Depression

I wrote this some time ago but I haven't posted it here yet. Today I have been reminded of how God is with us in the deep dark times and provides what we need when we do not even know what we need.

Let me tell you an account . There was this great man who had just been victorious in confrontation against a lot of other guys who firmly believed that their god was mightier than this man's god. Oh, the man's name was Elijah. Elijah had challenged them to have their god call down fire from heaven to this altar piled with a bull and wood. Elijah said he would ask his god for the same. Whoever's god did the thing ...well that would prove it all, right? Elijah let the other guys go first because he was a good sportsman like that. These other guys called on the name of their god for hours from morning till noon and nothing happened. They even jumped up on that altar themselves and danced around. Nothing happened. Elijah started trash talking them a bit around noon saying "Maybe your god is busy or on a trip or asleep; call louder". So the other guys cried even louder and they even started cutting themselves as was their custom in the "worship" of their god. But nothing happened. They called and carried on till evening and nothing happened. So then Elijah calls to all the people (cause there was a crowd gathering to watch this fiasco, I can tell you). He says , "Come over here." And Elijah first of all repaired the altar that the other guys had broken by jumping on it. Then he took 12 stones and built an altar in the name of the Lord (12 because that's the number of the tribes of Israel-lots more to tell about Israel but I am going to try to just stick to this story right now). Elijah put the bull in order on that altar and laid the wood down under it then he said "Fill up these four waterpots with water and pour it on the bull and the wood." So the people did it. He also dug a trench all the way around the altar and he told the people to fill up the waterpots two more times and pour it on the altar. There was so much water saturating the bull and the wood that it ran all around the altar. Then Elijah filled up that trench with water, like a moat. Then Elijah said this" 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. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again." Then guess what happened? Go on...guess 🙂 Yep! The fire of the Lord fell from heaven immediately and consumed the bull, the wood, the 12 stones and it licked up all the water that was in the trench! What would you have done if you had been there seeing that happen? I'll tell you what those people did...they fell down and worshiped saying, "The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!" Now that is pretty amazing ....but the account does not stop there. (And this is what I find amazing, and comforting too) Right after this there was this lady leader named Jezebel who sent word to Elijah that she was going to kill him by the next day.So what do you think courageous , strong, call the fire down from the Lord Elijah did when he heard this? I would think he would ask her, "Didn't you see what my God just did? Who are you to threaten my God's servant?" But that is NOT what he did or said. He ran for his life. He ran out into the wilderness all by himself. He left his servant. Just got out of there and he laid down under this little tree in the wilderness and prayed. Now....that's sounding more like the Elijah of the fire, right? He's gonna pray and fire will probably come down and take out Jezebel, right? NOPE. This is what he prayed, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" He prayed that he would die. Alone and afraid he just couldn't take it anymore. And do you know what happened? God...our powerful, just, mighty, loving, caring God...God sent him some help. When you can't take it anymore....God doesn't judge you. He sends you some help. When no one around understands or if there is no one around at all....God can still send you some help. As he slept an angel that God sent touched him and said for him to get up and eat. When he got up there was a cake baked on coals and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and went back to sleep. Wow! God has the answer for when we are worn out and depressed and fearful...He hears us, He touches us, He tells us to rest and to eat and to drink. Things we need to have when we just can't go on any longer...physical rest, food and drink, and a touch from the Lord through an angel, someone He sends. You could be that touch in a person's life today. Anyway, the angel didn't abandon Elijah. He stayed the course with him and came back a second time and touched him and he said to him, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." Wow again! God knows when our journey has become too great for us. And He does not say He is disappointed in us. He does not say that we should have more faith. He does not say shame on you....don't you remember what I did at that altar? God LOVED. God LOVED. God LOVES. He cares. So when Elijah arose and ate and drank then he was able to walk and go on. So he walked as far as Horeb which was the mountain of God (it took him forty days and nights). He had the strength to go on for a while. But once he got there he went into a cave. He withdrew and hid in a cave. Do you think God was frustrated with him? No. God just spoke to him and said his name (do you know how good it feels to have someone call you by name? You just don't feel invisible anymore when someone calls you by your name) "Elijah, what are you doing here?" God knows all things. He knew why Elijah was there. He just wanted Elijah to realize for himself why he was there and what he was doing. I know this is a long post but man, it is such a wonderful true story that is so encouraging to anyone who is dealing with fear and anxiety and depression in these days. There is Someone who cares and who knows your name and who is with you when you think you are all alone. He wants to have a relationship with you like He did with Elijah! He sent His Son Jesus to give His perfect life for your and my imperfect, sinful lives. we can just call on Jesus and put our trust in HIm and BOOM! we are a child of God! Just like that! Okay ...I know you are on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happened. So Elijah is depressed , hiding in this cave and God asks him what he is doing and Elijah tells him basically that he is to tired of trying to do what God wants Him to do when God's people have turned away from God and have torn down their churches and have killed the preachers (well, it was altars and prophets...but this is how it would be modern day). Then Elijah says this "I alone am left and they are trying to kill me". Have you ever felt like everyone is against you and that you are alone in this world? That is how Elijah felt. So guess what happened? I wish I could see your faces on this part...🙂 God told Elijah to go stand on the mountain. And God passed by. But Elijah was still in the cave. He didn't go stand on the mountain. A strong and terrible wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks into pieces...but the Lord was not in the wind. And Elijah was in the cave. After the wind was a great earthquake...but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And Elijah was in the cave. There there was a great fire! But the Lord was not in the fire. And Elijah...he was still in the cave. And after the fire Elijah heard a still small voice. And Elijah, hearing God, wrapped up in a blanket of sorts and came and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then God asked him again gently , "What are you doing here, Elijah?" And Elijah told him the same thing... I am alone and they seek to kill me . The ones that are supposed to be Your children have forsaken Your covenant and torn down Your altars. And what did God do? He had already touched Elijah. He had given him physical sustenance. He had given him sleep. He had given him time away from people. He had given Him grace. And now He gave him a purpose, a goal that required action on his part. He told him that he wanted him to go and anoint a new king over Syria and then to anoint a new king over Israel. And to anoint a new prophet as well. And then God did what He wants us to do for one another: He encouraged Elijah. He told him "I know you feel alone in your service to me but listen...there are 7000 who have not bowed down to the false gods." He let him know he was not alone. So Elijah was able to move. He was able to get out of the wilderness and get out of the cave and go do the task God asked of him. And you know what else? God didn't stop there. One his way to anoint the new kings ...he passed by this fellow who was plowing with a LOT of ox...twelve yoke of oxen. And his name was Elisha. And they became friends , companions and Elisha left what he was doing...the plowing (he totally left what he was doing...he used the plow to kill all of those ox and had a big feast for his whole town and they all ate really, really well. He followed Elijah and became companion and servant ) God provided Elijah with someone to be a friend and fellow servant of the Lord for the rest of his days. God provides...sometimes it is hard to see it...amid the earthquakes and loud hot air blowing around and the fires stirred up all around us God calls to our hearts...personally. He provides Himself. And He encourages. There is so much more to this account but if you want to read it yourself it is in I Kings chapter 18 through II Kings chapter 3 in the Bible. 🙂 I suggest either the New King James Version or the Holman Christian Standard. You can get these on your phone with the Bible app if you don't have an actual Bible on hand. God loves you and me...He really does.