This Bible Study is is provided by http://www.theseason.org/ and shared with permission from it's author R. Christopherson

These Psalms have been long, but the purpose of doing them is to put to practice what we learn by studying them. By self-examination, and learning to lean on our heavenly Father for help and strength, and all the other pieces of advice will give you the strength of make the stand all the way to the end, the coming of our Lord and Savior. Tell Him that you love Him and that you need His help when you come to those times of trail in your life. That is why these psalms are written the way that they are, for each of them will strengthen you as you live your life in this flesh and blood world. He wants you to live a healthy life, applying the wisdom of His Word.

We started this line of study in 139 with "delivery from self", for self is the demands that your flesh body makes on your soul or inner body, and we must learn to control that flesh body's mind and being at all times. Then in Psalms 140 and 141, after we cried out, after self examining ourselves, it left us down and in mental pain. Yet we saw that God would deliver us from that torment. So now we will see in Psalms 142 the comfort that God will give us.

Psalms 142:1 "I cried unto the Lord with my voice; With my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication."

We must continually remember where our strength comes from, as we check up on our-self, for God is aware of our every thought. He will lead us into the path we are to take, when we ask for His guidance. He knew you in that first earth age, even before you were born, and he knows every thing that you do. You can't hide your problems from him, so get in the habit of making supplication to the Lord when you face those problems in your daily life.

So to understand this Psalms 142, picture David hiding away in the cave, hiding from all his problems. Saul was trying to kill him, and everything was not going well for him. "Mascil" means instruction, and by using the words of this chapter, it is a set of instructions for us when we feel like hiding from the world problems that come down on us. So this is our "Instruction for depression". If you follow the instruction given in our Father's Word, there is no need to be depressed.

Notice that when David was at the end of his rope, he didn't draw back into himself, but he cried out to the Lord. He asked God for help in His problem. He made supplication with his voice; meaning that he stated his problems as he saw them out loud with his voice.

Psalms 142:2 "I poured out my complaint before Him; I shewed before Him my trouble."

If there is a person you can trust for keeping your problem quiet and between you, it helps to confide in someone. However it helps much more when you confide in the Lord, and let Him know what is bothering you when you are by yourself. This is what David is doing. Father wants you to state your problems, and hear you ask for help from Him. He want to know from your lips that you trust Him for His direction and care of your life.

Psalms 142:3 "When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me."

Remember that David was depressed, in this dark cave, and his spirit was over-whelmed within him. So while in that state of deep emotional stress; "then I remembered that You knewest my path". I know that those people outside the cave have set a trap for me out there.

So stop and think now. If you know that Father knows all about you, and your problems, and if you know that there are snares out there, do you think that Father will allow you to fall into their traps unaware? Of course not. So its time to use a little common sense, and ask God for instruction through that field of snares and traps, and He will. God loves you for you are His child, learn to rely on those promises that He has given you through His Word.

Psalms 142:4 "I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: Refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul."

Even with all those men that stood with David in battle, there was no man there that cared for David's soul, as he hid there in that cave. Even when you think that you are alone, you are never alone, for Father is there ready to fight your battles for you, when you ask for that help. Remember that God will not interfere in your life, unless you ask Him for His help.

Psalms 142:5 "I cried unto Thee, O Lord: I said, "Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living." "

First of all, the "land of the living" does not refer to this earth age of flesh man, where most of the people are dead spiritually. The land of the living is the place where those that have eternal life are come together. Lord, draw me to those that have eternal life. God's elect are very precious, because they can walk and communicate with others that are in that land of the living. God is their refuge there in the land of the living, and He can lead you to those that think and believe like you do. God opens the spiritual eyes and ears of those that trust him.

Psalms 142:6 "Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: Deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I."

In those times where you feel very depressed; the weight of the world seems to be down on your head. The bills have piled up, the pressures of family life and the job are coming down hard on your; and you just can't seem to think straight anymore. That is the time to get by yourself, like David is here in this darkened cave, and cry out to the Lord. Tell Him what your problems are, state them for a fact, and name those problems one by one before the Lord. Let the Lord know that those problems are greater than you can handle, and turn them over to Him. He has asked you to do exactly that. Jesus instructed us in Matthew 11:28;

Matthew 11 28 "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

There is rest for you when you take your burdens to the Lord in prayer. When people talk about you, and the job gets to heavy to handle by yourself.

Matthew 11:29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

The "yoke" is used when there is pulling to be done on the farm, and one of the animals is not strong enough to pull his own weight on the plow. The yoke shifts the heavy weight from the old wore out animal onto the stronger animal, and both pull up to what they are capable of handling. Jesus is asking you to hook yourself up to his yoke, and let Him do the pulling for you. It doesn't mean that you don't pull, but you do what you can, and learn to trust the Lord to handle the rest. Our Lord is meek and lowly in heart, he wants to hear those things that are troubling to you, for you are His child. He wants to help you just as you would your own child. You will find rest for your soul, peace of mind when you learn to rely on our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 11:30 "For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

Our Lord's yoke is easy, all it requires is that you see your problem and cry out to Him for help. Father can change minds of those that would do your harm, He can make a way for the bills to be paid, He can open your mind to see a way through with your problem, and he can remove the burden from off your shoulder, if you allow Him to. David learned that lesson very early in life, and when He saw the giant putting terror in the minds of Israel's army, he knew immediately who to turn to. He put his trust in the Lord, and stated that fact as he knelt down at the creek to select those five stone that would bring down Israel's enemy. That same love and strength is there for you to claim when those giants come up in your life. It is you that must "learn to lean on the Lord."

You are never alone in this life, for God placed your soul in your embryo when it was in the womb of your mother, and He has not lost contact with you. He sees you and knows your troubles, but he will not interfere in your life. He is waiting for you to make the move to Him in repentance, and call out to Him for His help. It doesn't matter that your enemies and depression is greater than you are, for when God is on your side, Our Heavenly Father that is in you and with you can over come any problem or depression that is before you. But it is up to you to ask for that help. Come to the land of the Living, come into the presence of those that have eternal life and have fellowship with them. It will pick you up both mentally and spiritually.

Psalms 142:7 "Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Thy name: The righteous shall compass me about; For Thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

Ask God to bring you out of the trouble your in, and He will. Then when He does, don't forget to thank him for that help. Father will turn your depression into a beautiful thing. Those burdens will become beacons of light, reminding you of the help that is there just for your asking. Then as you follow Him in your spiritual life, He will use you to guide and lead others into the same path that you have taken. Others will see the foundation that you have set your feet on, they will look to you for help. The strength that you gain for your life through Christ will be seen by others, and they will see that they can trust in the Lord and His Word also. This is the one true way of overcome depression that would bring us down, and lift our soul out of that prison that Satan would like to snare us into.

Psalms 119:122 "Be surety for Thy servant for good: Let not the proud oppress me."