Psalm 123

A Simple Song For Help

A Song of Ascents.

1 To you I do lift up my eyes,
you who sit in the heavens.
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress;
so our eyes look to YHWH, our God,
until he has mercy on us.
3 Have mercy on us, YHWH, have mercy on us,
for we have endured much contempt.
4 Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease,
with the contempt of the proud.

World English Bible

When have you felt abandoned and in need of help? Who helped you? How did they help you?

We all recognize despair can cripple the human spirit. But, even mild depression can debilitate our activity. Feeling down can sap our energy and drive. Such negative feelings interfere with our well-being for we feel alone as if no one can help us. If we do reach out for help, depression can make our efforts half-hearted and unsuccessful. After all, who wants to help someone who doesn't want to help themselves?

Psalm 123 captured the spirit of the person in depression. It was a prayer of the lowly, the vassal who looked on the hand of his or her master for direction (123:2-3). The cause of the depression seemed to be the overbearing of others (unjust, idolatrous overlords like the Babylonians?). This simple song pleaded for the Lord's favor that implied a rescue from the haughty and arrogant.

Many times, negative feelings may bring us down. They may interfere with our activities, even our faith. These are the times to pray honestly to God: admit the depths of our feelings and ask God for relief. We might not feel that our lives have turned a corner but we can take comfort we have not given up on our Maker. Depression can co-exist with prayer.

How have you prayed in times of depression? Did these times strengthen your relationship with God or not? If so, how?