Pastor Carter at Pathway Wichita had a tremendous message a few Sundays back. He talked about not being overcome by depression. He shared some of his own personal journey.
It reminded me of a time in my life when I was beset (For some reason I find myself using that word a lot these days 😎) by discouragement. I didn’t think I was depressed but I knew I was discouraged.
I was discouraged enough that I actually did a study of the word discouragement as it is used in the Bible. It’s interesting today that I remember the study, but not the reason for my discouragement.
It was decades ago and I’m certain, partly at least, it had something to do with starting a business, feeding, and clothing a young family with very little money
But I digress…
Pastor Carter’s text was familiar to me, 1 Kings 19 and the story of Elijah. I’m familiar with the verses but I had always thought of Elijah as simply being afraid. It hadn’t occurred to me that fear and depression are such close cousins.
Elijah however was so depressed/afraid he went out and hid in the desert, going even a further day’s journey into the wilderness where he sat down under a juniper tree and requested for himself that he might die. Saying “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” – 1 Kings 19:4
That’s very afraid/depressed! Elijah had legitimate cause for concern because Queen Jezebel had promised to kill him. But he really didn’t need to run because we read in the previous chapter that Elijah had bested all the prophets of Baal in a great victory. There was no doubt God was with him.
This is one of those places where you can see God definitely has a sense of humor. You remember the story. A contest between the prophets of Baal and their gods and Elijah and his God.
The prophets of Baal had prepared a sacrifice and were to call on their god to bring fire down on it. They called out to their god, but no fire came, they danced and did many other things, and you guessed it, still, no fire came. Here’s the funny part: Elijah tells them to “Shout louder!” he also says, “maybe your god is deep in thought, traveling or sleeping.”
To complete the story, Elijah builds his altar and prays to his and our God. Fire falls on Elijah’s sacrifice and consumes not only the sacrifice but the altar as well. (Please check my facts in 1Kings 18)
Now if you were Elijah would that not boost your confidence?
But Elijah wasn’t confident. He was afraid/depressed. Pastor Carter pointed out fear/depression many times follows a victory.
God later found him hiding in the desert. God is like that. He is always able to find you.
After God found him, He provided him with physical nourishment. Pastor Carter pointed out this demonstrates there can often be a physical component to our fear/depression. Nourishment, rest, and medication can be remedies.
And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink and laid him down again. – 1 Kings 19:5-6
And then God sent someone to talk to him. It was an Angel. God provided nourishment and then someone to listen to him.
And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. – 1 Kings 19:7
As our story moves on Elijah is taken care of for many days while finding his way to a cave on a far mountain.
But God still knows where he is. And the following verses are some of my favorites in the whole Bible. I’m partial to verses telling us where people have found God.
God comes to Elijah’s cave and asks him why he is hiding. “What doest thou here Elijah?” Don’t you just love it when God asks those questions He already knows the answer to? And He, God, patiently waits as Elijah explains. Elijah points out to God all the wonderful things he has done for Him, and now in the face of great danger everyone else is gone and now “I’m the only one!”
A storm comes with strong winds that break the rocks, but God was not in the storm. Then there was a great earthquake. But God was not in the earthquake. And then there was a great fire and neither was God in the fire.
“..and after the fire a still small voice.”
And God was in the voice. God asked the question again, “What doest thou here Elijah?”
Do we not have a great and patient God?
Elijah gives another half-hearted answer and God says, “Elijah, get up and go back the way you came.” That’s paraphrased, of course, God says it much better, but he told Elijah he “wasn’t the only one, and here’s what I want you to do.” And He gave fearful/depressed/discouraged Elijah a task. Unfortunately, the task was also in the direction of his greatest fear, Queen Jezebel, but he got up and went anyway. Me, I would have said, “OK I’ll go, but I have to go a different way.”
Have you ever been unnecessarily in fear, unnecessarily depressed? Elijah was, and God met his physical, emotional and spiritual needs, spoke to him through an angel, and then gave him a task.
These could be solutions for us all. Fearful and/or depressed, maybe you need food and rest. Fearful and/or depressed, maybe you need companionship; you know angels do come in many shapes and sizes. And after that maybe you need a task. Find something God would have you do.
Do you remember my study on discouragement? It showed me an interesting thing. Moses, old trustworthy, reliable, God led Moses, said this to God.
I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness. – Numbers 11:14-15 (KJV)
That’s pretty discouraged!
Of course, we know God did not take Moses up on his request and he continued as a great and mighty leader.
I’ve found myself pretty discouraged at times, but I’ve managed to go on.
Remember, God isn’t always in the big things. He wasn’t in the storm that broke the rocks. He wasn’t in the earthquake. He wasn’t in the fire. He was in “the still small voice.”