King David was a man after God's own heart. He had such a close relationship with his Heavenly Father and yet he suffered from depression! Like Joseph, David was in a pit of his own. Below are some of the circumstances that surrounded David's depression that are found in 2 Samuel 11:1-12:23: 1. David had lusted over Bathsheba and slept with her while her husband was in battle. She became pregnant.
2. David tried to convince Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, to go and be with his wife but he was noble and put his responsibilities before pleasure so David put him in the front of the battle which resulted in his death.
3. David then married Bathsheba and she bore him a son.
4. God was very displeased with what David had done.
5. Nathan the prophet rebuked David for what he had done, telling him that his infant son would die.
6. David asked God to forgive him and He did and David pleaded with God to spare his son.
7. David fasted, was lying on the ground and refused to eat, get up and get dressed.
8. When his son died, he got up, got dressed, worshipped the Lord and ate.
What can we learn about depression from David?
- David felt hopeless about the impending death of his son.
- David withdrew from others.
- He refused to sleep or eat for seven days.
- He was dealing with a lot of guilt from what he had done.
- He was angry at himself for the sin he committed.
- He did not want to get up and get dressed.
- He laid on the floor.
What are some other circumstances that can make us feel depressed?
- Not enough rest
- Unhealthy diet of food
- Physical causes such as a chemical imbalance
- Negative thinking (poor self-esteem or unrealistic expectations)
- Loss of a loved one
- Serious illness
- Broken relationships
Although David's depression only lasted for a brief period of time, it was intense. Next time we will look at lessons David learned as he experienced his depression as well as some other helpful ways of dealing with depression.