Out of Despond and Depression - Day 155 Through the Bible

Views from the observation deck of Mt. Mitchell - near Mt. Celo Church

Alone With God in His Word

"Elijah Prayed That He Might Die" (1 Kings 19)  We have seen this same plea from some of God's greatest saints - Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah for a few - when the struggle to do as God had commanded became too great, the people too evil and recalcitrant, life simply too overwhelming.  Elijah has just experienced a great miracle from God on Mount Carmel - 850 false prophets vs. lone Elijah.  God's Mighty Hand and outstretched Arm show forth in His full glory through Elijah and to the disgrace and doom of the 850.  But the evil Jezebel vows to kill Elijah in the same way he executed the priests of Baal and Asherah. Elijah "rose and ran for his life...a day's journey into the wilderness...sat under a broom tree...prayed he might die...and said, "It is enough!"  God sends a ministering angel to revive Elijah..the LORD passes by him...a strong wind...an earthquake...a fire, but God is in none of them.  Then comes the still small voice asking for the second time what Elijah is doing there.  "Zeal for You, Lord...for the forsaking of Your covenant by Israel...the murdering of Your priests...now they seek to murder me."

My Lessons and Applications:  God does not argue with Elijah but sends him to anoint a new king in Syria, in Israel, and...to anoint the next prophet to replace himself - Elisha.  I am not sure what the other commentaries say about this, but it seems to me that God is physically reviving Elijah through His angel and then asking Elijah to look back and recall what Elijah has done and why - it was for the LORD and for His glory - to remind Elijah of why he is where he is supposed to be, doing what he is supposed to be doing.  Elijah has gone from mountaintop revelation and glory down into the valley of dejection and depression.  God calls Elijah back up to a mountaintop.  Here, alone with his loyal servant and prophet, God allows similar miraculous natural phenomenon to occur as He passes by his servant.  But it is not in these physical manifestations that Elijah sees or hears God but in a still small voice.  And in my life...when I am dejected and discouraged...do I sit down to commune with the Lord...to hear the still small voice from His Word...to allow him to take me back to remembrance of the good, to change my perspective to His...to listen for his directions for the future...to leave it all in His Hands?

LET NOT Your Heart Be Troubled (John 14)  We have seen through our study of the Bible, that we are constantly told to not be troubled, to not be afraid, to not be discouraged, to not be anxious.  Jesus continues with this admonition - that we must make this choice, not allow ourselves to devolve into negative emotions.  We do this by renewing our minds, exchanging our perspective for His perspective, by looking back to remember what He has done for us and forward to what He is doing for us...preparing a place for us..coming back for us...receiving us to Himself, that where He is we may be also...to assure us that we do know the way to follow Him because we know Him...because He is the way...because He is the truth...because He is the life...because He empowers us through His indwelt Holy Spirit while we are on earth enabling us to keep His commandments, to love Him, teaching us all things, bringing to remembrance all things Christ has taught us, leaving us with His peace...therefore, "LET NOT your hearts be troubled; NEITHER LET them be afraid."

My Lessons and Applications  There is so much evil, sorrow, and disappointment in our earthly lives that we are very prone to depression and discouragement - especially for those hearts committed to godliness in the midst of so much ungodliness.  It is sobering to me to remember that we are COMMANDED to not allow ourselves to get into the "slough of despond and depression." (Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan).  This is where daily meditation and study of Scripture, prayer and communion with God as constant as breath, time set aside for worship and praise of the Lord in thanksgiving, all become so vital, so essential to our Christian walk.