What happens when you feel that you have done your very best. Still the world collapses around you? You have prayed night and day for your country, your family, your friends as you watch everything going up in flames. All your labor you see as inconsequential. So many miracles realized. God’s glory displayed as never before. You ran with excitement, knowing this would be the moment. Surely, everything would be wonderful. But alas, the thing you had most wanted does not happen. Not the way you thought it should. Depression Overwhelms your heart. Is there anyplace to turn where you can find hope? Did you fail? Was it your fault?
Elijah did as God commanded. The Glory of God shown forth with brilliance as the sacrifice was lit with fire from God. All the people and King Ahab witnessed this. They had witnessed God’s power and resolve when the rain stopped for 3 years and six months. And then returned as promised when Elijah prayed. God used Elijah to show forth the Sovereignty of God and the powerlessness of the fake other gods they worshiped. Their useless gods were symbols of their imaginations, fed by their own sinful desires and the wish to justify their depravity of spirit and life.
As the rainstorm began, Elijah ran alongside the Kings Chariot. Can you imagine His heart beating with glee? After all this, surely a revival would break out. All the evil priests were dead. God was fully vindicated. Certainly, they would all turn from their sins to follow God. The King and Israel would be saved at last.
But instead, Queen Jezebel threatened Elijah’s life. He ran in fear. Sorrow gripped his heart. Elijah cast aside his shield of faith, as depression shot its darts deep within his heart.
When Depression Overwhelms Your Heart
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, including a detailed account of how he killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning,[a] “May the gods judge me severely[b] if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!”[c] 3 Elijah was afraid,[d] so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there, 4 while he went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He went and sat down under a shrub[e] and asked the Lord to take his life:[f] “I’ve had enough! Now, O Lord, take my life. After all, I’m no better than my ancestors.” I Kings 19 (NET).
Notice: he plead for God to take his life because he saw himself to be “no better than those who had rejected God.” This was the first time we are told he went anywhere without it being by God’s direct command. Yet here he was in the depths of depression. Did he see his own sin of either pride, fear, or faithlessness? Did he believe the lack of revival was because of hidden sin in his own life?
What About Us When Depression Overwhelms?
How easily one falls after some amazing miracle. High from the “glory” we cast aside our shield of faith. Heart wide open to Satan’s arrows we take a hit. Then depression overwhelms and we withdraw to a place of solitude. Why is that? Does pride seep in from all the victories? Or fear driving us away, when just for a second, we do not hear God’s voice directing us? It is that way, when faith fades and fears rise within us, we cannot hear God’s clear voice. Even if this is only for a split second in time, we run away.
There Is A Time When Running Stops
There is only so far one can run before it becomes necessary to stop for a while.
5 (Elijah) stretched out[h] and fell asleep under the shrub. I King 19
Point 1 When Depression overwhelms your heart—take time for rest and nourishment.
The Kindness of God Brings Hope and Rest
Suddenly an angelic messenger[i] touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked and right there by his head was a cake baking on hot coals and a jug of water. He ate and drank and then slept some more.[j] 7 The angel of the Lord came back again, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, for otherwise you won’t be able to make the journey.”[k] 8 So he got up and ate and drank. That meal gave him the strength to travel forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. I Kings 19 (NET)
Notice, God did not rebuke him for his fear. Instead, God sent an angel to feed him and to watch over him. God realized that he was tired and needed nourishment and rest before he would be ready to go on. Then he traveled for forty days and forty nights. Some believe this was symbolic of the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the desert near Horeb because of their disobedience. However, I rather see it as God’s grace presenting a picture of Christ who would go for forty days and forty nights in the desert without food or drink while being tempted by Satan. Do note the one meal gave him “the strength to travel forty days and forty nights to reach the mountain of God.”
Also of note, where did Elijah head? To the mountain of God to seek refuge there. God has not yet spoken to him. His despair is real still; but he is seeking to find God’s voice again.
So, point 2 when Depression overwhelms your heart—seek God with all your being. Go to a place you know He is present.
God Speaks to His servant
9 He went into a cave there and spent the night. Suddenly the Lord’s message came to him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” 10 He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal[l] to the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,[m] even though the Israelites have abandoned the covenant they made with you,[n] torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.”[o]
Notice: “I Alone Am LEFT”—Wow! Have you ever felt that way? It is a deeply lonely place to be when Depression overwhelms your heart. I wish I could say, I have never been there. But I have too often and usually after I have majorly failed God. Caught in my own self’s pity party. It is good to know that God responded with such grace. He did begin first with a command that was not even adhered to.
11 The Lord[p] said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. Look, the Lord is ready to pass by.” I Kings 19.
He did not go at first. Was he ashamed or afraid or still just depressed?
A very powerful wind went before the Lord, digging into the mountain and causing landslides,[q] but the Lord was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper.[r]
Point #3: When Depression Overwhelms Your Heart: Do not get distracted by all the chaos around you—Remember God is on your side.
If God is for us, who can be[i] against us? Romans 8:31
The Gentleness of God
Psalm 103 (NKJV)
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
14 For He [a]knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is [b]gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And so, it was for Elijah. When he heard God’s whisper, he remembered His grace.
After the fire, there was a soft whisper.[r] 13 When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Suddenly[s] a voice asked him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” 14 He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal[t] to the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,[u] even though the Israelites have abandoned the covenant they made with you, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.”[v]
Point #4: When Depression Overwhelms You—be honest with yourself and with God. He knows what you are thinking anyway, so just say it out loud so you can hear it yourself.
God Recommissions His Prophet to a New Area
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came and then head for the wilderness of Damascus. Go and anoint Hazael king over Syria. 16 You must anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to take your place as prophet. 17 Jehu will kill anyone who escapes Hazael’s sword, and Elisha will kill anyone who escapes Jehu’s sword. 18 I still have left in Israel 7,000 followers who have not bowed their knees to Baal or kissed the images of him.”[w]
New commission, you will go out and anoint the King of Syria (the one who will attack Israel). It was Hazael who fought against Israel and Judah, taking possession of all of Israel east of the Jordan. Although he does not take over as King until well after Elijah’s death; yet, he was anointed to become King against a lot of odds. But God always accomplishes what He determines to do.
Furthermore, God told Elijah that he was not alone. He was to train his predecessor and there were 7000 Israelite who were faithful to God.
Point #5: When Depression Overwhelms Your Heart: God loves you so much He will not leave you here one second beyond the last task He has for you to do on this earth.
God Takes Elijah Home
There were some other missions that Elijah carried out including his foretelling of Ahab’s death and the death of Ahab’s son as well. Then God called him home.
Ahab knew it was nearing time as God ordered him to Gilgal, to Jericho and then to Jordan. Each step of this journey, he told Elisha to stay behind. But Elisha refused to leave his side. At each stop they spoke with other Godly prophets who also told Elisha, God is going to take your master home soon. Then they came to the Jordan. Elijah dipped his rod in and the waters parted just as they had for the Moses long before. He walked across with Elisha at his side (since Elisha refused to leave him).
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11 And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.
Point #6: When Depression Overwhelms Your Heart: God has gone to prepare a place for you and I where we will live forever with Him. Just a little while longer and we will see His face.
POINT #7: When Depression Overwhelms Your Heart:
Never ever forget! This life regardless of how long you may live is but a blink of the eye compared to eternity.
7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power[o] belongs to God and does not come from us. 8 We are experiencing trouble on every side,[p] but are not crushed; we are perplexed,[q] but not driven to despair; 9 we are persecuted, but not abandoned;[r] we are knocked down,[s] but not destroyed, 10 always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus,[t] so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible[u] in our body. ... 14 We do so[ab] because we know that the one who raised up Jesus[ac] will also raise us up with Jesus and will bring us with you into his presence.
15 For all these things are for your sake, so that the grace that is including[ad] more and more people may cause thanksgiving to increase[ae] to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not despair,[af] but even if our physical body[ag] is wearing away, our inner person[ah] is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary, light suffering[ai] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison 18 because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. (2Corinthians 4) NET
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Credits
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New English Translation (NET)
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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