Recent Events - Robin Williams (1)

The news has been filled with the tragic news of the death of a very talented, creative comic genius - Robin Williams. Many recount about his roles and the impact he has made. One thing that has been revealed is the battle he had with depression. The Psalmist speaks about this valley in Psalm 130 (HCSB) - 

1 Out of the depths I call to You, Yahweh!

2 Lord, listen to my voice;

let Your ears be attentive

to my cry for help.

3 Yahweh, if You considered sins,

Lord, who could stand?

4 But with You there is forgiveness,

so that You may be revered.

5 I wait for Yahweh; I wait

and put my hope in His word.

6 I wait for the Lord

more than watchmen for the morning—

more than watchmen for the morning.

7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord.

For there is faithful love with the Lord,

and with Him is redemption in abundance.

8 And He will redeem Israel

from all its sins.

We all go through times when we feel sad, down, blue - or whatever term we might use. Solomon spoke of it in Ecclesiastes, the writer of Hebrews referenced these times in Hebrews 4:16. Depression on the other hand is a deeper level of emotional turmoil, and has been said to affect 1 out of 5 people. This affects the individual, their family, coworkers as well as others who come in contact with the person.

Depression can be caused by many different factors - stress, fear, loneliness, guilt and anger are to name a few. David spoke of his unconfessed sin as being the basis of his depression in Psalm 38. Elijah on the other hand was depressed following a great spiritual victory (1 Kings 18 and 19). Medical factors and the abnormalities in the brain's functioning can attribute to this. Understanding all the possible reasons can give us a better understanding of what this disorder is about, and how widespread it is.

Tomorrow we will pause to consider symptoms that make up this disorder, and the following day we will speak of responding and recovering hope.

Today, ponder the words of the Psalmist. If you know someone who suffers from this malady - or if you are the one suffering - take hope in a God who can give victory even in the darkest times. There is light at the end of the tunnel, Christ is waiting for you. Pray for the family of Robin Williams, and take time to talk with God today about those you know who are suffering from this disorder.