Facing Life’s Ups and Downs
1 Kings 19:1-18
Good morning,
One day in a philosophy class, the professor decided to talk with his students about the emotional extremes people go through.
The professor asked the class, “What’s the opposite of sadness?”, and one of the students answered, “Joy”.
The professor asked, “What’s the opposite of depression?” and one of the students answered, “Elation”.
Finally, the professor asked, “What’s the opposite of woe?” and a student from Texas answered, “That’s easy, its giddy up!”
Please open your Bibles to 1 Kings 19, as we continue with our break from our Gospel of Mark series.
Many define depression as a condition marked by feelings of dejection or guilt, which results in hopelessness.
However, even with the overwhelming amount of depression within people today, scientists still do not understand all of the causes of depression.
When it comes to Christians dealing with depression within the church, the advice is all over the map. You may hear, “If you really trusted the Lord, you would not experience depression”.
Or the complete opposite of that advice is…
“Just go get medication and face the fact that you can never get over the chemical imbalance that causes depression in you”.
Both extremes can be dangerous, so let’s look to God’s Word and try and discover, how times of depression can happen, but how we can be more than conquerors through Christ as well.
According to Minirth and Meier Christian counselors, the majority of Americans at some point of their lives, will suffer from clinical depression.
As a backdrop to our passage this morning, allow me to give you a history of the prophet Elijah and how the Lord did extraordinary miracles through him.
• Elijah prayed and the rain ceased for 3 ½ years and then he prayed again, and the rain returned.
• When in need, the Lord fed Elijah by ravens.
• We read of the story of the widow and the miracle of the flour and oil feeding them.
• Elijah prayed and the widow’s son was raised to life.
• Elijah called down fire and fifty soldiers died.
• Just before our narrative this morning, Elijah called down fire from heaven and burned up the altar and sacrifice.
• Elijah correctly prophesied Jezebel would be eaten by dogs.
• Elijah was caught up to heaven in a whirlwind.
Elijah was a mighty servant of the Lord, but we should also keep in mind, who we are in Christ.
James 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. NKJV
Elijah, just like us, suffered discouragement and depression even after the Lord had worked incredible miracles in his life.
I have battled depression at times as well so, I need to guard my heart and mind in Christ and allow Him to heal me as well.
I. Being tired and worn, Elijah was in total despair.
Read 1 Kings 19:1-4
Notice how Ahab told his wicked wife all that had happened through Elijah.
Ahab had been wanting Elijah killed for telling him and his wife how evil their behavior had been.
It came to a head in 1 Kings 18, when Elijah challenged the false prophets to a contest to reveal whether the God of heaven was truly God over creation, or their false gods had the power.
Elijah offered two bulls to be sacrificed to see whether their false gods, or the God of heaven would consume the offering.
He invited the false prophets to go first, and they prayed until noon, danced before their gods, and even cut themselves, as Elijah watched and mocked from the sidelines.
When they finally gave up, Elijah set up an altar to sacrifice to the Lord, placed the bull on the altar, and loaded it with wood.
In order to demonstrate the awesome power of the Lord God, Elijah ordered the sacrifice to be soaked with water three times, making it almost impossible to be set on fire.
1 Kings 18:36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.
The Lord consumed the offering, the water, the altar, and even burned up the stones. After the Lord consumed the offering…
1 Kings 18:40 And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!" So, they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there. NKJV
After Ahab told Jezebel about the killing of the false prophets, vs. 2 says, Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time."
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. Then Elijah was sitting under a juniper tree, and he asked the Lord to allow him to die.
Here is one of the times where the Lord allowed a narrative to be told that doesn’t paint the Biblical hero in such a good light.
Why would the Lord allow us to see one of His prophets at such a vulnerable time in his life?
Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. NKJV
All through the Bible, the Lord allows us to see the reality of His children’s mistakes so we can learn from them and have hope. The Lord even allows us to make U-turns, while serving Him.
The obvious question for us is: How can a man who preached such an awesome message from the Lord and witnessed God’s miracles over and over again, become hopeless?
The Lord’s strongest servants can still experience depression at times in their lives. Sometimes a lack of faith, or sin can be the reason for depression and doubt, but that is not always the case.
We need to know that times of depression and doubt are not always caused by a lack of faith or a hidden sin in our lives.
Just like us at times, Elijah needed to place his focus back on the Lord in order to see things more clearly and trust the Lord.
Some unbiblical responses to things that can lead to depression:
• The way we handle conflicts.
• How we handle trauma, crisis, or the loss of a loved one.
• Having a medical issue or treatment.
• Loss of job, financial set-back, or the loss of a relationship.
When we fail to handle any one of these situations in a biblical, godly way, we can also end up depressed.
Before going on with this narrative, let’s point out some truths…
1. The threat did not come from the Lord.
This threat came from an evil, unbelieving, carnal human being who was living in total rebellion, to the Lord. If Elijah had been thinking clearly, he would have realized this truth.
2. Elijah removed himself from healthy relationships.
1 Kings 19:3 tells us that Elijah left his servant at Beersheba.
3. Elijah let down his guard after a great victory.
Our most vulnerable moments come when things are going well, especially after a victory. When we are on a spiritual high, we need to be on guard against the enemy and our own flesh.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
1 Peter 5:9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. NKJV
4. Elijah was physically exhausted and emotionally spent.
Elijah had served the Lord for years through turmoil and the unknown, and he was in desperate need of rest.
When we neglect our physical needs of rest and good health, we can be vulnerable to depression or even attacks from the enemy.
Physical factors such as exhaustion, illness, diet, hormonal or chemical imbalance, and other things, can lead to depression.
Elijah was a wanted, hunted man as public enemy number one so he was at the end of his rope physically and emotionally.
1 Kings 19:4 "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, NKJV
Elijah was saying, “I can’t do this anymore. The work was stressful, exhausting, and it accomplished nothing.”
5. Elijah ended up getting lost in self-pity.
Self-pity lies to us as it usually exaggerates the seriousness of the situation. It usually creates a victim mentality in our minds.
II. The Lord gave Elijah strength and rest.
Read 1 Kings 19:5-8
I want us to notice how the Lord first dealt with Elijah in his fragile state of depression.
The Lord dealt with Elijah’s problem of depression as a real issue, He didn’t simply dismiss Elijah’s emotions.
Elijah’s emotions were real, tangible, and hurtful.
Notice the Lord didn’t treat Elijah roughly and say, “Come on Elijah, get ahold of yourself and knock it off.”
The Lord let Elijah sleep and then provided him with some sustenance out in the desert. Notice, is was the Lord Himself who helped Elijah.
When we read the term, “The Angel of the Lord” in scripture, instead of an angel of the Lord, we know that it is a time where the Lord Himself showed up to help.
gotquestions.org said, “A theophany is a manifestation of God in the Bible that is tangible to the human senses.
In its most restrictive sense, it is a visible appearance of God in the Old Testament period, often, but not always in human form.”
There are many instances where the Lord appeared to His people like when the Lord appeared to Abraham when he arrived in the land promised to him and his descendants.
Some Bible commentators believe, like I do, that whenever someone received a visit from “the angel of the Lord” in the Old Testament, it was a visit from the pre-incarnate Christ.
Also notice that while the Lord was initially taking care of Elijah’s needs, He didn’t offer any counsel or do any correcting, the Lord simply took care of Elijah’s needs.
So, Elijah rested for 40 days out in the desert which gave him time to rest, refresh and to get his mind right. After the rest…
III. The Lord communicated with Elijah.
Read 1 Kings 19:9-18
As Elijah was sitting in a cave, the Lord decided Elijah’s time of rest and refreshment was over.
The Lord asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah”. The Lord already knew the answer but God was trying to give Elijah an opportunity to share his burdens.
Elijah answered the Lord, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts”, i.e., “I have faithfully served You and look what that has led to.”
So many people think it is unfair that a faithful servant of God would suffer.
Romans 5:3 we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance…
Romans 5:4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. NKJV
Elijah claimed, “I alone am left”. This was of course not right, there were other servants of God who remained alive.
But it was how Elijah felt. Times of Discouragement can make God’s servants feel isolated and alone.
The Lord basically said, “Elijah, get up and walk out of this dark, dank, cave, and get yourself into the light!”
The Lord told Elijah to stand on the mountain before the Lord.
“Behold, the LORD passed by” The Lord’s presence was there with Elijah, but first, the Lord showed Elijah where He was not.
Notice the Lord’s voice was not in the wind, it was not in the earthquake, or even in the fire. But it was a, still, small voice.
Christians find encouragement by hearing the voice of the Lord.
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. NKJV
Elijah was listening to the enemies, the flesh, and all of his own negative thoughts. The Lord was telling Elijah to stop listening to the other voices and start believing the truth.
Casting Crowns has a song titled, “The voice of Truth”.
Part of the Lyrics say, “The waves are calling out my name, and they laugh at me, reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed.”
“The waves they keep on telling me time and time again. "Boy, you'll never win! You'll never win! But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story; the Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory". Out of all the voices calling out to me I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth.”
The Lord was drawing Elijah out of the cave of self-pity and depression, as He asked him again, “What are you doing here?”
The Lord was showing Elijah that He was not done with him yet, Elijah still had a job to do. Even with all of the self-doubt and self-pity, the Lord still chose Elijah to represent the Lord.
And to answer Elijah’s claim that he was the only one left who represented the Lord, God told him, “I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal.”
The Lord is communicating some things we all need to hear. We are not alone because the Lord is always with us and there are also other like-minded brothers and sisters to connect with.
Depression is a real part of life for some believers. At the famous Minirth-Meiers clinics, in an average week, thousands of people visit for therapy.
Doctor Meier once said, “75% of their clients have either clinical depression or an anxiety disorder.”
IV. Overcoming depression.
Let’s talk about some practical ways we can deal with depression. The first thing a person who is experiencing bouts of depression needs to do is…
1. Seek medical advice and be tested for either chemical or hormonal imbalances, or other medical conditions.
Sometimes our emotional health can be directly caused by a physical issue.
2. Spend personal and corporate time with the Lord.
Elijah needed to spend time with the Lord during his time of depression to overcome his emotions. Alone time with the Lord is a powerful anti-depressant.
Andrew Newberg, Director of Clinical Nuclear Medicine at the University of Pittsburg studied the brains of people who prayed on a regular basis.
His team found a dramatic increase in the pre-frontal cortex.
Newberg also said, “Prayer and meditation have been shown to lower the risk of depression and heart disease as well as improve immune function.”
However, besides personal times of prayer and reading the Bible in order to hear from the Lord and be reminded of His promises; we need to attend church to be with like-minded believers.
One of the ploys of the enemy and our own weak flesh is to try and convince us not to come to church or a small group.
I cannot tell you the number of times, someone who was depressed, came and told me they were not planning on coming but were so pleased they did, because the message was for them.
We need to meet together in order to fulfill Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. NKJV
In 1999, Duke University did a study of 4,000 adults and one of their conclusions was, “Attendance at a house of worship is related to lower rates of depression and anxiety.”
3. The Lord had Elijah talk about the problem.
The Lord asked Elijah two different times, “What are you doing here Elijah?”
The Lord already knew why Elijah was there because it was God who sent Elijah to the mountain, but the Lord knew Elijah needed to talk about what he thought was wrong in his life.
As Elijah had to get some things off of his chest, the Lord revealed to him the areas where he was wrong. So then…
4. The Lord dealt with the lies that fueled Elijah’s depression.
Jesus said in John 8:31"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." NKJV
False beliefs and false ideas, especially about the Lord, will put us into bondage. But God’s truth will set us free.
Someone once said, “You are what you think”. That is not completely true, however, we do tend to live our lives based upon what we think is true.
Pessimistic people especially, tend to story board or make up other details when they do not have adequate information.
If the foundation of our lives our built upon misinformation, we can soon have turmoil within our lives, and fear will end up ruling our hearts causing depression.
Listen again to Elijah’s words which revealed his eyes were on himself, and he did not believe the Lord was present during his current situation.
1 Kings 19:14 "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."
Elijah’s accusation really was, “I have been serving you with all of my heart, but everything is falling apart, and You don’t care!”
When the Lord told Elijah that He had reserved 7,000 other prophets, God was saying, I have everything under control.
A person who is suffering from depression needs to realize, just like Elijah, the Lord is working, even when we do not realize it.
5. The Lord gave Elijah a ministry to do.
Once the Lord finished His counseling session with Elijah, even while Elijah was still complaining, God sent him out.
It is as if the Lord said, “It’s time to get back to work, the time for resting is over.”
Doctor Carl Menninger did a lecture on mental health issues and he was asked, “What would you advise a person to do if that person felt a nervous breakdown coming on?”
People thought he would recommend a psychiatrist first, but he said lock up your house, find someone in need and go help them.
Most times to overcome disappointment, we need to take the focus off of ourselves, and get involved with some sort of ministry or to help others.
Like Elijah, some of the classic symptoms of depression are fear, suicidal thoughts, over-tiredness, feelings of rejection and others. Elijah experienced these feelings for a long time.
Yes, medical help is the first step in dealing with some of these issues, but we must realize we are never alone as a child of God.
Our peace and joy are found in Jesus, not in circumstances or other people. People and circumstances can often disappoint you, but Jesus will never fail you.
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. NKJV
Depression can be a death sentence for some people who do not have a real relationship with the Prince of Peace.
Hopelessness can kill. So, the best way to achieve proper mental health and peace is to know Jesus personally.
Becoming a child of God happens when trust what Jesus did for us on the cross. A Christian is someone who responds to Jesus’ invitation to receive the free gift of Eternal Life from Him.
After salvation, Jesus invites us to experience Abundant Life. Jesus says, “Trust Me and walk in the plan I have for you!”
