Weathering the Blues SESSION 6 SESSION Ion
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Bible Studies for Life SESSION 6 Weathering the Blues The Point God lifts us up when we feel down. The Passage Psalm 31:1-8 The Bible Meets Life Sometimes we just get down. I’m not referring to clinical depression—that’s a whole different matter. Some call it the blues, the blahs, or the doldrums, but whatever it’s called, we’re not at our best. January 18, 2021, has been identified as Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year. For fifteen years now, the third Monday of January has been identified as a depressing day because the excitement of Christmas is well past; many have failed in their New Year’s resolutions by this time; they’re now facing the bills and debt accrued at Christmas; and the weather remains bleak. Well-meaning family or friends will try to “talk us out of” our feelings. “What have you got to be sad about?!” “You just need to turn that frown upside down.” In my experience, those clichés don’t help. But the issue remains: what do we do when we have a bout of the blues? King David wrote some amazing psalms of praise, but he also wrote psalms that reflected his troubled soul. Through his words in Psalm 31, we find the best answer to the blues. The Setting The superscription or heading of this psalm of David designates its usage by the music director in worship. The psalm’s tone fluctuates between lament and thanksgiving. The nature of David’s troubles remains unclear. He may have been ill or wrongly accused. He felt alone and forsaken. Although emotionally distressed and physically drained, the psalmist chose not to let his situation get him down. In Psalm 31 David conveyed unwavering trust in the Lord. 66 SES S ION 6 © 2020 LifeWay Christian Resources THE POINT God lifts us up when we feel down. GET INTO THE STUDY ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): If the weather 5 MINUTES is nice, take the group on a short walk outside . If the weather is not so great, ask members to look out a window (even if you have to walk to a hall) . Encourage people not to talk, but to observe elements of nature . Take in the sounds and sights of creation . Back in the room, ask members to share how breathing fresh air and experiencing God’s creation made them feel—good, better, or worse . Discuss how experiencing God’s creation is one way God lifts us up when we feel down . Then ask Question #1 . DISCUSS: Question #1 on page 53 of the PSG: “What are some things that lift your spirits when you’re feeling down?” Allow time for each person to respond . GUIDE: Direct group members to “The Bible Meets Life” on page 54 of the PSG . Introduce the importance of turning to God when we feel down by reading or summarizing the text or by encouraging group members to read it on their own . GUIDE: Call attention to “The Point” on page 54 of the PSG: “God lifts us up when we feel down.” PRAY: Transition into the study by asking God to help the group understand the importance of turning to God when we are feeling down . Thank Him for lifting us up and putting us on solid ground, often through help from one another . BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 67 © 2020 LifeWay Christian Resources STUDY THE BIBLE Psalm 31:1-2 10 MINUTES 1 Lord, I seek refuge in you; let me never be disgraced. Save me by your righteousness. 2 Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly. Be a rock of refuge for me, a mountain fortress to save me. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Psalm 31:1-2 on page 55 of the PSG . GUIDE: Use the commentary for the verses on the next page of this Leader Guide to help explain what it means for God to save us in this context . RECAP: We’re not lacking for suggestions on how to beat the blues . Some advice focuses on connecting with others; for example, talk to a friend or play with a dog for an hour . Other suggestions center on the physical: engage in vigorous exercise, drink coffee, eat more seafood, and take vitamin and mineral supplements . (Let me stress again that clinical depression is very different from the moments of depression or the blues we can all experience . Medical supervision or the use of prescribed medications is necessary for many people dealing with clinical depression ). Many of these suggestions are sound ideas whether we’re feeling down or not . (I’m all for playing with a dog for an hour every day ). While many of these ideas may benefit some people but not others, I am confident that we can all practice and benefit from one task: trust in God . ALTERNATE QUESTION: What are some DISCUSS: Question #2 on page 55 of the PSG: “What are some circumstances barriers to that tend to bring you down?” confronting ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): Use the Weights and Scale option on page 65 of this depression? Leader Guide to illustrate how things can weigh us down . RECAP: When we find ourselves in the pit of misery, sometimes we can’t lift ourselves out . We have no righteousness of our own we can call on . But we can look to God . God brings His righteousness to all who choose to trust their lives to Jesus Christ . David’s problems and concerns may have weighed heavily on him, but he looked to the God he knew and trusted . Whatever weighed him down was no match for a righteous God . Just as David cried to God for His help and righteous intervention, we can too . TRANSITION: Problems and concerns can weigh us down emotionally . In the next verses, we see that we should take our concerns to God . 68 SES S ION 6 © 2020 LifeWay Christian Resources THE POINT God lifts us up when we feel down. Psalm 31:1-2 Commentary [VERSE 1] David began this psalm with an appeal of the verb’s usages occur, the poet often addressed to the Lord, the personal name for God, Yahweh. the verb to God, usually as a testimony of praise for This covenant title conveys God’s nearness, His deliverance or as an imperative seeking deliverance. concern for human beings, and the revelation of How did David expect the Lord to save him? Not His redemptive purpose. When problems and on the basis of any merits of David but rather on concerns weighed David down, he turned to the the grounds of the Lord’s righteousness. The word Lord with whom he had a personal relationship. Like refers to an ethical, moral standard. In Scripture that David, we all experience moments of depression standard is the Lord’s nature and will. or the blues. Such depression differs from clinical The psalmist continued his plea for depression. Medical supervision or prescribed [VERSE 2] deliverance. First David implored the Lord to medication can benefit many individuals dealing listen to his cry for help. This Hebrew literally with clinical depression. We can be grateful for closely means “incline Your ear.” It conveys the desire that these medical breakthroughs. Their use does not the Lord pay attention and grant the petitioner’s reflect lack of faith in God. Whatever the nature of his request. David not only wanted the Lord to problems, David sought refuge in the Lord. The verb rescue him but also requested that the Lord act quickly. The translated seek refuge also can be rendered “flee basic sense of rescue is that of pulling out, drawing for protection” or “put trust.” Thus David emphaticly out, or snatching away. The personal deliverance declared trust in the Lord. The idea of taking refuge desired is often physical but not without spiritual may derive from the experiences of fugitives or overtones or implications. Employing two images of soldiers who often found protection in the hills or safety or defense in the ancient world, the psalmist mountains. David’s need to seek refuge stresses the entreated Yahweh to be his and insecurity and self-helplessness of those we may rock of refuge The use of rocky locations as perceive as the strongest men. The fact the psalmist mountain fortress. havens of security led to the imagery of God as a did not identify his specific difficulties makes the rock of protection. The specific word translated poem applicable to various adversities we may face. refuge can designate natural or humanly constructed David continued his plea to Yahweh by asking that places of safety, but it is most often used to specify he might never be disgraced. The verb also could be God as His people’s refuge. The word rendered rendered “be ashamed.” This word primarily means fortress can also be translated “stronghold.” “fall into disgrace,” usually through one’s own failure The Hebrew verb translated in Psalm 31:2 or through the failure of someone who has been save differs from the one translated “save” in verse 1. The trusted. The Hebrew stands somewhat in contrast to term here is related to the names “Joshua” and later what we usually mean by being ashamed. Whereas “Jesus” (see Matt. 1:21). The kinds of distress from the English typically stresses the inner attitude, the which God’s people needed deliverance in the Old Hebrew emphasizes the external or public disgrace. Testament included enemies, illnesses, plagues, or The word can convey the nuances of confusion, famines. Generally, however, the term had strong humiliation, brokenness, and disillusionment.