Deep Riches

It might seem strange to review a book like this during the Christmas season. The fact is that the holidays are a well-known trigger for depression. From SAD, to fatigue, to unmet expectations, the unique stresses from November through January often drag the susceptible into more than a mild case of the blues. Those who have lost a loved one are particularly vulnerable. Though this 40+ year old book will not make the Christmas best-seller list in your local Christian bookstore, it probably should.

Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Curehas been developed from a series of twenty-one sermons Dr. Lloyd-Jones delivered from the pulpit of the Westminster Chapel in London. The chapters (sermons) are a series of textual expositions designed as an exposition of the overarching text of Psalm 42. Each chapter serves as a scriptural component to deliver on the promise of the title. For those of us who not only believe Scripture is inerrant and infallible, but sufficient as well, this book is refreshing. It gives no quarter to humanist philosophy or psychology, relying instead on the power of God as revealed in His Word. A word of caution—the causes he lists are convicting and the cures are difficult. But, as the final chapter triumphantly concludes, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

“Tis the season to be JOLLY!”
—J.P. McCaskey, 1881