Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Though you won’t find passages directly relating to depression, the Bible is a great source of comfort and strength for those battling against it.
There are countless of verses that we can draw hope from as we see some of the Bibles greatest figures struggled with the same feelings of self-doubt, anxiety, deep sorrow, and even for some, the pain of not wanting to make it through another day.
King David wrote in Psalm 3:3, “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.”
King David was so close to God, he was referred to as a man after God’s own heart. Yet in David’s psalms, time and again we see his agony, doubt, and sorrow.
David went through countless trials in his own life. The previous king, Saul, had tried to murder him several times. Later in David’s life, he committed adultery and murdered his friend. He suffered many consequences for this sin, including experiencing the loss of his child. However, he did not lose his faith.
Psalm 34: 17-18, David says, “When The Righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Through all this, David still pursued God. We can find the songs he sang, both in sorrow and hope, in the book of Psalms.
God loved David, as He loves you and me, and He never abandoned him. After David repented, God blessed David with another son, Solomon, and blessed his entire kingdom. God turned David’s sorrow, loneliness, and fear into joy—and we too can be lifted up by David’s story and his psalms.
Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
David is not the only person in the Bible who experienced deep depression. After Christ was crucified, the disciples were unsure what to do. Their teacher had just been murdered and they were afraid the same fate would soon befall them.
Jonah was angry with his mission to minister to Nineveh, so he chose to run away.
Moses was grieved over the choices of his people. He felt angry, betrayed, and sorrowful. We can find his cry to God in Exodus 32:32.
Job literally lost everything he had in his life. His family, his home, his friends, his health. His friends and his own wife begged him to give up on the Lord because his life was so miserable, but he refused to curse God. God saw his faithfulness and restored his health, his home, and blessed him with even more children than before.
Jeremiah was an amazing prophet who did amazing things for God, all while struggling with feelings of loneliness, depression, insecurity, and defeat. We can see his very real struggle with those feelings in the book of Jeremiah.
But Jeremiah 29:11 gives us this promise, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a new hope and a future.”
With all the amazing people in Scripture who felt extreme feelings of sorrow, hurt, and depression, know that it is ok that we feel these things too. But also know that the same God who lifted them up and restored them longs to do the same for you. He has never and will never leave you to struggle through anything on your own strength.
Romans 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
The Bible is the very real Word of God and there are endless scriptures that can give us hope, courage, joy, and peace because of His love for us.
As David wrote in Psalm 30:5, “though the sorrow may last for the night, His joy comes with the morning.” Jesus has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, and the Bible serves as a constant reminder that He is always at hand.
Matthew 28:20, “… And lo, I am with you always.“
And even Christ himself experienced very real sorrow and fear. In the garden of Gethsemane, he was “grieved to the point of death” knowing what was to come. He prayed for hours in agony and utter anguish while his friends slept, asking for another way, but still completely willing to go to the cross for all of us.
Three days later He rose from the grave because His great love for us defeats even death. He is with you, and for you, no matter what struggle you may be facing. Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares for you.”
Romans 8:38-39 gives us the promise that nothing can separate us from Him, “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.”
And by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, who died and defeated death so that we could receive everlasting life through Him, Revelations 21:4 tells us what we have to look forward to:
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
