the nations of the world have been blessed.

    1. For from Leah came Judah, the fourth son.
    2. From Judah came David, and from David came our Savoir Jesus Christ.
    3. When Leah was determined to trust the Lord, God used her in a miraculous way.

G. When you are determined to conquer insecurity by trusting the Lord’s will and His promises, God can use you too.

    1. We have no idea what great things God could accomplish through us if we would just trust in Him.
    2. If we would wholly find our worth and security in Him, and not in our circumstances.

Conclusion: Where do you look for your security today? To your job, your money, your spouse, or your family? None of these things are evil but none of them should be our source of security. And if you seek for worth and security in those things, you will never have peace. For true peace and joy can only be found when we find our worth and security in God. He loves you and He always will. He values you more than you can comprehend. And when you choose to trust in His love and His will, He can not only give you a blessing, but make you blessing to others.

The Cure for Anxiety

Matthew 6:25-34, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? (26) Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? (27) Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? (28) And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: (29) And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (30) Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? (31) Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. (33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (34) Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

A. “Take no thought,” is urging us not to be to be anxious or worried about the subject of discussion.

    1. We are told 3 times in this passage to take no thought. For our life (health, longevity, and fulfillment), our food and raiment (belongings and pleasures), and our tomorrow (future).
    2. These three categories encompass all those things about which we are prone to be anxious.
    3. We are not to be consumed with these physical aspects of our temporal life. Not consumed with faithless worry about them or sinful love of them.

I John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

  1. These worldly things can all be considered mammon. And your flesh wants to pursue and be consumed with mammon. But in the verse preceding our text, Christ gives a clear warning against serving the mammon of this world.

Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

B. We cannot serve or be consumed with the things of this life.

    1. For life is much more than just the temporal aspects we experience.
    2. Life is more than food. I enjoy eating as much as anyone else, and we all have favorite dishes or restaurants, but our lives should consist of a lot more than just food.
    3. Yes, food is needful for life, but its pursuit is not to be our all-consuming purpose, and we should not stress over it.
    4. God will provide for His children, even if it seems impossible to us.

C. Christ gives the example of the birds of the air.

    1. Birds do not plant gardens, or harvest crops, or put food in the deep freeze, but they have what they need to eat. All because our heavenly Father feeds them.
    2. The animals are cared for by God by living in accordance with the divine plan of nature. A cardinal has what it needs in Indiana. But that same bird would die in Antarctica.
    3. God cares for animals in all realms of nature and their natural lives and habitats provide their physical needs.
    4. Just as the He does for a Christian in their spiritual life in the habitat of obedience to Him.
    5. And your life is far more valuable than that of any bird. For a bird was spoken into existence with all the other animals, but man was formed special by God and created in His image. God cares for you far more than he does for any bird.
    6. So, if He cares enough to feed the bird, He cares enough to feed you.

D. Christ then shows us the folly of fretting over our physical self.

    1. He poses the question, who can make themselves taller by thinking about it?
    2. The answer is no one. We can control our weight and our figures through diet and exercise, but we cannot make ourselves naturally taller.
    3. No matter how much we want to be taller, no matter how anxiously we think about it, and no matter how much we stress and worry about being too short, we cannot add to our stature.
    4. So why waste the time? Be content with what the Lord has given.

E. The same concept should be applied to our clothing.

    1. The body is much more than just the clothes upon it.
    2. And our main purpose for our body is not to see how wonderfully we think we can dress it.
    3. There are far more important uses for our bodies than modeling what clothing pleases our flesh.
    4. God does care what we wear and so should we, but it is not to be the main concern in regard to our body.
    5. This issue is often associated with ladies and ladies have a lot more involved in their apparel and physical appearance, but many guys struggle with this anxiety as well.
    6. I knew several guys in college that were obsessed with their clothes and their shoes and their hair. They were consumed with their appearance, more so than they were with the Lord.

F. Christ again uses an example from nature to show the futility of our anxiety.

    1. Consider the lilies of the field. The beauty of a field filled wit these flowers is amazing.
    2. But the lilies did nothing but grow in God’s natural design to achieve this beauty.
    3. Flowers do not toil or work, they do not harvest cotton or spin thread. They do not paint themselves or strive to change their appearance. They simply grow as God made them too.
    4. And their simple beauty surpasses even what Solomon could achieve with all his wealth.

G. Why fret over your appearance?

    1. If God so clothes the grass of the field with beautiful lilies, knowing for what little time they last, surely He will clothe you too.
    2. Though nature is important to God as part of His creation, you are much more important. And if He cares for plants, He will surely care for you.

H. This is not the only place in Scripture where we are commanded not to have anxious worries.

 

Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

  1. “Be careful for nothing,” carries the same idea of “take no thought.”
  2. We should not anxiously worry about anything. This verse is telling us to worry about nothing!
  3. And how can we not worry, by bringing everything to God through prayer.

I. What are you taking thought of that you should not?

    1. In our world of social media many are totally consumed with taking thought of vanity and pride. Having to have the most likes, followers, or subscribers, wanting the approval of all their “friends,” and always worrying about what others think about their clothes, their body, their profile, and their posts and pictures.
    2. Many have anxiety over their finances. Rather than living in the habitat of obedience and trusting God, they spend most moments stressing over their financial situation.
    3. Maybe you stress over relationships. With friends or family. Maybe you are anxious about making friends or finding a spouse.
    4. Each of us have different things that we are tempted to take much anxious thought of. Our career, our health, our future, or our country.
    5. When we take thought of all the stresses of this life, it is easy to be filled with anxiety and fret, instead of being filled with faith and joy.

J. These anxious thoughts can all be traced to the condemning phrase in verse 30.

    1. “O ye of little faith.”
    2. Why do we worry? Because we do not have faith.
    3. Why are we anxious? Because we are not trusting God.
    4. This is true across the board for all our anxieties.
    5. Anxiety is the result of a small faith, and that is not what God wants for us.

K. God wants us to live in faith.

    1. Living in faith is the best way to combat anxiety.
    2. And living without faith will lead to anxiety and sin.
    3. For whatever is without faith is sin.

Romans 14:23, “And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

A. We should not be overly concerned with mammon, but we must be fully consumed with the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

    1. Our thoughts should be consumed with seeking the kingdom of God.
    2. These thoughts should be more important than any other for the eternal kingdom of our Lord is more important than anything else in our lives.

B. How do we seek the kingdom of God?

    1. If you have never biblically accepted the Lord as your Savior, then you must first join the kingdom of God through salvation.
    2. The Christian seeks God’s Kingdom by living in obedience and striving to further God’s Kingdom.

C. We must take no thought for the things of this world for the importance of God’s Kingdom demands our full focus.

    1. Our obedience and service to the Lord is more important.
    2. The lost souls of our fellow man are more important.
    3. And pleasing God is more important.

D. Nothing else should approach this level of importance.

    1. Not your life, your food, your raiment, your family, your job, or anything.
    2. Seeking God’s kingdom must be first, that is why it says “seek ye first.”

E. As we seek God’s Kingdom we must also seek His righteousness.

    1. We, who have no righteousness in ourselves can seek and live out the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ.

I Corinthians 1:30, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:”

    1. We pursue His righteousness by seeking to live in righteousness.
    2. Living in pure obedience to the Lord and His Word.

F. If we take thought to pursue the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, we will have no need to take thoughts of anxiety and worry.

    1. For God will supply our needs.
    2. “all these things shall be added unto you.” All that you need will be supplied.
    3. This does not mean that all the things that you want will be added unto you, but all the things that you need will be.

G. Just like the birds and the lilies God will care for you.

    1. When you live and grow in the way God planned for you.
    2. God’s natural design is for you to be saved, and to grow as you seek His Kingdom and righteousness. As you continue to grow you continue to seek and the more you seek the less thought you take for the things of this world.
    3. And in this biblical environment, God will add all the needed things unto you.

H. Understanding this comforting truth allows us to take no thought for our life, our food, our raiment, and even take no thought for our future.

    1. For if we have our big faith in the Lord, we trust Him with all of these.
    2. Whether our future holds great sorrow or great happiness, we can still trust our Lord, and trust that He will supply all of our needs.
    3. We have enough trouble to face each day, and we need not add to today’s troubles by borrowing from tomorrows.
    4. We can take each day at a time. Not with anxious doubt, but with confidence, faithfully trusting our Lord.

Conclusion: What thoughts fill your mind? Thoughts of worry, or little faith, or of the things of this world, or thoughts of God’s Kingdom and righteousness? Our world is filled with anxiety that wants to draw your thoughts away from the Lord. but we must ardently seek His way and His righteousness. And trust the Lord to add all the things unto us that we need.

Psalms 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”

Depression and the Christian:
A look at depression from Psalms 77

Psalms 77:1-3, “I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. (2) In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. (3) I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.”

A. Before the psalmist discusses his depression he makes a statement.

    1. I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.
    2. That does not sound like the beginning of a complaint about depression. But that is exactly what follows.
    3. Yet like in Psalm 73, which the Lord inspired the same person pen, a truth about the Lord is established first.
    4. So keep in mind that throughout the next eight verses of complaint and suffering, God hears his prayer.
    5. And still today, no matter what we may face, be it troubles, trials, tribulations, or even depression; God will give ear to his children’s prayers.
    6. This fact is true, regardless of what our emotions may want to believe.

B. In this day of trouble he cried unto and sought the Lord.

    1. This does not mean that he was just having a bad day. A day of trouble is more than not feeling good, being tired or sad, or feeling a little let down.
    2. This is a day of trial, tribulation, and distress. A day where his entire being was consumed with the problem at hand. There was no comfort, no rest, and no peace in his heart. He was in the day of his trouble, and he sought the Lord for help.
    3. There is no better place to turn in a day of trouble, for there is no other source of help like the Lord.
    4. Yet when he turned to the Lord, the problems of his day of trouble persisted.

C. What was in his day of trouble?

    1. His sore ran in the night. His torment plagued him constantly, and even in the night when he should have been able to get the rest he needed, it persisted.
    2. It ceased not, and he could get no rest or relief from what pained him.
    3. Depression is persistent and unless it is handled it will continue to run. The problems of depression do not just go away, and often they can become even more pointed at night when one needs rest.

D. In this condition his soul refused to be comforted.

    1. He knew that God would give ear to his cry, he knew that surely God is good to such are as of a clean heart, but his soul refused to accept it.
    2. His soul refused the comfort that he knew God could give him.

E. In depression we can be the same way.

    1. Intellectually we know that God is good.
    2. We know the Bible says He loves us that He can give us help, strength, comfort, and joy, but our emotions tell us that we are alone and that our pain is all we have.
    3. Our minds can know that God can comfort us, but our souls can refuse to accept it.
    4. When we think about all that comes upon us in the day of trouble, we can be unwilling to let go of our depression. Just like we can be unwilling to let go of anger.
    5. Even the thought of joy and happiness can become reproachful to a depressed soul. Such a spirit is described in Proverbs 25:20

Proverbs 25:20 As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.

  1. We readily understand that taking a coat from someone in cold weather is hurtful and will cause more problems. But vinegar upon nitre is not something most people are familiar with.

Illustration: Nitre was chemical that was used in ancient times for washing and removing stains. It is a kind of carbonate of soda, akin to baking soda. This nitre was very reactionary to vinegar.

  1. Seeing the comfort and joy of one so happy can be to the depressed like vinegar is to nitre. It can cause great aggravation.

F. This leads to another problem of depression.

    1. It leads the heavy hearted to avoid those who would share the joy of God with them.
    2. Instead of seeking those who could encourage them, they will isolate themselves with their sadness.

G. In such a state our psalmist remembers God, but he is troubled.

    1. You might think, but remembering God should have made him feel better, why did he feel worse?
    2. He remembered God, he established already that God heard him, but he feels like all he has is his pain.
    3. His suffering has not ended, his soul is refusing the comfort that he hoped to find in God, and now the memory of God is troubling to him.
    4. For he feels that the good God he remembers has abandoned him, or he is failing God by being so depressed.
    5. A part of depression is often that one feels like a failure. Specifically as a believer. We know that we are to be joyful, but when we feel bound in depression we can think that we are a failure as a Christian, and that feeling of failure drives us deeper into despair.

H. In depression he made his complaint to God.

    1. He cried to God and shared the pain he felt.
    2. Yet instead of being met with comfort and relief, his spirit was overwhelmed.
    3. After he says that his spirit is overwhelmed we read the word Selah.

Selah means to pause, or suspend your thinking upon what was just said.

Psalms 77:4-9, “Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. (5) I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. (6) I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. (7) Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? (8) Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? (9) Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.”

A. Verse four shows us that he cannot sleep.

    1. Thou holdest mine eyes waking. As we mentioned earlier, depression robs one of the physical rest they need.
    2. Physical rest is a great weapon to battle depression, but depression makes it hard to sleep.
    3. As he lay awake he considers his trouble. He cannot rest, he cannot sleep, all he can do is think about his trouble.
    4. And as his mind dwells upon his suffering he says that he is so troubled he cannot even speak.
    5. He cannot form the words to describe his pain and he has no strength to speak if he could.
    6. Such weakness and indescribable pain frustrates many who battle depression.
    7. Sometimes you cannot even find the words to describe how you feel.

B. In this state his mind returned to the past.

    1. We can remember good things about the past and how the Lord has worked for us to help with depression, but we can also look back in a way that is harmful.
    2. Looking back on the past and thinking that life used to be so much better before this day of trouble. Life used to be happy before this depression.
    3. And looking back we can think that things were only good and easy, forgetting the problems we had then and how God helped us in the past.
    4. In the sad contemplations of depression our mind can believe that the past is the only part of our life that will have happiness and joy. Believing that all we have now in this life is suffering.

C. He used to have faith, he used to have joy, he used to be strong.

    1. He remembers the song he had in the night, but no longer has a song for this night.
    2. He knows that he has been in the night before and that God has given him a song.
    3. But in this night he cannot sing, he cannot even speak.

D. We know that God wants to hear us sing.

    1. We know that we should praise Him and His wonderful works.
    2. And there have been times where we had trouble, but still managed to have a song for our Lord.
    3. We know that Paul and Silas sang in jail and that we should be able to sin in our sadness, but you just can’t sing in this night.
    4. Depression has stolen your song and you don’t think you can get it back.

E. His depression drove his focus inward when it should have been upward.

    1. And he communed with his own He used his own understanding to try and fix his situation when he needed the Lord’s understanding.
    2. He searched with his spirit, and though he searched diligently, apart from the Lord’s Spirit, he could find no hope.
    3. It important to note that no matter how diligently we try to find a cure for our depression, we will not find a true and lasting remedy apart from the Lord. No medicine or psychology will do for you what the Lord will.

F. In depression and discouragement, the psalmist contemplates six questions in his heart.

    1. Will the Lord cast off for ever?
    2. Will He be favourable no more?
    3. Is His mercy clean gone for ever?
    4. Doth His promise fail for evermore?
    5. Hath God forgotten to be gracious?
    6. Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?
    7. After these questions we again see the word Selah, calling us to really think about these six inquiries of the heavy heart.

G. If you are not depressed, you may think these questions sound ridiculous.

    1. But what about the believer struggling with a heavy heart?
    2. The one who feels alone, the one who feels hopeless, the one who feels like a failure.
    3. Satan loves to tempt them to contemplate these questions.
    4. For if a Christian contemplates these questions long enough, they might decide to believe the wrong answers.
    5. And then Satan can push their depression to become despair and bitterness towards the Lord.

H. Christian you may have had these same questions in your heart.

    1. There may be some here tonight that in their heart have been contemplating these very questions.
    2. Depression will drive you to them but praise the Lord that He answers everyone of them in His Word.
    3. Of course the Lord won’t cast us off, He promises never to leave us or forsake us.
    4. The Lord is favourable to us, He saved us and made us His own children.
    5. His mercy endureth forever.
    6. His promises will never fail.
    7. God will never forget to be gracious.
    8. And His tender mercies are new every morning for us.

Psalms 77:10-20, “This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. (11) I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. (12) I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. (13) Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? (14) Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people. (15) Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. (16) The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled. (17) The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad. (18) The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook. (19) Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. (20) Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”

A. He did not pretend like his depression wasn’t real.

    1. He stated, this is my infirmity.
    2. But in his infirmity he decided to remember the Lord.

B. And that is the first step in overcoming depression Christian. Remember God.

    1. He will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. The Lord’s right arm has given protection, guidance and victory. Psalm 98:1  O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. And as His right hand was strong in the past, it is still strong today. Psalm 89:13 Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
    2. Remember the mighty and wonderful works that He has accomplished with His hand.
    3. Choose to say, surely I will remember thy wonders of old. And do it.
    4. This encompasses all the wonderful and mighty works we see the Lord do in Scripture, but you can also remember His wonders in your own life.
    5. Remember when He saved you, remember when He has protected you, given you mercy, given you grace, and remember when He has encouraged you in the past.

 C. Don’t just briefly remember what God has done and then go back to sulking but meditate on all His work.

    1. You will want to meditate on your pain, suffering, and failures.
    2. But you must direct your heart to meditate on all the work of God.
    3. Fill your mind with the truth of God’s wonders and love.

D. Step one is to remember the Lord, step two is to meditate on His work, and step three is to talk of His doings.

    1. Instead of only speaking of your complaint, speak of God’s goodness.
    2. Talk about what good He has done in the past, talk about your salvation, talk about His mercy.
    3. And talk out loud about His doings, talk to your family, your friends, your fellow Christians.
    4. You need to hear yourself proclaim the works of God.

 E. Recognize that God’s way is in the sanctuary.

    1. His way is in holiness and in His way we can follow His good and holy end for us.
    2. And in God’s sanctuary we can find the strength and help that we cannot find in ourselves.
    3. And we must walk in His holy way to receive the help that He desires to give us.

 F. Recognize that there is none like your God.

    1. None who is so great and powerful.
    2. None who can give you joy and deliver you from depression like the Lord can.
    3. He does wonders and His strength is shown in this world.

 G. Remember all the things He has done for the children of Israel.

    1. Verses 14-20 rehearse some of the powerful works that God has done on behalf of His people.
    2. He has redeemed his people and His power and path are beyond our understanding.
    3. Yet He has led his people like a flock.
    4. You may think, well that is great, God was powerful for Israel a few thousand years ago, but what about me.
    5. Remember that you serve the same living God.

H. God is still powerful to help you overcome depression today, just as He was to help Israel long ago. And this Psalm gives us 7 steps to help us when our hearts of heavy.

    1. Remember the right hand of the Most High.
    2. Remember the works of the Lord from old.
    3. Meditate on His works.
    4. Talk of His doings.
    5. Recognize His way.
    6. Recognize His unique greatness.
    7. And remember that you have the all-powerful God of the Bible as your loving Heavenly Father.

Even Christians can struggle with depression. But Christian you are never alone. Your God is with you and He is ready to help. But you must rely upon His strength, you must trust in His Word, and you must follow His way. You will not always want to, and Satan and your flesh will tempt you to cling to your despair and to refuse the comfort of God. But you must choose to follow His Word and to allow the God of all comfort to help you. For only He can give you a song in the night and provide the strength to overcome in the day of your trouble

A lesson for suffering individuals from Psalms 73.

Psalms 73:1-28  Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.  (2)  But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.  (3)  For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  (4)  For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.  (5)  They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.  (6)  Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.  (7)  Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.  (8)  They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.  (9)  They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.  (10)  Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.  (11)  And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?  (12)  Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.  (13)  Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.  (14)  For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.  (15)  If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.  (16)  When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;  (17)  Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.  (18)  Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.  (19)  How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.  (20)  As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.  (21)  Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.  (22)  So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.  (23)  Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.  (24)  Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.  (25)  Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.  (26)  My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.  (27)  For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.  (28)  But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

A. The simple truth is that God is good. This truth is made clear from His actions and His Word.

    1. His goodness is seen in the very life and breath He gives, the salvation he provides, and the blessings of His love. How could you see the wonderful things that Lord does for you and not see that He is good?
    2. His goodness is also explicitly declared in His holy Word.
    3. Psalm 31:19, “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!”
    4. Psalm 34:8, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
    5. Psalm 100:5, “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

B. The Psalmist starts by affirming this fact.

    1. He did not say that God can be good, or that God might be good. But TRULY God is good. Meaning that certainly, without a doubt God is good to Israel, and good to such as are of a clean heart.
    2. No matter what circumstances are, we too can know that God is good.
    3. The goodness of God does not depend on the circumstances of ourselves or others. His goodness is a constant fact.

C. We must understand and hold to Bible facts.

    1. Facts like, God is good, Jesus is the only way to Heaven, and that the Bible truly is the Word of God.
    2. As well as the truths that God wants us to live by. Like the fact that God wants us to be separate, to be holy, to be loving, and to be growing.

D. Understand that God’s Word is Truth, and that truth is constant.

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

  1. It is not subject to the whims of culture and society.
  2. It is not dependent on our perception or ideas.
  3. And God’s perfect Truth will stand because God has promised that His Word will endure.

Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

E. Our world does not like the idea of God’s definite Truth.

    1. It much prefers the carnal idea of relative truth.
    2. Believing that truth can change as you change, and that real truth is different depending on each person’s situation.
    3. This devilish idea is just an excuse to justify sin and evil behavior. Claiming that your sin is ok because of what was done to you, or your sin is ok because you didn’t have good parents. But sin is sin, and it is not ok. And God’s truth, real truth, is constant, regardless of your feelings or your situation.

F. While I doubt many people who would willingly attend our church would openly claim to believe in relative truth, its poisonous mindset can enter our hearts.

    1. If we are not careful, we can use the same thinking to justify doubt in our hearts.
    2. We may not go so far as to say that God is bad or that God cannot be good.
    3. But we might doubt that God truly is good to us, or that God truly is good all the time.

A.Even with his knowledge of God’s goodness, the Psalmist still felt that he was falling.

    1. He knows that God is good to those of a clean heart, but what he is seeing around him makes him feel otherwise.
    2. It feels like somehow, he is slipping through God’s goodness.
    3. He does not feel like he is standing on the firm foundation of the Lord, instead he feels that his steps are right on the edge of slipping and falling.

B. And the reason why he feels this way is because he became envious of the wicked.

    1. He fell to the temptation to envy the lost.
    2. Christian, when your focus is on the world and their pleasures instead of the Lord you won’t have peace. It will not help your faith, but it will only harm it. Our focus must not be on this world.

C. It is easy to envy when you see the apparent prosperity of the wicked.

    1. It can seem like the wicked are succeeding at every turn. They are the ones who get all the benefits, they have all the friends, and it may seem that they don’t have to pay for their wickedness.
    2. Their strength is firm as they pursue their foolish ends. It can feel as if nothing is against them.
    3. Even though they are wicked, they seem to have no problems and no enemies.
    4. While we as Bible believing Baptist seem to have no shortage of enemies.

D. The apparent success of the wicked gives them a pride and an arrogancy that often only adds to the discouragement Christians feel.

    1. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
    2. The pride wicked take in sin is so clearly displayed in our culture. Sins that once brought shame now brings pride. As with description of wickedness in Jeremiah 8, people proudly commit abomination with neither shame nor even a blush.
    3. The arrogancy of those in wickedness has skyrocketed in recent years, and there is great pride in the deviance of the sinful.
    4. And when considering the pride of the wicked we can’t help but consider the sin of homosexuality. Within supposed Christian groups this abomination is making deep inroads. There is currently a group called The Reformation Project which seeks to bring the evils of the LGBTQ into the church.
    5. And they seem to be pushing forward in strength as the number of “affirming churches” rises each year.

E. Those who speak against God and His Word aren’t quite about it.

    1. They are loud and bold in their defiance of the Lord. While many who have the Truth are quite and secretive about it.
    2. The prevalence of wickedness in our nation today includes much more than the gay agenda.
    3. The Christian influence in America is shrinking faster than ever while the influence of evil has unprecedented power.
    4. People openly mock God and are praised. We openly praise God and are mocked.

 F. In the world the wicked seem always to prosper.

    1. Those who use sin to profit have no shortage of money and possessions.
    2. Wicked entertainment icons and dishonest businessmen have more than heart could wish.
    3. People have made fortunes from flaunting and encouraging sin.
    4. From music to business to politics, there are countless wealthy individuals who made their wealth off wickedness.
    5. While good, honest Christians struggle from year to year.

G. We could spend a very discouraging day focusing only on the advancement of wickedness. Doing such could put you in the mindset of verse 13. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain,

  1. The peace and joy of God will be replaced by fear and doubt.
  2. It will make you feel like trying to stay right in the eyes of God is all in vain.
  3. But as a believer you know that isn’t true.

H. American Christianity has become obsessed with the prosperity gospel and temporal blessings.

    1. Many preach that obeying God guarantees you blessings in the form of money, health, and success.
    2. But God never promised that. Our mindset, our perspective is to be heavenly, not earthly.

Colossians 3:2, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

  1. Your mindset must be focused on eternal spiritual goals and blessings, rather than temporal things. Or you often will feel like you are serving the Lord for nothing.
  2. In our flesh we can easily become so focused on the temporal that we are blind to the timeless.
  3. Many Christians become discouraged and quit on the Lord because they don’t get the same temporal things that the wicked do.

A. Your mindset determines your spirit.

    1. When you are focused on the advancements of the wicked, with their rewards, and with your own suffering, you will feel defeated. You will not want to serve the Lord. You will feel that your obedience is in vain.
    2. Until you get into God’s sanctuary. Until you get in the presence of God.
    3. When your focus is restored to the Lord you are reminded that this world is only temporary.
    4. Any persecution for the Lord that you face here will be rewarded in Heaven.
    5. And all the riches and pleasures that the world gives the wicked will only end in an eternity in Hell.

B. The end of the wicked is destruction and desolation.

    1. It is a fact that all those who speak against God in pride will one day kneel before Him in humility.
    2. It is a fact that those without Christ will spend an eternity in a devil’s Hell.
    3. It is a fact that the righteous have no reason to fear the wicked. They can do nothing to hurt the security of your eternity the Lord’s presence.

C. It is foolish for us to doubt God’s goodness because we are focused on the apparent ease of the wicked.

    1. God desires us to focus on Him and His ways, not on this earth.
    2. No matter our condition here, we will spend the rest of eternity with God in a perfect body and a perfect place. And nothing in this life can change that.
    3. And while in this life we have the wonderful opportunity to be used of our Great God.

D. Though it may seem that the wicked are always succeeding, it is the believer whom God supports.

    1. The Lord will hold us up as he held the psalmist.
    2. Psalm 63:8, “My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.”
    3. Isaiah 41:13,“For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

 E. Even in a world that is filled with wickedness, we can be guided by the Lord.

    1. God can and will be your guide in this wicked world if you are focused on Him, and trusting the Truth.
    2. He has given us His Word to illuminate the right path.
    3. Psalms 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

F. It may feel like the wicked are firm in their strength, but their strength will fail.

    1. But the believer has God as the strength of their heart.
    2. And the strength of the Lord will never fail.

G. Having your focus on the Lord can only result in the conclusion of verse 28. “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.”

    1. The best thing for you is to draw near to God.
    2. It is only in the Lord God that we can fully place our trust. And it is in His Truth, the only truth, that we must trust, regardless of what we may feel like.
    3. When your focus and trust is in the Lord you cannot help but declare His works.

H. When the psalmist was reminded of the Truth he saw how foolish it was to doubt the Lord and envy the wicked.

    1. For God truly is good. And He is a loving Father to those who seek and follow Him.
    2. And no matter how free and strong the wicked may seem in this world, it is they who stand in slippery places. It is the wicked that face destructions.
    3. And how foolish would we be to envy them when we have such a wonderful Savior?