Sermon for Sunday November 16th, 2008

Elijah - Overcoming Depression! by George Dillahunty

1 Kings 19:3-19:8

Rev. George R. Dillahunty
Kingdom Glory Internet Church
685 Grant Avenue
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23452-3047

November 14, 2008

Text: 1 Kings 19:3-8 (King James Version)

"And when he saw that, he arose and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. (v. 4) But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, ’It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.’ (v. 5) And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, ’Arise and eat.’ (v. 6) And he looked, and behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. (v. 7) And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, ’Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.’ (v. 8) And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God."

Topic: Elijah - Overcoming Depression!

The late great 16th President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865), the late great British Reformed Baptist preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834 - 1892), the late great British politician, statesman, orator, and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874 - 1965), the late great wife of American evangelist, William Franklin "Billy" Graham (Born: 1918), Ruth Bell Graham (1920 - 2007), and the late great Prophet of Almighty God in Israel in the 9th Century B.C., Elijah, all had one thing in common. Do you know what that common denominator was? They all experienced deep periods of depression in their lives!

Depression is one of those problems that is commonly experienced; and, until recently, it was a problem that most people were afraid to admit to. However, it is not uncommon at all for even Christian true believers to be depressed. The late great American clinical psychiatrist and religious educator, Dr. Wayne Edward Oates (1919 - 1999) once stated that if a person could answer "Yes" to seven (7) of these ten (10) questions, the chances are that he or she was someone who is depressed:

1. Have you suddenly or slowly lost all initiative in relating to other people?
2. Do you experience repeated crying spells that have no apparent cause?
3. Have you persistently over a period of weeks awakened suddenly and been unable to return to sleep for over an hour?
4. Do you awaken in the morning feeling tired and face the day with dread?
5. Do you feel pain of an unspecific, scattered kind and aching all over?
6. Do you find yourself thinking about your own death? Wishing life were over?
7. Do you breath irregularly, sigh repeatedly, and feel heavy in the chest?
8. Do you distrust your own wisdom, having trouble making decisions, or feel generally helpless?
9. Do you find yourself irritable, cross without any reason?
10. Do you have trouble being enthusiastic about anything?

If you answered "Yes" to seven (7) or more of those questions, the chances are that you are clinically depressed! Let me repeat, however, that if you are depressed or if you are going through periods of depression, don’t worry - why? Because even some of the greatest saints of Almighty God in the Holy Bible - the written Word of Almighty God - went through periods of depression! That, my brothers and sisters, is where we find the Prophet Elijah! Immediately after his great victory upon Mount Carmel, when he called down "fire from Heaven," and slew the prophets of Baal, we see him, in our Holy Scripture text, for today, going through a time of depression!

This morning, the Lord would have us examine three (3) causes of depression and His solution for them: (1) physical exhaustion, (2) spiritual defeat; and, (3) emotional depletion!

As far as the Prophet Elijah knew, he was lying under the juniper tree and closing his eyes never to open them again - because he asked Almighty God to kill him! We are going to discover that it is possible to be depressed when we are physically drained or exhausted, when we are emotionally depleted; or, even when we are spiritually defeated!

The first thing that Almighty God said to Elijah through His angel was: "Arise and eat." Sometimes, my brothers and sisters, we get depressed when we don’t take care of ourselves. The first problem that the Prophet Elijah had was that he had run - apparently "non-stop" - from Mount Carmel all the way to Beersheba - about 160 miles out into the desert. He had run, and run, and run; and, he was totally exhausted. He had not eaten right - he had not gotten enough sleep - he was thirsty - and, he was completely physically drained!

The Holy Bible - the written Word of Almighty God - teaches us that if we do not take care of our bodies - as the temple of the Holy Spirit - it will affect us negatively - in all different kinds of ways! Almighty God, through his angel, said in effect, "Elijah, get up! Don’t lay there having a "pity party!" Get up! I’m not through with you - Don’t just lay there feeling sorry for yourself!" Sometimes, when we are depressed, we do not want to do anything! We do not want to get out of bed - we do not want to go anywhere - we just want to lay around!

The late great Anglican cleric, Christian theologian, and founder of Methodism, John Wesley (1703 - 1791), was a man who believed in activity and serving Almighty God with diligence! On one occasion, John Wesley went to see a man who was having his own personal "pity party" and would not get out of bed. The man said to John Wesley, "Brother Wesley, would you just pray that Almighty God would give me strength to get out of this bed?" John Wesley told him, "You get one foot out of the bed; and, I’ll pray for the other foot!" I believe that is what Almighty God was saying to the Prophet Elijah through His angel!

Notice, my brothers and sisters, that the angel of the Lord gave the Prophet Elijah three (3) things when he found Elijah under the juniper tree - physically drained: (1) He gave him sleep, (2) He gave him food and drink; and, (3) He gave him exercise!

If we are not getting enough rest, it builds up and accumulates, and we find ourselves going deeper and deeper into what is called "sleep deficit disorder." Before we know it, we are going through a time of depression; and, part of the problem is that we are simply not taking care of our bodies!

Sometimes, when we are depressed, it could be that we are just not eating right - we are not taking care of our nourishment! The angel of the Lord fed the Prophet Elijah some kind of bread; and, he gave Elijah some water to drink! He was relaying. in effect this message from Almighty God, "Elijah, you are exhausted - you are worn out - you are depressed - and, that is causing you to think wrong and to ask for wrong things! Why are you asking me to kill you? Get enough sleep - eat correctly!"

Not only did Almighty God - through His angel - tell the Prophet Elijah to get enough sleep and to eat correctly; but, he told him to exercise! Sometimes, when we are going through a time of depression, Almighty God’s prescription is to exercise! If we find ourselves going through a time of depression - and, if we get enough rest - if we eat right - and, if we get some exercise, we will find that physically - at least - we will feel much, much better!

In 1 Kings 19:9-13 (KJV), we read: "And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the Word of the Lord came to him, and He said unto him, ’What doest thou here, Elijah?’ (v. 10) And he said, ’I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy Prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’ (v. 11) And He said, ’Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.’ And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake. (v. 12) And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. (v. 13) And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, ’What doest thou here, Elijah?"

Almighty God was saying, in effect, "What are you doing here, Elijah? The last time I saw you, you were on top of Mount Carmel calling down fire from Heaven - you had great faith - you had great confidence - now, look at you, Elijah - What are you doing here?" I am certain that those words stirred something within Elijah’s heart, because he said, in effect, "Oh, God! You are right - I want to know you - I want to hear from you - I want to relate to you - so, God, reveal yourself to me!"

A great hurricane-type wind blew the rocks apart! The Prophet Elijah said, in effect, "There you are Lord! Where are you? I see you. You have to be in that wind somewhere;" but, Elijah did not find Him! Then, there was an earthquake - "Surely God, you are in some earth-shaking experience;" but, Elijah did not find Him! Then, there was a fire - "I have had experience with fire! Just not long ago, You were in the fire and you are in the fire now again, aren’t you Lord?" But, Elijah did not find Him! Almighty God, in times past, had spoken through the wind - He had spoken through earthquakes - and, He had spoken through fire!

Sometimes, when we get spiritually defeated, Almighty God tells us, "Don’t depend on the way that I used to deal with you - yesterday’s "manna" is no good - it is rotten - the experience that you had last year; or, ten years ago; or, thirty years ago, does not count anymore! I want you to have a new revelation of myself, so listen up!" The Prophet Elijah was spiritually defeated, because many times depression is the shadow that is cast on the other side of "mountain-top experiences" with Almighty God!

Don’t you love it when you ascend to the mountain-top experiences in life? Don’t you love it when the wind blows, when the earth shakes; and, when the fire falls? However, my brothers and sisters, that is not the norm - that is the extraordinary! When those things do not happen all of the time; and, if we are depending upon those kinds of things; and, if we are looking for those things to happen; it leads to disappointment and depression!

Here, we find the Prophet Elijah, fresh from the fire falling on Mount Carmel, wondering where the fire is; and, Almighty God is trying to speak to him in a whisper! Tell me, my brothers and sisters, "Are you looking for Almighty God in the wrong place? Are you filling your ears and your eyes with so much static that Almighty God cannot break through to you? Almighty God is telling us, that when we are depressed - it may be a problem - not just a physical problem; but, a spiritual problem! If that is the case, He is telling us to listen up! He will speak to us in a different way than He has ever spoken to us before!

So, we see that if our depression is a physical problem and we are physically drained, Almighty God tells us, in effect, to "Get Up and I will feed you!" If our depression is a spiritual problem and we are defeated, Almighty God tells us, in effect, to "Listen up and I will speak to you!"

Finally, as I begin to close, we find that one of the Prophet Elijah’s problems was that he thought that he was the only righteous one left! Have you ever felt that way? I know that, on occasion, I have! Consider Almighty God’s reply to the Prophet Elijah, found in 1 Kings 19:15-21 (KJV): "And the Lord said unto him, ’Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: (v. 16) And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint as prophet in thy room. (v. 17) And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. (v. 18) Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.’ (v. 19) So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantel upon him. (v. 20) And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, ’Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee.’ And he said unto him, ’Go back again: for what have I done to thee?’ (v. 21) And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him."

Tell me, do you see the problem with the Prophet Elijah? Here he is, under the juniper tree, saying, in effect, "God, I have had enough - I am so discouraged and depressed that I want to die - just take my life!" The Prophet Elijah was physically drained - he was spiritually defeated - but, he was also emotionally depleted. He was lonely! Did you know that if you do not have people with whom you can go to for support and friendship and help, that you are going to be depressed? Almighty God was telling Elijah, in effect, "Elijah, I know you are depressed because you think that you are all alone; however, that is not true! There is Hazael, there is Jehu; and, there is Elisha. Oh, and by the way, there are seven thousand others and you need to fellowship with them!"

If we find ourselves in a period of depression, we need to look around and find brothers and sisters in Christ to reach out to us to give us help and to give us strength! If we are not part of a small group, whether that be a class here at church; or, a group of friends that we have coffee with - we are going to be a good candidate for depression! We are never told in the Holy Bible - the written Word of Almighty God - that we are going to live life without depression!

Finally, as I take my seat, know that when we go through periods of depression, Almighty God tells us not to just lie there - but, to get up - to know that I your Lord am speaking to you - so, listen up - and, don’t think that you are all alone - fellowship with like-minded people - good Christian people! If you find yourself in a similar circumstance as the Prophet Elijah, let me pray for you - let me lift you up before our Heavenly Father - let me invite you to fellowship with us as we strive together to become the people that Almighty God has created us to be!

Elijah - Overcoming Depression!

May Almighty God richly and abundantly bless each and every one of you!