"The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation." (Exodus 34:6-7)

The Christian God is the Triune God. One God in three Persons. The first person of the Trinity is God the Father. The second person is Jesus Christ, and the third person is the Holy Spirit. God the Father is the Father of all creation. However, God the Father is also the Father of believers. When working in the world, Jesus called God the Father with the term Father. We, as God's children who believe in Christ, are also allowed to call Him Father. This is a warm term within the context of God's family. God the Father loves us, His children. "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1).

The closeness of the relationship with God is evident when we can call God Father. We can pray to God without fear of punishment because there is a close relationship between the Father and His children. As His children, we are certainly loved by Him. Therefore, it is necessary for sufferers of depression and other mental disorders to know God the Father who is All-Loving. Only the love of God can fill an empty soul, heal a wounded soul, and bring peace to the soul. Unfortunately, there are many things that often taint this concept. Factors that distort the concept of God the Father in our view are: ignorance, lies, false teaching, false prophets and teachers, denying thoughts, unhealthy personal relationships during early growth in the family, and poor examples from figures of authority (especially parents). All these factors can shape a concept of God that is cold, cruel, hateful and indifferent, evil and unforgiving, unpredictable and unreliable, self-serving, absent when needed, enjoying seeing people suffer, derogatory and unpleasant, rejecting, unfair, unjust, and biased.

For us who wrestle with the dark night of the soul/depression, we really need to know God the Father correctly. Because, knowing God makes us know ourselves correctly. The more we know God, the more we will know ourselves. And, as we get to know ourselves more, we will know God more. Knowledge of God will make our souls more stable. Sufferers of depression need to know who God is that they must rely on. What are the true character and attributes of God the Father? God is a God who is just, holy, wise, and true. He is also a God who is full of love, gentle, and forgiving. God is firm and reliable. His promises are pure and true. God loves with His abundant love. God is always there, present and willing to help. God is the giver of blessings and all good things. God preserves His people. What kind of God the Father should you, I, and sufferers of depression know?

God is our Protection. "You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word." (Psalm 119:114)

God is always present when we need help. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1)

God will never leave us. "I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:5)

God will give us comfort in difficult times. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

God has plans for us. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

God knows us deeply.
"You know when I sit and when I rise; you understand my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you, LORD, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!" (Psalm 139:2-6, 13-18)

God wants to help those who are hurt.
"The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles." (Psalm 34:18)

God is close to us.
"The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." (Psalm 145:18)

Hey, friends who are struggling with depression, come into the embrace of the Most Loving Father! Always remember that our Heavenly Father loves us!
If you have an earthly father who is not good, remember that our Heavenly Father is not like our earthly fathers. He is the source of all light so there is no darkness in Him.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17)

On the other hand, the Bible itself states that even an evil earthly father can still do good for his child. However, when compared to the perfect Heavenly Father, He far exceeds all that. We can always rely on the Heavenly Father whenever we need Him.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:9-13)

God the Father is a reliable God and we can depend on Him. Why? Because He is faithful to His covenant. One of God's beautiful characters is "steadfast love" (hesed). The Bible says that "His steadfast love endures forever." He remains faithful even when we are often unfaithful because He is faithful to His covenant.

The Most Loving God the Father, who loves His children, also wants us to be happy. Those suffering from depression certainly long to heal and recover from the struggle of the darkness of the soul. When a believer is healed by the Lord, it glorifies God. Because, as explained before, the glory of God is an important theocentric principle.

However, when God allows someone to struggle with dark nights of the soul/depression, it does not mean that their suffering cannot glorify God. God can use the struggle of dark nights of the soul/depression to bring us growth and to be more shaped like the Lord Jesus. It is good for someone who struggles with dark nights of the soul/depression and other mental disorders to struggle in their weakness if it brings them to the process of sanctification. Because that might be the way that can make them know themselves better and grow. The experience of dark nights of the soul/depression and mental disorders is not always bad. All these weaknesses can be used to reveal the power of God's grace.

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

"In the heavy struggle of life experienced, those who suffer from depression need to continually remember the fundamental principle found in the Lord's Prayer, which is 'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.' The phrase 'hallowed be thy name' contains the meaning that the Father's name should be glorified. When we know the Father's character, we will be thankful and glorify Him. Therefore, it is not surprising that when experiencing the dark night of the soul/depression, we can still have the desire to glorify the Father's name in our lives.

Thus, the ultimate goal of humanity to glorify God also applies to those who wrestle with the dark night of the soul. And, we need to be thankful because God's glory is manifested through the happiness of believers. God will always give the best to those He loves. When we glorify His name, we will find happiness in Him. Therefore, let us continue to believe and depend on our Heavenly Father who loves us."

Heavenly Father

Heavenly Father, teach me to recognize
How deep Your love is
Heavenly Father, make me understand
How great Your love is for me

Everything that happens in my life
Teach me to realize that You are always with me
In my heart, always grateful to You
Because Your plan is beautiful for me.

Heavenly Father, teach me to recognize
How deep Your love is
Heavenly Father, make me understand
How great Your love is for me

Everything that happens in my life
Teach me to realize You are always with me (always with me)
In my heart, always grateful to You
Because Your plan is beautiful for me.

Heavenly Father, make me understand
How great Your love is for me
Everything that happens in my life
Teach me to realize You are always with me (always with me)

In my heart, always grateful to You
Because Your plan is beautiful for me
In my heart, always grateful to You
Because Your plan is beautiful for me
Because Your plan is beautiful for me.
(Popular spiritual song, taken from various sources)