Part 3: David in Darkness
"Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God." Psalm 69:1-3 KJV
There is another condition that may be affecting the human body amidst these times, besides the globally-feared COVID-19. Incredible sadness. Sorrow. Desolation. Extreme loneliness. Perhaps even depression.
It is quite normal to feel this way. In Zack Eswine’s highly-recommended book, Spurgeon’s Sorrows, he says the following: “In this fallen world, sadness is an act of sanity, our tears the testimony of the sane.” Though it may seem normal to feel sad in tough times, it is not something the world approves of today. It is proclaimed all over the media that one needs to be independent and strong. Weakness is regarded as an embarrassment. In some churches it is even taught that being depressed is sinful. But let us rather look at what God's Word says.
There are many examples in the Bible of people experiencing terrible sadness. Even our Lord Jesus wept for his friend moments before raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:35), not to mention his agony and bloody sweat in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46).
Today we look back to King David, the man after God’s very own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). It is important to note that David being a man after God’s own heart, said more about God than it did about David. He was still human, fallen and sinful. Nevertheless, we can learn a lot from David and how he dealt with his own grief.
We can read about David’s life and how he came to be king of Israel in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. He was a shepherd and the youngest of the sons of Jesse. Long before his reign began, he was anointed as future king, while Saul was still on the throne. Initially, there was a kind of friendship between Saul and David. Saul had been tormented by a “harmful spirit” and David was called to play the lyre for him. David also became a commander in his army after Saul heard about David’s victory over Goliath. But we can all see that things were going to turn sour soon.
As David became more famous among the people, Saul grew increasingly jealous, and in 1 Samuel 18, he tried to kill David - the first of many tries. From chapter 18 to 26, we read of David literally running for his life, aided by Saul’s son, Jonathan. Towards the end of 1 Samuel, David found safety with the Philistines, but not for long. They soon recognised him as the one who killed Goliath and he had to run for his life again.
When Saul died and David was made king, one would think that things would have gone somewhat easier for David, but no. The book of 2 Samuel sounds like a bloodbath out of Game of Thrones. One of Saul’s sons tried to become king himself and later on David’s own son, Absalom, opposed him as well. David knew suffering intimately.
"I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies." Psalm 6:6-7
"How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?" Psalm 13:1-2
"Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing..." Psalm 31:9-10
"I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart." Psalm 38:6-8
These are but a few of many examples of David’s deep distress. But why do we look to his Psalms for comfort? How is his grief different?
Even though David was “down in the dumps”, so to speak, he always looked to the Lord, cried out to Him, and placed his hope in Him:
"I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies." Psalm 18:1-3 ESV
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Psalm 23:4
"I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord." Psalm 40:1-3 KJV
David did not look toward his circumstances, his possessions or even his friends for peace of mind. He knew that true peace could only come from God. Yes - the urge to give in to sin and temptation is much bigger when we are sad or anxious. We can easily justify our idol worshiping or temper tantrums when we feel grief. Just a bit more food. Just another small glass. I am allowed to be angry with everyone. I am allowed to find fault with everything. These aren't normal times - I blame the virus! But it doesn't need to be like this.
Sadness can draw us closer to God. It humbles us and makes us realise that we are not independent or strong, that we are not in control, and that we direly need a Saviour. He is the only one who can truly bring us comfort and peace amidst these dark times.
So, by all means, feel sad; go through all the emotions. But take it to God. Cry out to Him, like David did. If you are struggling to pray, speak one of the Psalms to God. If you cannot work from home or are retired, having a lot of time on your hands, why not read through the Psalms daily?
And as we just celebrated Easter, let’s remember that our salvation doesn't depend on our emotions. However desolate and helpless we feel, Jesus is still our risen King. I am going to quote Eswine again: "It is Christ and not the absence of depression that saves us. So, we declare this truth. Our sense of God’s absence does not mean that He is so. Though our bodily gloom allows us no feeling of His tender touch, He holds on to us still. Our feelings of Him do not save us. He does. Our hope therefore, does not reside in our ability to preserve a good mood but in His ability to bear us up."
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” 1 John 1:1-4 KJV
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10 KJV
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-6 KJV
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 KJV
“But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 KJV
“Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: and not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: but their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 KJV
“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 KJV
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 KJV
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."