Finding God in the Valley of Depression
Written by Whitney Buzbee
Depression is heavy. It can feel like walking through a fog with no clear path ahead, or like carrying a weight that no one else can see. For many, it’s not simply a passing sadness but a persistent shadow that makes daily life feel overwhelming. And for Christians, the struggle is often compounded with guilt—wondering why we can’t simply “pray it away.”
But the truth is, the Bible does not hide the reality of depression. God’s people have faced it, too.
Think of Elijah. After his great victory over the prophets of Baal, he collapsed under a broom tree and prayed that he might die (1 Kings 19:4). David poured out his soul in the Psalms, saying, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?” (Psalm 42:5). Even Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane, confessed that His soul was “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38).
If you are struggling with depression, you are not faithless. You are human—and you are not alone.
One of the most comforting truths in Scripture is that God does not abandon us in our low places. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). He does not demand that we put on a happy face before coming to Him. Instead, He draws near to us in our pain.
Sometimes healing comes through prayer, sometimes through Scripture, sometimes through counseling or medicine. All are gifts from God’s hand, and none diminish His power.
Depression can make tomorrow feel impossible, but our hope is not rooted in our feelings. Our hope is rooted in Christ. He is the One who walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4), and He is the One who promises that joy will come in the morning (Psalm 30:5).
It may not come overnight. It may not come easily. But God’s light is stronger than the deepest darkness.
If you are depressed, know this: you are seen, you are loved, and you are not forgotten. Cry out to God honestly, even if all you can say is, “Help me.” Reach out to others who can walk with you. Remember that your worth is not tied to your emotions, but to the One who created you.
And if you are walking alongside someone who is depressed, be gentle. Listen more than you speak. Pray faithfully. Remind them that they are not alone.
