Complimentary Story
April 2024Elijah’s story goes from a mountaintop experience down to a suicidal desire.
Elijah told King Ahab that because of his sins it was not going to rain. That took either chutzpah or tremendous faith, or both.
Elijah hid by a brook where God used ravens to bring Elijah food. Eventually the brook dried up. God sent Elijah to the home of a widow whose flour and oil miraculously never ran out. The widow’s son died and Elijah witnessed God raise him from the dead.
Ahab wanted to kill Elijah. After the three and half years of no rain, God called Elijah to return to rebuke Ahab again. Ahab put all the blame on the messenger. Elijah told him it was the king’s sins in forsaking the commandments of God that had caused the troubles. What boldness, what faith, what confidence.
Elijah told Ahab to call all the pagan prophets to meet him on Mount Carmel. Elijah called to the people, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” Elijah turned to the pagan prophets and challenged them to a contest. Both were to build altars to their God, and whichever God answered by fire was the true God. The pagan prophets put their bull upon their altar. For hours they danced, cutting themselves, and calling out to their god. Nothing happened. Elijah mocked them, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
Elijah put a bull on his altar and had twelve buckets of water poured upon the offering. Elijah prayed and fire came down from heaven and burned up everything — the sacrifice, the wood, the water, even the stones. The people cried out, “The Lord, He is God!”
Elijah prayed and the Lord sent rain. God gave Elijah the strength to run before Ahab’s chariot back to his palace. What a powerful experience. Elijah was on a high and no doubt expected a full revival to take place. But his great disappointment sent him into a deep depression, even to the point of wishing he was dead.
When Queen Jezebel heard what had happened, she sent messengers to Elijah stating that he would be dead by morning. Elijah, who had stood bravely for God, who had seen God work miracle after miracle, now ran for his life in fear.
After running for a few days Elijah “prayed that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life…!’” Elijah was suicidal, or at least wanted God to take his life; basically he wanted to be dead.
God sent an angel who gave Elijah some food and let him rest. After resting and eating, Elijah journeyed to Mount Horeb.
Elijah was still depressed and he isolated himself for forty days.
God came to him and asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah was still bitter and presumptuous about how things should be working out. He declared, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” Notice all the fear and focus on self that Elijah expressed. Elijah had taken his eyes off God and placed them upon himself. He focused on his situation without taking God, or possibly other people, into consideration.
God responded by passing the cave with a strong windstorm, followed by an earthquake, followed by fire. But the Lord was not in any of those. Then God’s still small voice called Elijah, asking again, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Again, Elijah responded as before. It seems he had been rehearsing that line over and over again in his mind. A very dangerous practice which is far too common.
If you hold an envelope in front of your face and focus on it, drawing it closer to your eyes, you will eventually get to the point where it can obscure the view of an entire building. When we review a problem over and over, it can get bigger in our eyes, crowding out even God. It is good to see a problem clear enough that we understand it, but at the same time we need to be turning it over to God and reminding ourselves how much bigger God is than our problem.
As opposed to getting into an argument with Elijah, God gave him an assignment to go anoint a couple of kings and a prophet. God told him there were still 7,000 people in Israel who were not serving the false god, baal. Elijah did what God told him to do and as a result of that, God was able to continue to use Elijah in wonderful ways.
Sometimes the best way to get out of the cave of depression is by sitting still and crying out to the Lord from that cave. God took Elijah out of the cave and into the light. God will do the same for you.
Elijah’s rehabilitation included good food, water, rest, exercise, getting him back to the Word of God, reminding him that he was not the only one in the world who had problems, and he was not the only person in the world whom God could use. God also reminded him that God was in charge, not him. The Lord demonstrated to Elijah that He was all powerful, but that God’s powerful demonstrations were not as important as hearing His still small voice. God put Elijah back to work with people who would be an encouragement and help to him, and to whom he could be of help. That is quite a list and a pretty good daily recipe for each of us.
Learn more about Elijah, and other depressed people of the Bible in the book “Depressed People of the Bible,” available where most books are sold.
Author’s Disclaimer: The information I will be sharing is not intended for diagnosis or treatment of depression. It is a biblical reflection on people throughout the Scriptures who dealt with depression and how God carried them through it to healing and purpose.
