"1 When Ahab got home, he told
Jezebel everything Elijah had done,
including the way he had killed all the
prophets of Baal. 2 So Jezebel sent this
message to Elijah: "May the gods strike
me and even kill me if by this time
tomorrow I have not killed you just as
you killed them." 3 Elijah was afraid
and fled for his life. He went to
Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left
his servant there. 4 Then he went on
alone into the wilderness, traveling all
day. He sat down under a solitary broom
tree and prayed that he might die. "I
have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take
my life, for I am no better than my
ancestors who have already died."
5 Then he lay down and slept under
the broom tree. But as he was sleeping,
an angel touched him and told him, "Get
up and eat!" 6 He looked around and
there beside his head was some bread
baked on hot stones and a jar of water!
So he ate and drank and lay down again.
7 Then the angel of the Lord
came again and touched him and said,
"Get up and eat some more, or the
journey ahead will be too much for you."
8 So he got up and ate and
drank, and the food gave him enough
strength to travel forty days and forty
nights to Mount Sinai,[a] the mountain
of God. 9 There he came to a cave, where
he spent the night. 9 But the Lord said
to him, "What are you doing here,
Elijah? "
10 Elijah replied, "I
have zealously served the Lord God
Almighty. But the people of Israel have
broken their covenant with you, torn
down your altars, and killed every one
of your prophets. I am the only one
left, and now they are trying to kill
me, too."
11 "Go out and stand
before me on the mountain," the Lord
told him. And as Elijah stood there, the
Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm
hit the mountain. It was such a terrible
blast that the rocks were torn loose,
but the Lord was not in the wind. After
the wind there was an earthquake, but
the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12
And after the earthquake there was a
fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire there was the sound
of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah
heard it, he wrapped his face in his
cloak and went out and stood at the
entrance of the cave. And a voice said,
"What are you doing here, Elijah?"
14 He replied again, "I have
zealously served the Lord God Almighty.
But the people of Israel have broken
their covenant with you, torn down your
altars, and killed every one of your
prophets. I am the only one left, and
now they are trying to kill me, too."
15 Then the Lord told him, "Go
back the same way you came, and travel
to the wilderness of Damascus. When you
arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king
of Aram. 16 Then anoint Jehu son of
Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint
Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of
Abel-meholah to replace you as my
prophet. 17 Anyone who escapes from
Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those
who escape Jehu will be killed by
Elisha! 18 Yet I will preserve 7,000
others in Israel who have never bowed
down to Baal or kissed him!"
19
So Elijah went and found Elisha son of
Shaphat plowing a field. There were
twelve teams of oxen in the field, and
Elisha was plowing with the twelfth
team. Elijah went over to him and threw
his cloak across his shoulders and then
walked away. 20 Elisha left the oxen
standing there, ran after Elijah, and
said to him, "First let me go and kiss
my father and mother good- bye, and then
I will go with you!" Elijah replied, "Go
on back, but think about what I have
done to you." 21 So Elisha returned to
his oxen and slaughtered them. He used
the wood from the plow to build a fire
to roast their flesh. He passed around
the meat to the townspeople, and they
all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his
assistant." (1 Kings 19)
"I know
the plans I have for you, says the Lord.
They are plans for good and not for
evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11 (LB)
Thought:
According to Dr. Bertram Brown,
former director of the National
Institute of Mental Health, depression
is our nation's most costly emotional
illness. The cost to taxpayers is over
$5,000,000,000 (billion) a year in
medical expenses.
The cost to
businesses - in lowered productivity,
reduced morale, and lost jobs - is many
times greater. Studies have discovered
that nearly 80% of Americans will
struggle with some form of depression on
an annual basis.
It's not a new
problem. Here's a Bible trivia quiz:
Can you name any of three men who
became so depressed that each of them
asked God to take his life?
Answer: Moses, Elijah, and Jonah. Each
of these guys got depressed, but for
different reasons.
Depression is
always a symptom of a deeper problem.
Like a warning light on your
car, it gets your attention and shouts
SOMETHING IS WRONG!
The real
problem is not how you feel, but the
cause of those feelings. Here are three
of the most common causes of depression:
- FATIGUE! (Moses' problem) When
you try to maintain a hectic pace week
after week in spite of physical and
emotional exhaustion, you set yourself
up for depression. Or if you try to play
God, attempting to control everything
and everyone around you, depression will
eventually catch up with you.
In
Mose's case, the antidote was to learn
to delegate. (Numbers 11:10-17)
- FEAR! (Elijah's problem) Whenever you
swallow your anxieties, your body keeps
score. Instead of focusing on your
depression ask, "What is it that I'm
afraid of? What's got me worried?"
Resolve the worry and your blues will
vanish if that's the cause.
In
Elijah's situation, the antidote was to
trust God to handle things out of his
control. (1 Kings 19:1-18)
-
FRUSTRATION! (Jonah's problem) When you
don't see a purpose behind the events of
your life - when it all seems so
arbitrary or hopeless or unfair -
depression strikes. Life without meaning
and significance IS depressing.
That's why God's solution to Jonah's
depression was to help him see the
bigger picture. Perspective is a
powerful cure. When Jonah finally
understood God's Purpose for his life -
his depression faded.
Questions to consider:
***Does life sometimes seem like an
endless rat-race that overwhelms you?
***What are some ways that you
can begin to overcome the fatigue, fear,
and frustration that we all deal with?
***Ask God to open your eyes and
help you see His purpose for your life.
Links: (When avail. copy & paste into
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