We’ve been following the exciting adventures of Elijah, who, in yesterday’s blog, successfully challenged 450 prophets of the false god Baal as well as challenging God’s people:

If the Lord is God, follow him!

You can read the whole story in 1 Kings 18, including his praying for and receiving rain. Then, interestingly, things go downhill. Ahab’s wife Jezebel, sponsor of the prophets of Baal, threatens Elijah who runs for his life and throws himself a pity party in the desert:

He arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (1 Kings 19.3, 4, NKJV)

The Lord provided food for Elijah (often the first need for people who are depressed!). Then, in a subsequent conversation we have this exchange:

There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” (1 Kings 19.9, 10, ESV)

(You can read this whole story in 1 Kings 19.) I just want to highlight three lessons learned from Elijah’s bout with fear and discouragement – not an uncommon consequence of strenuous and successful ministry.

• Elijah’s assertions during his pity party were incorrect. “Only I am left.” – Nope. I have 7,000. (See 1 Kings 19.18) As Skip Gray said, “You are number seven thousand and one!”
• God appears to Elijah but not in the spectacular. (See 1 Kings 19.11, 12) God is not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. Just in the gentle whisper…if we are quiet enough to hear it. (Compare Psalm 46.10 – “Be still and know that I am God.”)
• The cure for depression is action. God told Elijah to anoint three people, including his replacement.

And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat…you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. (1 Kings 19.15, 16, ESV)

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26.41, ESV)

And rescue us every time we face tribulations. (from Luke’s version of the Lord’s prayer, Luke 11.4, TPT)

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (James 5.17, 18, ESV)