Psalms 42 and 43 seem to be written by the same writer: The sons of Korah. Both psalms maintain the same category: “spiritual depression”. Why spiritual depression? Well, they were far from the house of God and did not have a temple where to worship God and therefore they felt distressed, for being far from the house of God. Have you felt afflicted for being away from the house of God?
The context of these psalms helps us understand the deep pain that the psalmist was experiencing. For the people of Israel, the house of God was not simply a physical place; it represented communion, worship, sacrifice, forgiveness, and the tangible expression of God’s presence among His people. Being far from the temple was not only a geographical distance, but also an emotional and spiritual burden that weighed heavily on the soul. This separation produced an inner struggle that today we would clearly identify as spiritual depression.
The sons of Korah wrote:
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Psalm 43:5
The psalmist speaks directly with his soul and asks him a question: Why do you trouble yourself inside me? This dialogue with his own soul reveals a profound spiritual maturity. Instead of ignoring his pain or pretending that everything is fine, he confronts his inner condition honestly. He recognizes his discouragement, but he does not allow it to have the final word. Instead, he redirects his soul toward hope in God.
In the previous Psalm he asked the same question to his soul, with much spiritual depression because he was far from the house of God, but at the same time he maintained a living hope that his soul would still worship God in His holy temple. This tension between sorrow and hope is something many believers experience. On the one hand, circumstances weigh us down; on the other, faith reminds us that God has not abandoned us.
Spiritual depression often arises when we feel distant from God, whether because of sin, difficult circumstances, persecution, illness, or simply a season of dryness. Like the psalmist, we may long for the joy we once experienced in worship, fellowship, and service. The enemy takes advantage of these moments to whisper discouragement, but the psalmist teaches us a powerful lesson: we must preach truth to our own souls.
O beloved brothers, in moments of spiritual depression, let us tell our soul to praise God, that the process does not end there, but that we still have to continue praising the only true God. Praise is not always the result of joy; sometimes it is an act of obedience and faith. When our emotions fail us, our decision to trust God becomes an offering that honors Him.
If that desire does not accompany you, pray to the Lord and ask Him to put in you a heart that desires to praise God. God is not offended by our weakness; rather, He responds to a humble and sincere heart. Asking God to restore our desire for Him is itself an expression of faith, acknowledging that only He can renew our inner being.
The psalmist knew that God was his salvation and he trusted with all his heart in his God. His confidence was not based on circumstances changing immediately, but on the unchanging character of God. This is a crucial truth for us today: our hope is anchored not in how we feel, but in who God is.
Do we trust that our salvation only comes from God at times like that? When spiritual depression comes, may we learn from the sons of Korah to lift our eyes, speak truth to our souls, and wait patiently for the moment when we will once again praise God openly, with renewed strength and restored joy.