When You Feel Depressed: 1 Kings 18:41 - 19:18
There are three types of Christian experiences, according to Vance Havner, a well-known Southern Baptist pastor.
1. Mountaintop days: Everything is going well and the world looks bright. These experiences are temporary: They can't go on forever. It is unrealistic to expect, as many people do, that we can spend life leaping from one mountain peak to another as if there were no plains or valleys in between.
2. Ordinary days: Working at our usual tasks. We're neither elated or depressed.
3. Dark days: We trudge heavily through confusion, doubt, despair, and discouragement. Sometimes these days string out into months or even years before we begin to experience a sense of relief and victory. When they persist, dark days are days of depression.
Discouragement, depression, despair and doubt all seem to go hand in hand. Being discouraged is a natural emotion that everyone faces from time to time. Jesus himself suffered from a time of discouragement or depression. In Mark 14:33, Jesus was about to be handed over to the authorities to be crucified. Going up the a place called Gethsemane to pray, the Bible tells us that he "began to be greatly distressed and troubled." The word "troubled" in the Greek means to be "Full of heaviness."
Have you ever felt full of heaviness? You're not alone. The prophet Elijah struggled immensely with a time of discouragement and depression. Yet in our passage we find the answer to getting through and overcoming this emotion in our own lives.
BACKGROUND
Elijah had just completed a stunning victory on Mt. Carmel. He had challenged King Ahab and his 450 prophets of Baal to a contest in order to discover whose God was the One True God (1 Kings 18:24.) After an entire day of the prophets of Baal crying out to their god to no avail, it was Elijah's turn. With one simple prayer, Jehovah blasted the altar with fire that consumed everything in its path (1 Kings 18:38.) In addition, Elijah had the people take the prophets of Baal down the mountain where they were killed for leading the people away from God and for making human sacrifices of innocent people (Jeremiah 7:31; 19:4-6.)
THE SOUND OF RUSHING RAIN (1 Kings 18:41-46)
Drought had persisted in Israel for three and a half years. Now it was time for the drought to end. Elijah first prophesied to King Ahab that rain would not fall on the land "Except by my word." Not until Elijah prayed to the True God of heaven would the land get its first drink.
The rain was coming and it was going to be torrential. Elijah told Ahab to get some food and drink, because the drought was over. There was probably no doubt in King Ahab's mind that Elijah meant what he said. Ahab had just witnessed a miracle that proved Elijah was speaking for Jehovah. After such a long drought, Ahab could finally relax and enjoy a meal, knowing that the land would be saved.
While King Ahab enjoyed his meal, Elijah traveled back to the top of Mt. Carmel to pray to God that he would send rain on the land. It is here that we get our first indication that Elijah was running out of spiritual and physical steam.
Earlier that day, Elijah had made the trek to the top of Mt. Carmel (elevation 1,792 ft.) He had challenged the prophets of Baal, waited for them to summon their false god, built his own altar, watched Jehovah perform a miracle, traveled down the mountain for the execution of the prophets of Baal, and climbed back up to the top of the mountain to pray to God for rain. It had been a long, trying, and emotionally draining day.
Verse 42 says when he reached the top of the mountain he "cast himself down and put his face between his knees." We can just picture a man, exhausted, yet compelled to finish his task. It’s like a picture of a man standing watch, keeping a lookout, not leaving his post. The prophet Habakkuk said, "I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me..." (2:1).
We're not told the exact words of Elijah's prayer (although we know he prayed specifically for rain, James 5:18), but he prayed it at least eight times. Each time his servant would run to a little ridge on the mountain and look toward the sea for any sign of rain. The final time Elijah's servant reported back that there was a "little cloud like a man's hand...rising from the sea" and Elijah knew that was it; That little cloud would form into giant cumulonimbus clouds that would drench the land with life giving water.
Elijah gave Ahab fair warning that the rain was coming so he could get his chariots back to the city (about 10 miles away) before the roads became clogged with mud and debris.
Exhausted as Elijah was, God gave him supernatural power to run ahead of Ahab to the city of Jezreel where Elijah arrived first (1 Kings 18:46).
THE DEATH THREAT (1 Kings 19:1-2)
There is no doubt that Ahab was excited to tell Jezebel what had happened on Mt. Carmel. You should have been there!, might have been the first words out of his mouth. In relating his story to Jezebel it is important to note that Ahab never said, "You should have seen what Jehovah did!" Rather, he told her "all that Elijah had done...” After hearing the story of what had happened, instead of Jezebel believing in Jehovah, she sent out a death threat to Elijah.
ELIJAH LOSES HEART (1 Kings 19:3-4)
God had just performed some of the most amazing miracles through Elijah.
- Fed him by sending ravens twice a day with food (1 Kings 17:4,6)
- Provided an unending supply of food for a widow and her son (1 Kings 17:14)
- Raised the widow's son from death (1 Kings 17:22)
- Challenged the prophets of Baal and won (1 Kings 18:39,40)
- Prayer was answered for rain (1 Kings 18:45)
- Ran 10 miles, beating a chariot (1 Kings 18:46)
Yet even with all of these acts of God, Elijah became dreadfully afraid of Jezebel because of her death threat. And he "Ran for his life!" His faith suddenly failed him! He ran to Beersheba (and then, after leaving his servant, went a day's journey farther into the wilderness), which is just about as far south in Israel as he could go.
DARK DAYS OF DESPAIR (1 Kings19:4-5)
It was over. Elijah had gone as far as he possibly could go. He could run no further (or so he thought). He felt there was no use for his life. What good had it all been? God performed all those miracles, but now Jezebel was going to kill him. Is that all life is; you do good things an then you die? Elijah could do no more -- he quit. He "sat down...and asked that he might die."
Elijah did two things that are classic signs of deep depression. First, he was ready to die (vs. 4), and second, he fell asleep (vs. 5). But God wasn't finished with Elijah.
CAKE THAT HEALS (1 Kings 19:5-8)
Elijah needed sleep. He also needed food. He had been on the run. Barely getting any sleep or food. God knew that he needed both and as he slept God prepared a wonderful meal for Elijah. A fresh cake was baking on hot stones right near his head and a cool jar of water was next to it. An angel awakened Elijah and he ate the cake and drank the water. Then he fell back to sleep. After sleeping for a while the angel awakened him again and told him to eat more because his journey was not over. He was now to travel 200 miles in forty days and forty nights to Mt. Horeb (Sinai), where God had given the Ten Commandments (the Law) to Moses -- There was still more for him to do!
A NEW JOURNEY (1 Kings 19:8-10)
God met Elijah at a cave on Mt. Horeb and asked him a simple question, "What are you doing here?" Elijah began to spew out his own self-righteousness to God. He turned all of the attention on himself:
- "I have been very jealous for the Lord."
- "I, even I only, am the only prophet left."
- "They want to take my life."
He was proclaiming to God that he was the only faithful one left in the land. He was saying, "Why do I have to suffer? I've done everything right? I'm the only believer in the land and yet I'm being pursued to be killed? Why ME?
ELIJAH IGNORES GOD (1 Kings 19:11-13)
After Elijah vented, God told him to "Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD." But Elijah stayed in the cave; he was too depressed and discouraged to listen to God's commands. [When we fail to listen to God it is because of our own self-centeredness] Elijah was putting all the focus on himself; it was a Woe is me mentality. When he focused on himself he fell into depression. When Elijah's attitude changed from God centered to self-centered, his usefulness as a servant suffered.
God passed by the cave and as he did he was followed by a great wind, and an earthquake and fire. Still, Elijah remained inside the cave. Finally, there was the sound of a faint whisper -- it got Elijah's attention. It was the quiet graciousness of God that attracted Elijah and drew him out of the cave. It’s when the Lord speaks to us through his Spirit and we listen, that we can be set free from the bondage that oppresses us. God’s Spirit gives us freedom. It was God’s gentle Spirit that drew him out of the cave. The apostle Paul said, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
God was showing him that just as he could not be coerced out of the cave by miraculous signs, neither would the nation of Israel be compelled to turn from their sins because of miraculous signs.
NO TIME FOR A PITY PARTY (1 Kings 19:14-18)
God didn't stand around arguing with Elijah about his problems. Rather, God gave him another job to do:
1. Go back and anoint Hazael to be King over Syria.
2. Go back and anoint Jehu to be King over Israel.
3. Go back and anoint Elisha to take your place as a prophet.
Then God gives Elijah the punch line. Elijah had constantly been saying that he was the only one who was a true believer. He said it in 1 Kings 18:22 and he said it again to God in 1 Kings 19:10 and again in 1 Kings 19:14. But God said to Elijah, Oh, by the way thanks for doing all of these things for me, but I want you to know that you are not the only true believer left; there are seven thousand people in Israel who have never bowed to Baal! So get moving...there's work to be done.
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Through the life of Elijah, we have seen God do mighty works. The book of James tells us "Elijah was a man with a nature just like ours." James tells us that so we might realize what God can and will do through us when we pray.
But because Elijah's nature was like ours, he entered into times of despair. He wanted to give up; to say, "What's the use!"
WHAT CAUSED ELIJAH'S DESPAIR?
There are several causes of depression and Elijah was not immune to them.
First, he may have fallen prey to what one psychologist has called "post adrenalin depression." This is common in people who have recently had an emotional high. It happens to Christians sometimes when they go away to camp and make a decision to follow Christ. At camp, they are away from the trials and problems of their lives and they're able to focus closely on God; they're excited about what God has done in their lives, but when they go back home, down the mountain, the depression sinks in. It's as if the adrenal system switches off and they slip into a state of depression.
GOD DESIGNED US THAT WAY
Our adrenal system was designed by God to give us the strength to physically get through emotionally charged situations. That's why people may say this about someone who has lost a loved one, "It is amazing how well he is taking this death. He is so strong! He's really trusting the Lord." That may all be true, but often times, days, weeks, even months after the funeral, after the adrenal system shuts down, the person begins to despair.
DON'T BE DEPRESSED OVER DEPRESSION
But depression is not all bad. When Elijah fell asleep, it was his body's way of rejuvenating. Even though he was depressed, the sleep acted as an agent of recovery. It gave his adrenal system time to repair. "The longer a person is in a state of demand or energy the longer it may take for the adrenal system to repair. Likewise, the older we get, the less resilient is our adrenal system and the more depressed we become after an adrenalin high." (Hart, Counseling the Depressed)
EAT YOUR SPIRITUAL CAKE
This is why those who have recently believed in Christ need discipleship. When a person comes to Christ he or she realizes that their sins are forgiven and that they are recipients of the gift of eternal life. For many they feel as if a burden is lifted off of them. They hunger for the Word of God, they want to tell others about Christ, they desire to live their lives pleasing to the Lord. At the same time, because they are human, they are tested by the trials of life and it's possible that they can get worn down. Which is why we constantly need the filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Like the "cake and water" that was provided to fill Elijah and give him strength, so the Holy Spirit fills us, guides us and strengthens us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling (2 Thessalonians 1:11). Like Elijah, we must wake up and eat. Here are two Scriptures that will help in your time of despair:
Psalm 62:5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Focus on Christ. If you only focus on yourself you will sink deeper and deeper into the mire of despondency. You need to focus your life on something much bigger than yourself.
HOW DO I PREVENT DEPRESSION OR DESPAIR?
1. Trust in God. Do you really believe that God knows the situation you are in? God didn't forget Elijah while he was wandering in the wilderness and neither will he forget you. Look at what the Apostle Paul said:
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13
2. Expect Discouragement. Here are words from Jesus that help put life into reality:
John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
It is unreasonable for you to think that depression, discouragement, doubt and despair shouldn't be a part of your life. Jesus said, that you WILL have tribulation.
Here's what Jesus' half brother James said;
James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
James 1:3 For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
You see, it is what you do when you are depressed or discouraged. James says to remain steadfast!
3. Reach Out: We've touched on this already, but part of the problem in our world today is that we are too self-focused. We want happiness. So, we look for happiness in areas that never satisfy us, like money, drugs, sex, entertainment, sports, etc. Earthly pleasures never satisfy. They simply cause more distress in a person's life.
It's like buying a car. Before you had the car you never worried about it being stolen or breaking down! You never worried about getting a scratch on it, because you didn’t have a car to worry about. But as soon as you owned the car all these worries and more flooded into your life.
If you are constantly striving for money, you can never get enough. Gamblers understand this very well. They can never stop because they are always craving more. They never win enough -- never satisfied.
Some think having sex will satisfy them only to find out that it won't. It's the relationship that is built around sex that satisfies and sex is the natural outcome of that relationship between a husband and a wife.
When you only look to satisfy yourself, you'll find yourself sinking into depression;
Because you can't satisfy yourself.
So how do you do it? How do you reach out to others? How do you get the focus off yourself? J.P. Moreland, professor at Talbot Theological Seminary puts it this way:
One must "learn to give one's life away for Jesus’ sake." We must "grow in the skill of daily, habitual, healthy self-denial for Jesus' sake.... Here’s one simple suggestion for progress in this area. When you get up in the morning, start off with praise and thanksgiving to God for the things you honestly appreciate about him and his dealings with you. Then lift all your burdens to him until you have a sense of rest before the Lord. Then tell him that between now and, say, lunch, with his help you are going to orient your morning towards focusing on others and giving yourself away for their good."
SUMMARY
Things were going pretty well in Elijah’s life and perhaps that caused him to take his focus off of God and place it on himself. We can learn from Elijah's mistakes. We don't need to spend time in the wilderness like Elijah did, but if we do we should remember that God never leaves us – he never runs from us, we run from him. He is always there to impart to us his gentle, gracious whisper of encouragement. As God sent Elijah to anoint two new kings and a new prophet, so God wants to use you to anoint friends, family and co-workers with his blessings. When you are depressed or discouraged you can't do that -- gain your strength from God and go forth and obey his will this week!
This Week: Give your life away for Jesus. Take the focus off of your problems and make an attempt to help someone else. Maybe you can just bless someone with a note that says you are praying for them? Or, perhaps you reach out and help someone in need in the name of Jesus? Ask God to show you how you can reach out to others.
Study Questions
1. Elijah became depressed after all he had seen God do. God works in our lives and yet we too become depressed from time to time. Does it encourage you to think that we face the same emotional issues that Elijah faced? Explain.
2. If you had met Elijah while he was sitting under the broom tree, what would you have told him?
3. What would you tell a friend who is struggling with his or her Christian walk and being obedient to Christ?
