GOD’S CURE FOR THE BLUES"
TEXT I KINGS 19:1-18
INTRODUCTION
[I KINGS 19:1-5]
Elijah sat down under a tree and prayed that he might die? Now that doesn’t sound like the Elijah the great prophet taking up in a whirlwind. It really seems out of character for Elijah, a man who had walked so close to God to be depressed.
I mean here was a man who had stood boldly before Ahab proclaiming to the King, that because of his sin and the nations sin of rejecting the Living God, that there would be no rain in the Land, until he said so.
Here was a man who was sustained in the desert by God sending food by ravens,
Here was a man who preformed miracles in the home of the widow of Zarepath, he miraculously made her food supply replenish itself and he even raised her son from the dead. Surely a man who walked that close and was used so powerfully by God, surely a man like this, would not get depressed -- but he did.
And remember how Elijah challenged the 450 false prophets on Mt Carmel to a contest, a contest to prove whose God was real. Remember Elijah taunting the false prophets as they called to their god in an 8 hour frantic frenzy, remember him: building an altar, preparing a sacrifice, building a trench -- praying to God and God responding immediately to his prayer with fire from heaven. To which the Israelites immediately fell down and said, "THE LORD - HE IS GOD, THE LORD - HE IS GOD."
You wouldn’t expect a man who experienced a dramatic and total victory like this over his enemies to get depressed, to get down, to sing the blues -- but he did.
Then following that great victory on Mt Carmel, Elijah experienced a dramatic answer to prayer. 1 Kings I 18:41-46 tells us that while he was still on the mountain , Elijah said the following to Ahab,
[18:41-46]
The sky was growing blacker, the wind was kicking up -- Ahab was in his chariot on his way to Jezrel. And the power of the Lord came upon Elijah, and he tucked his coat into his belt and started running.... He was running to Jezrel 18 miles away (and he beat the chariot)...
You see, Elijah wanted to be in Jezrel when Ahab returned to tell Jezebel about Elijah’s victory on Mt. Carmel... He wanted to be there I guess for a kind of "In your face Jezebel" and to start any reformation process that Ahab might choose to do...
You wouldn’t expect a man who just had a prayer answered and had just outran a horse and chariot to get depressed, but he did.
Today we want to study Ch 19 of I Kings and discuss why Elijah got depressed and how God in response then helped him cure the blues... This is a relevant topic because most of us at one time or another has had a battle with depression, more than once we are found singing the blues..
In a book entitled "Happiness is a Choice," the authors share these statistics, "THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE SUFFER FROM DEPRESSION AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. ONE IN 20 IS PRESENTLY EXPERIENCING IT. DEPRESSION IS A LEADING CAUSE OF SUICIDE. DEPRESSION OCCURS 2 TIMES AS OFTEN IN WOMEN AS IN MEN. DEPRESSION OCCURS 3 TIMES AS OFTEN IN PEOPLE IN HIGHER SOCIO ECONOMIC GROUPS. DEPRESSION OCCURS MORE OFTEN IN THE 4TH AND 5TH DECADES OF LIFE, ALTHOUGH IT MAY OCCUR AT ANY STRESSFUL PERIOD.."
We spend a lot of time here at East Tampa studying the OT... that’s because it is God’s Word and because it is extremely relevant to our lives today.. Paul writes in Romans 15:4, "EVERYTHING THAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE PAST WAS WRITTEN TO TEACH US, SO THAT THROUGH THE ENDURANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF SCRIPTURE WE MIGHT HAVE HOPE..."
When we are depressed things many times seem hopeless, don’t they? -- So let’s look at God’s word today -- and we will find that there is hope in the midst of depression and we will uncover God’s cure for the blues....
I. FIRST LETS ANSWER THE QUESTION , WHY WAS ELIJAH DEPRESSED?
Now how do we know he was depressed? because the words, "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH, LORD, TAKE MY LIFE... I AM NO BETTER THAN MY ANCESTORS..." are not the words of someone on a spiritual high, are they?
As chapter 19 opens up the great prophet Elijah is battling the blues. I’d like to suggest several reasons for Elijah’s depression -- and as we talk about these I am sure that some of these will sound familiar to you.
A. ONE REASON ELIJAH BECAME DEPRESSED WAS DUE TO HIS PERSONALITY OR TEMPERAMENT.
Many Christian writers suggest that we are born with one of 4 type of temperaments. Two of these personalities do not struggle with depression often. So you see, the fact that some people don’t get depressed, very often has little to do with their faith, it’s just the way they were born.
One of the temperaments that tend to get depressed more frequently has been label "melancholy". Many of the great leaders of the world have had melancholy temperaments. Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln accomplished a lot for the world but they were so depressed at times they thought they take their lives.
These types of people are characterized as: hard working, perfectionists, loyal, driven and they set high standards and expect a lot from themselves.
Elijah appears to have had this type of temperament. One clue besides his depression is when Elijah said "I am no better than my ancestors" which implies that he had thought at one time that he was better... Elijah had apparently set some tough goals and had some extremely high expectations of himself (I know others in the past have failed but I’ll get the job done)... and when he didn’t measure up to his standards, when things didn’t work out as he planned -- he got down...
There are still people like that today aren’t there? Maybe even you? People who are driven, hardworking and who set high standards for themselves.
And if this happens to be the way you are -- you need to realize that times of depression are likely to occur more frequently for you (it’s the way you are) -- Therefore you need to try to set more realistic expectations and when the blues come, just ride out the low times doing what you know is right, trusting God -- because you know from past experience that you won’t stay there that long.
B. ANOTHER REASON FOR ELIJAH DEPRESSION WAS BECAUSE DEPRESSION OFTEN FOLLOWS A GREAT VICTORY....
Victories are sweet, aren’t they? And the view from the mountaintop can be breathe taking -- BUT there is one bad thing about celebrating a mountaintop victory -- you see, when you are on a mountain top -- the only way to go, is down. The period following a victory is often a period of great danger. For every mountain peak there is a valley. For every high there is a corresponding low.
Athletic teams win a victory in a championship game and then they let down. The period after Christmas is a time when suicide is prevalent. Many refer to monday’s as "Blue Monday" (remember the carpenter song "rainy days and mondays always get me down" Why? because we’ve had the high of the weekend.
This why successful people are more vulnerable to depression than people who are not. You see, we expect the exhilaration of success to be continuous, but it is not. And then when we get down -- we get disgusted with ourselves and say things like, "WITH SO MUCH GOING FOR ME WHY AM I DOWN, I DON’T UNDERSTAND IT..."
Bros and Sisters, We need to understand and we need to be ready -- for the letdown that usually follows a great victory. We won’t stay on the mountaintop we will have to come down...
And again if we understand why we feel down, it can make it easier to ride out the blues...
C. ANOTHER FACTOR IN ELIJAH’S DEPRESSION WAS A SENSE OF FUTILITY...
In I Kings 19:1, Ahab told Jezebel what was going on, what Elijah had done to her prophets. And In verse 2, Jezebel sent a message to Elijah, "YOU’RE LIFE ISN’T WORTH MUCH ELIJAH, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU..."
Now Elijah had hoped that after what he had accomplished on Mt Carmel that Jezebel would either repent or more realistically lose her influence in the Kingdom... He just knew things would be different.
But nothing had changed. And now the whole victory on MT Carmel seemed meaningless... Elijah was no doubt thinking such thoughts as: "What’s the use, I’m still a fugitive, I still have a price on my head and that wicked Jezebel she is still running the show. I’m not getting anywhere, I’m just spinning my wheels.." It all must have seemed so futile to Elijah.
Have you ever felt that way? Like you’re not getting anywhere? Like all your effort is in vain? You try and try to do what’s right -- to be: a good husband, wife, child, mother, father and worker...etc. You pour out your blood, your sweat and your tears, you give it your best. And you look up at the scoreboard -- expecting to see a change -- anticipating that you have either caught up or gone a head, only to find that you’re still several points behind... Things haven’t changed -- the same old problems are still there, staring you right in the face (maybe even a few new ones have popped up)..
A sense of futility is almost a certain path to depression.... D. ANOTHER REASON FOR ELIJAH’S DEPRESSION WAS HE WAS DRAINED
Elijah had been on the run for 3 years -- living in the desert, hiding in caves, DRINKING FROM A BROOK.. . AND Elijah had just experienced a tremendous emotional drain as he confronted 450 false prophets on Mt Carmel.. Not to mention THE FACT that he had just ran an 18 mile marathon back to Jezrel -- racing Ahab’s chariot. Elijah had to be worn out physically...
There is an old indian proverb that says, "YOU WILL BREAK THE BOW IF YOU KEEP IT ALWAYS BENT.." God’s servants are not exempt from fatigue. Many times we think we can run and run do and do -- and never be exhausted, never expend our energy. But we are wrong, we too are vulnerable to despair, just like everyone else. AND when we are emotionally or physically depleted, when we are running on 1/2 a tank (OR LESS)-- when we are emotionally and physically drained -- we’re especially vulnerable to despair. It doesn’t take as much to get us down, does it?
E. ONE FINAL FACTOR IN ELIJAH’S DEPRESSION WAS THAT HE FELT HE COULD HANDLE THINGS ALONE
Verse 3 states that when he came to Beersheba he left his servant there. He then went a day’s journey into the desert and said, "Lord I just want to sit here and die." When we get depressed many times we want to get away from people -- to be by ourselves. And that’s just the opposite many times, of what we need... We think, "I DON’T WANT TO FAKE IT, I DON’T WANT TO PRETEND WHEN THEY ASK ME HOW THINGS ARE GOING AND SO WE WITHDRAW.....
But when we are on our own, we tend to wallow in our misery and sometimes drive ourselves lower than we would have gone, if we hung around people who could encourage us.....and help us see the situation more clearly...(our perception is clouded during depression)._
THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE US TO BE DEPRESSED, BUT SIMPLY KNOWING THE FACTORS OR UNDERSTANDING THE CAUSES DOESN’T NECESSARILY MAKE THE BLUES GO AWAY, DOES IT?
In II Corinthians 7:6 we read, "THAT GOD COMFORTS THE DOWNCAST..."
Let’s continue on in our study and see how God comforted the downcast prophet Elijah and as we do let’s hold on to the truth that God will do the same for us today -- for me and for you!
[19:5b-18]
II. HOW DID GOD CURE ELIJAH’S BLUES
A. GOD LET ELIJAH REST
Verse 5 says Elijah laid down under a tree and an angel awakened him to eat. God prepared a catered meal, he ate he drank, and laid down again. God did not chastise elijah for a sour attitude. He didn’t give him a lecture about faith.
Elijah needed time to rest -- time to recover. A lot of us have been raised on the work ethic. We think we are closest to God when we work hard and in a sense that is true because the Bible says that what ever we do we should do it diligently." But the problem is, we’ve exaggerated this to the extent that many times we don’t know how to relax. Tim Hansel has written a book entitled - "WHEN I RELAX I FEEL GUILTY" Do you ever feel that way?
A MOPED DRIVER STOPPED FOR A RED LIGHT BESIDE A NEW CORVETTE. "GREAT LOOKING CAR," HE SHOUTED. THE PROUD DRIVER OPENED THE PASSENGER DOOR SO THE MOPED OPERATOR COULD ADMIRE THE INTERIOR. JUST THEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, THE DRIVER SLAMMED THE DOOR AND SPED OFF. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE MOPED CAUGHT UP AND PASSED THE SPORTS CAR. THE DRIVER COULDN’T BELIEVE THIS HE JUST PAID $25,000 FOR THIS CAR AND A MOPED WAS OUTRUNNING HIM, SO THE DRIVER QUICKLY ACCELERATED AND PASSED THE MOPED. THEN THE BIKE ZIPPED AHEAD AGAIN, TURNED ON A DIME, CHARGED BACK IN THE OTHER DIRECTION AND FELL OVER. THE SPORTS CAR BRAKED BESIDE THE BIKE AND THE DRIVER ASKED THE MOPEDER IF HE WAS HURT. "NO THANKS I’M FINE." "IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO?" "YES!" GRASPED THE MOPEDER, "YOU CAN OPEN THE DOOR AND RELEASE MY SUSPENDERS..."
WHAT THAT REALLY GUY NEEDED WAS TO SLOW DOWN WASN’T IT? AND SO DO WE AT TIMES... SOMETIMES WE NEED TO OPEN THE DOOR AND RELEASE OUR SUSPENDERS SO WE CAN TAKE A BREAK.
MANY times the best thing we can do is rest. Jesus is our example and he knew how to rest. The Bible says, "HE WOULD GO A PART INTO A MOUNTAIN FOR A DAY," OR HE WOULD SAY TO HIS DISCIPLES, "LET’S GO ACROSS THE LAKE BY OURSELVES TO REST." Someone has said, "IF YOU DON’T LEARN TO GO A PART, YOU’LL PROBABLY COME A PART."
In the Old Testament the feast days were not just to celebrate, they were also to rest.
The sabbath was for rest. They even had sabbatical years. IT is important for us to learn to rest -- we can’t keep up this pace forever... Rest is a good thing (not laziness but rest).
B. 2ND, GOD LISTENED TO HIS COMPLAINTS
Elijah ate some more. then he went to Mt Horeb, the same place as Mt Sinai, where God gave the ten commandments to Moses. Then Elijah went into a cave and he spent the night. the next day the Lord came to him and asked him a simple question. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, ELIJAH?"
Maybe God would say that to some of you who are depressed today. What are you doing here? Why are you in the dumps
And then Elijah begins to pour out his heart to God. "I HAVE BEEN VERY ZEALOUS FOR THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. THE ISRAELITES HAVE REJECTED YOUR COVENANT, BROKEN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND PUT YOUR PROPHETS TO DEATH WITH THE SWORD... I AM THE ONLY ONE LEFT, THE ONLY ONE WHO CARES AND NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL ME TOO..."
Did you notice that God was very patient and sympathetic with Elijah? He doesn’t condemn him. God doesn’t interrupt him, even though Elijah is saying things that are not true and is making things worse than they really are (something depressed people do). You see, God knows that depressed people are fragile people. they need to be listened to more than they need advice. It doesn’t help to slap them on the back and say, "come on get with it, snap out of it..it is not so bad..... you know, you really have it pretty good."
God didn’t say "Elijah you should be ashamed of yourself.. acting this way....." rather God just listens to him. In fact God asks him the question a second time, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" -- AND OL’ ELIJAH SPEWS IT OUT AGAIN. When we get depressed, we need to talk about it. When people ask, "what’s the problem?" don’t say, "I don’t want to talk about it," -- talking things out and verbalizing our feelings it is helpful in getting us on track again...
And let me say this, God still wants to listen to His servants today... DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?
I often pour my heart and thoughts out to God and I have received from him a new perspective... Friends Don’t neglect this great privilege of prayer.
WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS ALL OUR SINS AND GRIEVES TO BEAR WHAT A PRIVILEGE TO CARRY, EVERYTHING TO GOD IN PRAYER... OH WHAT PEACE WE OFTEN FORFEIT OH WHAT NEEDLESS PAIN WE BARE ALL BECAUSE WE DO NOT CARRY EVERYTHING TO GOD IN PRAYER.
C. THIRD GOD GOT ELIJAH’S MIND ON THE RIGHT SPOT
Elijah like most depressed people had his eyes on himself... and all he could see therefore, was the problems, the difficulties, the storms, the waves and his own inadequacies. And though inward reflection is at times valuable -- we need to realize that we can spend too much time focusing on ourselves....
And what Elijah needed now was a fresh dose of God, He needed to see God again... to stand once more in the presence of the Lord.. What he needed to do, was to start looking up again..
towards God.
Listen to verse 11 and following: [11-13]
And Elijah stood in God’s presence.....
Listen to how David describes much the same experience in Psalm 43... notice how he went from looking at himself to putting his hope in God.
[Ps 43:1-5]
One of the best cures for depression -- is going to church, and worshipping God... "O SOUL ARE YOU WEARY AND TROUBLED, NO LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS YOU SEE, THERE’S A LIGHT FOR A LOOK AT THE SAVIOR, AND LIFE MORE ABUNDANT AND FREE. TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS, LOOK FULL IN HIS WONDERFUL FACE AND THE THINGS OF EARTH WILL GROW STRANGELY DIM, IN THE LIGHT OF HIS GLORY AND GRACE.
GOD LET ELIJAH REST, HE LISTENED TO HIS COMPLAINTS, HE GOT HIS MIND OFF HIMSELF...AND GOD SHOWED HIMSELF TO ELIJAH....
D. AND GOD SPOKE TO ELIJAH
WHEN WE ARE DOWN IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO HEAR FROM OUR GOD -- WE NEED TO GO TO HIS WORD..
MANY TIMES WE TOO NEED TO GO TO THE MOUTH OF OUR CAVE AND FEEL THE WIND - HEAR THE Thunder AND GENTLE WHISPER OF GOD’S PRESNESE.
BECAUSE GOD HAS SOMETHING TO SAY TO US IN OUR DEPRESSION
1. To THE feeling of futility God says,
"RESTRAIN YOUR VOICE FROM WEEPING AND YOUR EYES FROM TEARS,
FOR YOUR WORK WILL BE REWARDED," DECLARES THE LORD...."SO THERE IS HOPE FOR YOUR FUTURE," DECLARES THE LORD (JER 31:16)
AND, "LET US NOT BECOME WEARY IN DOING GOOD, FOR AT THE PROPER TIME WE WILL REAP A HARVEST IF WE DO NOT GIVE UP.." (GAL 6:9)
2. To trying to handle things on our own God says,
"CAST ALL YOUR CARES AND ANXIETIES ON ME, BECAUSE I CARE FOR YOU..." -- (1 PE 5:7) WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD WE DO NOT HAVE TO GO IT ALONE, OUR FATHER WANTS TO WALK WITH US THROUGH OUR TROUBLES...
3. AND To that temperament that drives us to expect and always demand success from ourselves God’s word says as recorded by Paul,
"I PLANTED THE SEED, APOLLOS WATERED IT, BUT GOD MADE IT GROW. SO NEITHER HE WHO PLANTS NOR HE WHO WATERS IS ANYTHING, BUT ONLY GOD, WHO MAKES THINGS GROW..." (1 COR 3:6,7)
God say’s "I called you to be faithful my servant not successful -- it is I who bring the increase, relax and just serve me with all our heart mind and strength... and don’t worry so much about results..."
4. And to those who have just come down from a mountaintop experience -- God’s says;
"My child I’m not just present in these dramatic times and in the spectacular events -- I am also present in the quiet times too... As a mater of fact I do some of my best work in stillness --- when people are still they will listen and know that I am God...
5. And to the emotionally weary and the Physically drained -- God’s says,
"I WILL REFRESH THE WEARY AND SATISFY THE FAINT..." JER 31:25
"COME TO ME, ALL YOU WHO ARE WEARY AND BURDENED AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST..." MT 11:28
"AND HE ALSO SAYS THAT I AM YOUR SHEPHERD, I’LL TAKE CARE OF YOUR NEEDS -- HERE LAY DOWN IN THIS GREEN PASTURE, LET ME LEAD YOU BESIDE QUIET WATERS AND RESTORE YOUR SOUL..."
I CAN NOT STRESS TOO MUCH, I CAN NOT OVEREMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR GOD’S PEOPLE TO SEEK HIM WHEN THEY ARE DOWN -- TO COME BEFORE HIM -- TO POUR OUT THEIR HEART TO GOD AND TO OPEN HIS WORD AND ALLOW HIS WORD TO ENCOURAGE THEM AND BUILD THEM UP...
HAVE YOU EVER TRIED THIS? -- HAVE YOU EVER COME TO GOD -- SOUGHT HIS FACE -- WAS HE THERE? -- DID HE COMFORT YOU WITH HIS PRESNESE/HIS WORD?) -- PRAISE GOD!!!
E. AND THE LAST THING WE SEE GOD DOING FOR ELIJAH -- WHICH IS SOMETHING HE OFTEN DOES FOR A DEPRESSED SERVANT -- HE GIVES THEM A NEW ASSIGNMENT.
In verse 15 God said, "I WANT YOU TO GO TO DAMASCUS. I WANT YOU TO Anoint THREE MEN AND GIVE THEM SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS.." God gave Elijah a new assignment a new challenge.
Often what depressed people need is not pity but a new goal, not exemption from responsibility but a new assignment. Fear may intimidate them to reject the challenge, but what they need is not security but the stimulation of a new assignment.... THEY NEED TO GET UP AND GET BUSY FOR THE LORD...
I HOPE YOU HAVE FOUND GOD’S WORD -- ENCOURAGING TODAY.
I PRAY THAT YOU NEVER FORGET THAT AS GOD’S CHILDREN THERE IS ALWAYS A LIGHT AT THE END OF YOUR TUNNEL....
OUR GOD REALLY KNOWS HOW TO CURE THE BLUES??
