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Discouragements, Depressions, And The God Of Elijah

Feature Article Discouragements, Depressions, And The God Of Elijah
JUN 25, 2020 LISTEN

These are difficult times. There is a pandemic of fear in the air which has led to discouragements and depressions among many people, including Christians. Many are discouraged or depressed because they are afraid for themselves or loved ones.

Some have a feeling of being alone or isolated. Don’t be discouraged or depressed because the God of Elijah is right by your side. If you ask God, He will give you grace to overcome discouragements and depressions.

Consider Elijah. Elijah was one of the most powerful prophets of God. He was one of the few people who did not die, but was taken directly to heaven (2 Kings 2:11-12). Many remember Elijah as the prophet who prophesied that there would be no rain in the land of Israel and there was no rain for three and a half years; and he prophesied for rain and there was rain (1 Kings 17:1; 18:41-46; and James 5:17-18). Elijah raised a widow’s son from death (1 Kings 17:7-24). Perhaps, Elijah is most famous for defeating and killing the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel when he prayed and fire burned up the sacrifice of a bull, wood, stones, soil, and water in the trench, something four and fifty prophets of Baal collectively failed to do (1 Kings 18:16-46).

With all his powers and achievements for the Lord, what many people do not realize is that “Elijah was a man just like us.” (James 5:17 NIV). He was born of a woman. As shown below, Elijah had fears, anxieties, discouragements, or depressions just like us.

Ahab, King of Israel, told his wife Jezebel that Elijah had defeated and killed the prophets of Baal. Jezebel was furious. She sent a messenger to Elijah threatening to kill him the next day. When Elijah received the message, he was afraid. He did what many of us would do: he ran for his life! (1 Kings Chapter 19).

He crossed into Beersheba in Judah, left his servant there, and went on a day’s journey into the desert. He sat down under a tree and prayed that he might die. He prayed that, “”I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”” (1 Kings 19:4-5 NIV). He fell asleep. If Elijah really wanted to die, why was he running away from Jezebel? The seemingly contradictory actions of running away from death and praying for death were probably signs of discouragement or depression. The prayer was a cry for help, and God was right there to help him.

The first thing God did was to send His angel to wake him up from sleep and provide him with a cake of bread baked over hot coals and a jar of water. He ate, drank, and slept again. The angel came a second time and provided food and drink because Elijah needed strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. When he reached Horeb, the word of the Lord came to him, “”What are you doing here, Elijah?”’ (1 Kings 19:9, 13 NIV). Elijah responded that he had been zealous for the Lord; complained that the Israelites had rejected God and put the prophets to death; and that he was the only one left, but they were trying to kill him (1 Kings 19:10, 14).

Then God told Elijah to go and stand on the mountain and look out for His presence. There was a powerful wind, followed by an earthquake, and a fire, but God was not in any of them. Then came a gentle whisper and Elijah recognized the presence of God, and a voice asking Elijah the same question as before, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” and he gave the same response. God told him to go back the way he came and anoint Hazael king over Aram, anoint Jehu king over Israel, and anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet. Then, God told Elijah that he was not the only one left and that He had reserved seven thousand people in Israel who had not worshipped Baal. And so when Elijah prayed earlier that he had had enough and wanted to die, he did not know that God had not finished with him yet; that God had some unfinished business for him to do; and that God’s plan for him did not include death because he was going to be taken directly to heaven.

From this, we may learn the following lessons:

  • Discouragements and depressions may attack anyone regardless of status or relationship with God. God is control so we should shake them off.
  • The devil may make us feel that God has rejected us or that we are the only ones going through bad times. We are not alone and the God of Elijah has not left us. God and His angels are keeping watch over us, supplying our needs, and whispering gently into our ears the way He did for Elijah. We should not give up!
  • Even in the midst of discouragement or depression, Elijah turned to God and prayed. He may have been discouraged or depressed, but his faith in God remained unshaken. We should follow that example. We should pray for ourselves and others, including those who are highly placed in the faith. The Apostle Paul, for example, requested for prayers from other believers a few times (e.g., Roman 15:30-33 and Ephesians 6:19-20).
  • God’s questioning of what Elijah was doing there implies that Elijah was not where God wanted him to be at that time. God wanted him to go back from where he came and perform some important assignments of anointing two kings and his own successor. When we are discouraged or depressed, we should consider whether we are where we ought to be, doing what we ought to do, and saying what we ought to say at that time.
  • God has plans for us. They are better than whatever we can ask or imagine. If we wait patiently on Him, no Jezebel can derail those plans.

Our brother Elijah performed his responsibilities well as a good and faithful servant, and God took him directly to heaven. We can confirm that because hundreds of years later when our Lord Jesus Christ was transfigured on a high mountain, it was Elijah who, along with Moses, appeared with him (Matthew 17:1-8). May the grace of God be sufficient for us to overcome all our discouragements and depressions so that we would always keep faith with God, and appear with Jesus when he comes back.

Prayer is the key. May God grant us the grace to seek Him daily through our prayers.

Dr. Daniel Gyebi, Attorney-at-Law, Texas, U.S.A., and Founder, PrayerHouse Ministry, Kumasi, Ghana.

PrayerHouse Ministry is dedicated to providing a quiet facility for Christians to pray individually by themselves without any intermediary priest, pastor or any other person. This is a free service. No money is demanded or accepted. One facility is located at Kyerekrom / Fumesua, near Building and Road Research Institute Offices, one mile off the Kumasi-Accra Road and next to a house called Grace Castle. If you are interested, please contact Agnes at 054-7498653. Another is located at Kantinkyiren, at the junction of Kantinkyiren and Konkori, off the Kumasi-Obuasi Road, branching left at Trede junction. Contact Kwadwo at 020-8768461 / 0246-989413.

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