The Day of Trouble: Depression, Scripture, and the God Who Is Near

“I’m so grateful for this thoughtful, balanced, holistic, and biblical book on depression. Forged in the fire of personal need, refined by the experience of counseling others, and founded upon the Scriptures, these pages will bring hope and help to many depressed Christians.”

“Joey Tomlinson brings the warmth of a pastor’s heart and the wisdom of a counselor’s experience to this helpful book. Unlike some well intentioned but mistaken approaches to treating depression, Joey offers no panaceas—whether medical, psychological, or spiritual. Instead, you will find balanced, holistic, and biblical tools for diagnosis and treatment, as well as a conversation partner who has both faced his own ‘day of trouble,’ and has firmly grasped the redemptive hope of Christ’s grace in the gospel.”

“The Day of Trouble is a pastoral, practical, and personal treatment of depression. It is personal in that Joey writes as a fellow struggler. It is pastoral in that he writes with wise depth to the struggles of human experience cultivated from pastoral ministry in the trenches with real people. And it is practical in that it is widely applicable to a variety of expressions of the experience of depression. I particularly found his chapter on asking questions in faith to be worth the price of the book. Many will find help in the pages of this book when their day of trouble comes.”

“It’s hard to write a truly helpful book on the serious and complicated topic of depression. Day of Trouble, is many good things; clear, compassionate, concise. But most of all this book is helpful. If you or someone you love struggles with depression, Joey Tomlinson’s book will speak your language, give you understanding, and point you to helpful gospel remedies for this dark and common trouble.”

“Joey Tomlinson, in his much-needed and timely book, The Day of Trouble: Depression, Scripture, and the God Who Is Near, masterfully tackles the issues of mental health and well-being from a Christian and biblical perspective. Speaking with a pastor’s heart, Tomlinson helps his readers wrestle with the spiritually, mentally, and physically debilitating scourge of depression. In seeking to help hurting people, Tomlinson draws from years of pastoral ministry as a counsellor, as well as drawing from the Bible, current medical and pharmaceutical studies, and tried-tested-and-true insights from other godly writers, preachers, and pastors both past and present. The result is a book that gives readers a well-grounded, balanced, applicable, and effective dose of biblical wisdom, godly encouragement, and convicting exhortation. This book is extremely helpful for all Christians–whether you’re managing personal challenges with mental health or helping others in treating theirs. Tomlinson doesn’t mince words in his direct and honest dealings with the subject, but his Christ-like love for his readers is evident on every page. The Day of Trouble is a well-written, sincere, and highly practical gift to the church, a book that sheds gospel-transforming light on an often overlooked and ignored area of the Christian life. I hope and pray that it is widely read among God’s people, for I know it will be a healing balm used by the Triune God to restore Christian joy to the minds and hearts of suffering souls.”

“If you have ever struggled with depression or are now, The Day of Trouble, written by my dear brother Joey, an experienced pastor and biblical counselor, will help you. The remedies prescribed in this book are rooted in Scripture and will help you grow in the grace of God and with others in your local church. Pick up a copy for yourself if you need it and another for a struggling friend.”