Despite being well-loved and respected, nineteenth-century Baptist minister Charles Spurgeon suffered from acute depression throughout his ministry. Yet even at his most distressed he could say, “There is still a blessed quietness in the deep caverns of my soul.”
Spurgeon’s reassurance came from meditating upon Jesus’ own dark night of the soul. As he remarked, “Our Lord once said, ‘My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.’ There was no sin in Him, and consequently none in His deep depression.”
Struggling with our mental wellbeing doesn’t imply that we’re too unworthy or too sinful for God. We’re simply burdened by a world that is marred by sin and death. Our Saviour Jesus knew deep “sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38) as He considered the weight and cost of sin.
Rather than suffering alone, we can follow the positive actions that Jesus modelled. For instance, He asked His disciples to “stay here and keep watch” (v. 38). We too need fellow believers to bolster our faith in hard times. Then Jesus prayerfully placed His life in His Father’s hands: “Not as I will, but as you will” (v. 39). When the gloom of life clouds our vision, we can trust in the One who always sees the way ahead.
Dark days don’t mean we’ve failed. As Jesus modelled, our Father will be our help and comfort for those seasons.
By Chris Wale
REFLECT & PRAY
When you are feeling low, what encouragement do you gain from reflecting on Jesus’ own dark night of the soul? Who might you be able to ask to pray with you?
Heavenly Father, in my time of distress and sorrow, help me to cling to You in prayer. If I feel like I have hit rock bottom, remind me that You are right there with me.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In Matthew 26:36–39, we catch a crystal-clear glimpse of the Saviour’s humanity. The Last Supper is over. Jesus has foretold Judas’s betrayal (v. 25) and predicted the disciples’ abandonment of Him (vv. 31–35). Now they’re in the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus often brought His disciples (Luke 21:37; 22:39 ). As He prepares to talk to His Father, Jesus tells the disciples, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” (Matthew 26:38). Think of it! In this, His darkest hour, the Creator of the cosmos requests the company of His friends.
Jesus goes a short distance away to pray, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me” (v. 39). Yet even Jesus doesn’t get all His prayers answered with a yes. Soon He will cry out from the cross, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” (27:46). The cup of suffering will not be taken from Him. He will drink it in our place. And He will do it alone.
God has promised us, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). When I face my darkest moments, do I believe this?
Tim Gustafson
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