Questions:

1. Fill in the blanks below from Psalm 42:5: Why are you cast down, O my ______, and why are you in ______ within me? Hope in God; for I shall again _______ him, my salvation.
2. TRUE or FALSE:  Spiritual depression can be fueled by distorted thoughts and inner accusations.
3. Pastor Adcock’s message teaches: “Stop ________ to yourself and start ________ to yourself.”
4. What word captures the psalmist’s perspective in Psalm 42:5?
5. Peace
6. Endurance
7. Hope
8. Patience  
9. TRUE or FALSE:  The psalmist’s ultimate hope rested in his changing emotions.
10. Match the concept with the description from Pastor Adcock’s message (The Problem, The Prescription, The Perspective, Distorted Thoughts, Doubting Castle):
11. Talking to yourself, preaching truth, using God's promises
12. A picture of despair overcome by the key of Promise
13. Exaggeration, catastrophizing, accusation
14. The psalmist's despair, thirst and turmoil
15. Maintaining hope in God despite feelings
16. What is the “key” Christian used to escape Doubting Castle in The Pilgrim’s Progress?
17. Faith
18. Promise
19. Prayer
20. Courage
21. “Because of Jesus—________ shall come again.”
22. BONUS QUESTION: According to the sermon, what is the ultimate example of hope through suffering?

Discussion:

1. Read Psalm 42:1-5 and discuss the following questions:
2. According to Psalm 42, how does the psalmist describe his emotional and spiritual condition?
3. What three experiences does the psalmist share that deepen his sorrow?
4. How do our “distorted thoughts” contribute to spiritual depression?
5. What life circumstance or unfulfilled desire most tempts you to doubt God’s love?
6. From Psalm 42, Pastor Adcock described the prescription for spiritual depression.
7. Why does the psalmist “talk to himself,” and what does that teach us?
8. What are the two parts of the “prescription” the psalmist applies?
9. Discuss any examples from your life or others that you see the result of not talking Scripture to yourself, and of not counting on the promise of hope the He has provided.
10. Pastor Adcock described the perspective of the Psalmist.
11. What is the central perspective the psalmist adopts in verse 5?
12. How does Jesus embody Psalm 42 in His own suffering?
13. According to Hebrews 12:2, what empowered Jesus to endure the cross?
14. How does this message encourage us to approach suffering?
15. Discuss the living power of the Word of God: how has His Word given you courage to say “Day shall come again” in the face of suffering and depression?
16. Pastor Adcock began and ended his message with this question: What life circumstance or unfulfilled desire tempts you to fear that God does not love you?
17. Do you need to change your perspective in the face of fear and spiritual depression?
18. Discuss in your groups how this message of hope and freedom can transform your approach to your fears, depression, and suffering. 

Sermon Outline

Sermon text: Psalm 42:1-5

We’re continuing our series on fear and anxiety, and today I want to draw your attention to Psalm 42:1-5. Before we read it together, I’d like to ask you a question:

What life circumstance or unfulfilled desire tempts you to fear that God does not love you?

Take a moment to picture your answer—really let it surface. As we’ve discussed here at Cornerstone, we’ve been exploring what Scripture teaches about fear and anxiety. This morning, we’ll turn to a closely related issue: spiritual depression. To guide us, we’ll look carefully at these five verses in Psalm 42, with special focus on verse 5, the classic text on this very subject.

Psalm 42:5 – ⁵Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation.

In these verses, the psalmist takes on both roles—the patient and the doctor. He identifies the problem, and then he provides the remedy. I want you to picture this like a visit to the doctor’s office. That visit usually happens in three stages.

• First, the doctor says, “Tell me what’s wrong.” We start by describing the problem.
• Second, we don’t go to the doctor just to talk about what’s wrong—we go for a prescription, for something that will help us heal.
• Third, once the prescription is given, the doctor often explains the proper perspective—how to take the medicine and what attitude to have as we go through the process of recovery.

Here we see the same pattern unfold: the problem that needs to be faced, the prescription that brings healing, and the perspective that restores hope.

The Problem

The problem is really outlined in the first four verses of the psalm but notice verse 5.

Psalm 42:5 – ⁵Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation.

The psalmist begins by asking himself, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you in turmoil within me?” In doing so, he opens the windows of his soul. The landscape is bleak—he’s downcast, discouraged, and spiritually disoriented. But more than that, he describes his inner world as being in turmoil—like a sea in the middle of a storm. If he were an airline pilot, he might say, “Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts—we’re going to experience some turbulence.” Why is he in such a condition? The first four verses give us the answer. The psalmist paints a composite picture of the leading causes of spiritual depression. In verse 1, we see something he feels…

Psalm 42:1 – ¹As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.

His soul is as thirsty as a hunted deer searching desperately for water. He’s spiritually dry—far from the temple, and God feels distant, almost unreachable. Maybe that’s how you felt driving to church this morning. You came, you smiled, but deep-down God seems far away—not a close friend, but more like a distant stranger. Why do we sometimes find ourselves in that place? We go through the motions of faith, doing what we’ve always done, yet something is missing. We can look back on earlier days when God seemed near when joy and peace overflowed. But now, it feels routine—mechanical. And then, at the end of verse 3, the psalmist hears a question…

Psalm 42:3 – ³My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”

The psalmist’s pain is made even worse by the taunts of his enemies. As commentator Christopher Ashe puts it:

“This mocking question is spoken with arrogant confidence in every age. They believe either that God cannot reach the one they mock—or that He chooses not to. It’s the same mockery heard from Job’s comforters and the crowds at the cross of Christ: ‘Where is your God?’”

For the psalmist, that may have come from real people. But for most of us, that same question often comes from within. It’s that inner voice that whispers doubt and fuels spiritual depression. I don’t think I’m the only one who wakes up some mornings to a discouraging soundtrack playing in my head. The truth is that the Christian life is often a battle for the Christian’s mind.

Counselors tell us that one of the first steps to healing is to identify distorted thoughts. Spiritually, we must do the same—to catch those thoughts and hold them up to God’s truth. Some of you will recognize these patterns. One is exaggeration—seeing everything as either all bad or all good. Another is catastrophizing—what I like to call Chicken Little syndrome—where everything feels like it’s falling apart.

Then there are the spiritual distortions. The first is accusation: “If God really loved me, I’d be happier. If I were a better Christian, I’d have more faith, more joy, more obedience.” The second is the problem of the imagination—those anxious what-if questions that run wild in our minds.

What distorted thoughts might you be wrestling with today?

We’ve seen something the psalmist feels, something he hears, and now, in verse 4, something he misses—his sorrow deepened by memories of better days.

Psalm 42:4 – ⁴These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.

The psalmist looks back—he remembers joyful days in God’s presence. But those days are gone. Now he sits alone, his tears have become his food. And here we begin to see why God feels so far away.

For the Old Testament believer, the temple was the center of God’s presence. To be far from the temple was to feel far from God. Some believe this Psalm was written by David as he fled from Absalom. Others think it’s the cry of a Jew in exile. Either way, his distance from the temple has become a picture of spiritual isolation.

He looks back on better days—and many of us can relate. Especially those who’ve walked with the Lord for years. Remembering what God has done can bring gratitude, but it can also bring sadness. Sometimes we look back and say, “My best days are behind me. My friends are gone. The ministry I loved has ended.”

But here’s the truth: beware of nostalgia that makes you useless in the present. With God, your best days are not behind you—they’re still ahead. As Adoniram Judson said, “The future is as bright as the promises of God.”

This psalm shows us a full picture of spiritual depression, what he feels, what he hears, and what he remembers. Which one do you identify with? Whatever it is, bring it to God. Say, “Lord, you know this longing, this sorrow, this weariness—I give it to You.”

And to those who are struggling, please hear this: you are not alone. Even the psalmist battled despair. Some of God’s greatest saints have walked through dark valleys. And to those still exploring faith—see this: the Bible doesn’t shy away from real pain. It speaks to the hardest parts of life with honesty and hope.

The Prescription

If you find yourself in this place—and if not today, you may well be there tomorrow. What should you do?

Let me be careful here. We’re not talking primarily about clinical depression. Sometimes what we need is very practical help. Some of us need to see a doctor. Sometimes we need medicine. Sometimes we simply need rest. Remember Elijah? When he was depressed, God gave him sleep and a good meal. Sometimes we need exercise, time with friends, or even just a quiet walk in the woods. We are whole beings—body, mind, and spirit—fearfully and wonderfully made.

But alongside those helps, Scripture also gives us wisdom for our soul’s distress. And you might ask, “Why are we looking at Psalm 42 in a series on fear and anxiety?” Because the same prescription that brings healing to spiritual depression also brings peace to fear and anxiety.

As we turn to verse 5, we see two practical things the psalmist does to fight back against his despair.

Psalm 42:5 – ⁵Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation.

People sometimes say that talking to yourself is a sign of mental illness—but here in Psalm 42, it’s actually a sign of spiritual health. The psalmist talks to himself. Long before cognitive behavioral therapy ever existed, the Bible showed us the way.

The old Puritan preacher John Trapp said, “David chided David out of the dumps.” In other words, he gave himself a talking-to! That’s what you and I have to do. We have to talk to ourselves, question ourselves, take hold of ourselves, and speak truth to our own hearts. Don’t listen to that accusing voice or the negative soundtrack that plays in your mind.

And let’s be clear—it’s not a sin to be depressed. But when we are depressed, we can be tempted to sin. We can start to wallow, to feel sorry for ourselves, to give in to despair. The psalmist refuses to do that. He stirs himself up and preaches truth to his own soul:

“Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.”

That’s what’s happening here—David is preaching the gospel to David.

So how does this work? First, you have to hear those distorted thoughts. Then you have to change the record—replace the lie with God’s truth. That’s why we need to be in the Word daily.

It’s not a quick fix. It takes practice, time, and effort. But it’s worth it—because over time, God’s truth reshapes our thinking and renews our hope.

For example, when we struggle with exaggeration, remember Romans 12.

Romans 12:3 – ³For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

If we’re tempted to play the Chicken Little soundtrack—to catastrophize and assume the sky is falling—we can turn to Philippians 4.

Philippians 4:6 – ⁶do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

When the accusing voices start whispering— “You’re not good enough…God can’t love you after that”—go to Romans 8.

Romans 8:34 – ³⁴Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Remember when Pastor Chris talked about changing “What if?” to “Even if”? That’s how we deal with the problem of imagination. We replace the fearful what if with the faith-filled even if.

Here’s the medicine—and it has to be taken daily: stop listening to yourself and start talking to yourself. Preach truth to your heart. That’s something you need to do.

There is a second part to the prescription which is something you need to use—and that’s the promises of God.

Psalm 42:5 – ⁵Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation.

That’s what the psalmist is preaching to his own heart. But why? Because there’s a note of promise here—a reminder that hope is still alive.

Psalm 42:5 – ⁵Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation.

I’m in this place, yes—but as I preach the gospel to myself, I remember there is the possibility of deliverance. I may feel anxious, fearful, or depressed, but it’s not going to be this way forever.

John Bunyan shows us this beautifully in The Pilgrim’s Progress. Christian, on his journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, finds himself trapped in Doubting Castle, imprisoned by Giant Despair. And in one of the most powerful scenes, Christian turns to his friend Hopeful and says, “Brother, what shall we do? The life we now live is miserable. My soul chooses strangling rather than life. Shall we be ruled by this giant?”

Maybe you’ve been there too— trapped in the dungeon of despair, wondering if you’ll ever get out. But listen to what happens next. Bunyan writes, “A little before daybreak, good Christian, amazed at himself, cried out: ‘What a fool I am to lie in this stinking dungeon, when I may walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom, called Promise, that will open any lock in Doubting Castle.’”

That’s the answer! Use the key of God’s promises. Speak them to your heart. Apply them to the most painful and difficult situations in your life.

Yes, I feel overwhelmed. Yes, I feel anxious. Yes, it’s dark. But I have the promises of God. There is a way out of Doubting Castle. Get up off the dungeon floor, take the key, put it in the lock, and walk out. There is deliverance, there is hope.

So preach to yourself the promises of God. That’s the prescription. That’s how the psalmist deals with himself.

The Perspective

We’ve looked at the problem, and we’ve looked at the prescription. But now notice his perspective—and this is the key that unlocks it all: Hope in God.

Psalm 42:5 – ⁵Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation.

When you go to the doctor, you first describe the problem. Then the doctor gives you the prescription. But before you leave, the doctor usually adds, “Now, in order for this to work, you’ll need to keep the right perspective.” You’ll need to stay hopeful. You’ll need to keep confidence that healing can come.

And that’s exactly what the psalmist shows us. Hope is the perspective we must maintain—even when we don’t feel hopeful.

You may be thinking, "Paul, it's simple for you to say that. You have good intentions, but you don't understand how difficult my situation is. I can't imagine a future, and I don't even have the energy to speak to myself. I feel unable to grasp the key to God's promises."

What’s the answer? The answer is simple—but it’s everything. Remember Jesus. Look to Him. Listen to Him.

The writer to the Hebrews says…

Hebrews 14:15 –  ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

He’s saying, Jesus gets it. Jesus understands what you’re going through. For Jesus is the ultimate Sufferer—the One in whom this psalm finds its deepest fulfillment.

When we open Psalm 42 and read verse 5, we should see that these words ultimately find their echo on the lips of Jesus. You might wonder, “How could that be true of Him? He’s the Son of God!”

But think of the Garden of Gethsemane. The very words used in Psalm 42—overwhelmed, cast down, in turmoil—are the same words we find in Matthew 26:38, where Jesus says…

Matthew 26:38 – ³⁸Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”

In the garden, Jesus looked ahead and felt the weight of ultimate spiritual anguish. In His humanity, He saw what was coming—the cross, where He would endure the full separation from God that our sins deserved.

And how did He endure it? The answer is hope. He set His eyes on the joy beyond the cross—the hope of resurrection, the redemption of His people, the glory of His Father.

So what about us? What are we going to do when the darkness feels overwhelming?

Hebrews 12:2 – ²looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

We are to look to Jesus—the founder and perfecter of our faith. Hope was the fuel of His perseverance. Jesus endured the cross because beyond it was the resurrection. He faced the sorrow because beyond it was joy. He entered the darkness because He knew victory was certain.

That same hope is yours today. No matter how you feel, no matter what you’re walking through—you do have hope because of Jesus. Hope as you fight anxiety. Hope as you face fear. Hope as you wrestle with spiritual sorrow. The darkness will not last forever. So take it one moment at a time—trusting that the same hope that carried Jesus through the cross will carry you through your valley.

In Tolkien’s The Silmarillion, there’s a powerful scene where the enemy, Morgoth, destroys the armies of the faithful until only one warrior remains—his name is Húrin. Surrounded by the fallen, he stands alone, fighting the dark hordes. And with every swing of his axe, he cries out, “Day shall come again!”

Against all evidence, Húrin refuses despair. He chooses to believe that light will return.

You might say, “That’s just fantasy—Tolkien’s imagination.” But Christian, you have something far greater. You don’t wield an axe—you hold the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.

So, when anxious thoughts attack… when you wake to that same discouraging soundtrack… when circumstances seem dark and hope feels distant—swing the sword. And as you do, say with confidence:

Because of Jesus—day shall come again.

Because of the cross—day shall come again.

Because of the empty tomb—day shall come again.

Because He is coming again—day shall come again.

So let me ask you the question again: What life circumstance or unfulfilled desire tempts you to fear that God does not love you?

Whatever it is, you have hope—hope because of Jesus, hope because of the gospel.

Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.

Be still now and let Jesus—the Great Physician—meet you in the very center of your despair. And when you find yourself in that dark room where the handle seems to be on the other side of the door, remember this: Jesus is already there with you.



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