Sep 27 2020 Elijah - Out of Depression by Developing Spiritual Rhythms

Lord, thank You that You are gracious and patient and merciful.

1 Kings 19:2 ² Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning, "May the gods judge me severely if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!" ³ Elijah was afraid, so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there, ⁴ while he went a day's journey into the desert.

We go back to Mt. Carmel and God’s consuming fire to burn up the offering, all of Baal’s prophets were killed.

Jezebel is kind of the queen of Baal – she had had many faithful prophets killed – and threatens to kill Elijah. There are two responses to fear – fight of flight! Up until now, Elijah has been fighting, but at this point, Elijah flees.

The Bible often says – DO NOT FEAR – or do not be afraid…. However – there are many legitimate reasons to be afraid, in this world – so it seems there are contradictions there.

There is a house on our walk with two mean dogs – with an invisible fence that those who are walking do not see – hence the invisible part! And they come charging us, with tail not wagging and fur up – and if they ever burst through that fence – we will have legitimate reasons to be afraid, and we will fight, or flight, and most likely lose.

Dangerous situations cause a natural fear response. That will happen. It is not just dogs chasing us! It can be economic fear – or whatever, but we need a third response – and this is where Elijah had his problems – the third response is not automatic, it must be developed in us. There are two statements that often go with “Do not fear” – do not fear, FOR I AM WITH YOU! We often see that with that.

The other – do not fear, for I am for you! This I know -that God is for me – I shall not be afraid.

God is with us, and God is on our side.

Don’t ignore the fear – or say – I shouldn’t be afraid of this dog charging – but we need to connect our natural response with God is with us – and God is for us.

Connect the natural fear that comes with that.

Elijah forgot those two things – God was with him – God was for him.

There are numerous situations that create fear and anxiety – and I am sure that in the last 6-9 months that all of us have had fear. Whether political unrest, the virus, social unrest – I’m sure most of us have had reason to fear.

Let me give you some modes we might go into: Protect mode. This is a good thing. It is a healthy thing to do when we face a dangerous situation. If your family is under attack, it is healthy to want to protect them.

Now, when we find ourselves in that situation – if we forget that God is with us – and God is for us – we move from protect mode to CONTROL mode – and that is wholly unhealthy, because only God is in total control. When we go into control mode, we begin imposing our responses on others – and even on God - and that is a problem. So the two are so close together – but there is a distinct difference between protect and control mode – we MUST avoid control mode.

Second mode – courage mode – when a dangerous situation comes up – we stir up our courage and that is a good and healthy thing – that is what is needed – someone to stir up our courage – but if we forget that God is for us and with us, we go into PRETEND mode – we pretend there is nothing out there – we stick our heads in the sand and believe what we want to believe.

Elijah has, up until now, as we look at his life, it is amazing – and we think we could never be like him – and we see he has his issues, just like we do. Sins – failures, flaws – lapses in judgment. He forgot that God was with him and fled.

He went and sat down under a shrub and asked the LORD to take his life: "I've had enough! Now, O LORD, take my life. After all, I'm no better than my ancestors."

Elijah allows discouragement to take control – he just wants to quit – in a dark depression – and God helps him with some simple practices to pull him out of this.

If you are in a dark depression, it is usually best to go get help! Elijah had an angel show up – if you don’t go to counseling!

⁵ He stretched out and fell asleep under the shrub. All of a sudden, an angelic messenger touched him and said, "Get up and eat."

Here is the first practical step – start taking normal action – get up and eat – get up into a normal routine. This COVID has thrown off many people’s routines. I have talked to several people who have recognized the effect – one neighbor quit smoking and started walking and has been faithfully doing it – and it has been really different for her because of it.

Others say the same things – sometimes it is just doing stuff – getting back to normal.

⁶ He looked and right there by his head was a cake baking on hot coals and a jug of water. He ate and drank and then slept some more. ⁷ The LORD's angelic messenger came back again, touched him, and said, "Get up and eat, for otherwise you won't be able to make the journey." ⁸ So he got up and ate and drank. That meal gave him the strength to travel forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

So the next thing he does – first he eats – and then he takes a trip to the place of God – he goes on a trip to a place where he can meet God.

Not only have our physical routines been disrupted, but also our spiritual rhythms – for me, I need regular prayer walks where I get away. And for me – I need some time to read scripture and look at ‘how has God met me’ in that day? Those are the two I need to do – for you it might be a devotion or quiet time – or worshiping on your way to work.

We need to get back to the spiritual rhythms that work for us.

For Elijah, the physical activity started first – but it took time for the heart to come along! The heart will follow the doing! As we force it into our schedule, the heart will follow. We take the steps and God gives us the heart to continue.

⁹ He went into a cave there and spent the night. All of a sudden the LORD spoke to him, "Why are you here, Elijah?" ¹⁰ He answered, "I have been absolutely loyal to the LORD, the sovereign God, even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life."

Elijah’s road back starts with complaint! A lament. SO often, our road back will start with a complaint. The good news? He is communicating with God, even if it is a complaint and a lament!

¹¹ The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Look, the LORD is ready to pass by."

God is very patient with Elijah – slowly moving him along according to Elijah’s condition – it says of Jesus – a bruised reed he will not break – God knows our condition – at times we need correction – other times, comfort, strength, or encouragement. We need to be aware of what people need – not just what we think they need – but aware of their condition – based on that.

A very powerful wind went before the LORD, digging into the mountain and causing landslides, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. All of a sudden, a voice asked him, "Why are you here, Elijah?"

So the question with this familiar passage – what is happening here? And the better question: What is NOT happening here. In the context of the entire story of Elijah – that is where our best understanding will come from. If we pull this out on its own, we will not have the best understanding.

For some, this passage has become a formula for hearing the voice of God. In the story of Elijah – the purpose of this story is to remind Elijah that God is with him and for him!

At the beginning of this story – a cake is baked. This is a hyperlink to the widow baking Elijah a small cake each day. So he is first reminding Elijah of God’s faithfulness.

Then we have the whole Earth, Wind and Fire thing going here – and what God is doing – the fire – Hyperlink – Mt. Carmel – fire coming down from heaven! Elijah spends his life seeing the spectacular! God is reminding – I will act! I am for you! We need some practices in our own lives to help us remember and know that God is with us and God is for us. We need practices that allow us to remember God’s faithfulness in the past! God was faithful HERE. He was with me HERE – it needs to be a daily practice – remembering how God was with us and for us.

And in remembering how God is with and for us – we don’t want to box Him in. If we do that – if we think He is only with me and for me if THIS happens, we will doubt when other things happen that God is with us and for us.

He may come at us with fire from heaven – or landslides – or a great wind – or a soft whisper – but however He comes to us, He is with us and for us.

We want to box and control God into our timetable and our way – and God won’t be boxed.

Elijah’s third flaw:

¹⁴ He answered, "I have been absolutely loyal to the LORD, the sovereign God, even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life…

His flaw is self-pity and self-importance – flip sides of the same coins – self pity comes when we feel like our efforts are not recognized by others or by God.

And self-importance comes when we think others or God don’t understand how important our contribution is!

When we do this, we are making it all about us! If Rick Warren were talking to Elijah – he would say – it is not about YOU – it is about God.

¹⁸ I still have left in Israel seven thousand followers who have not bowed their knees to Baal or kissed the images of him."

Elijah thinks he is the only one left – and God says – Elijah, you are too wrapped up in you – there are seven thousand on your side….

1 Kings 19:15 The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came and then head for the Desert of Damascus. Go and anoint Hazael king over Syria. You must anoint Jehu king over Israel, and Elisha to take your place as prophet. Jehu will kill anyone who escapes Hazael's sword, and Elisha will kill anyone who escapes Jehu's sword.

So this is interesting instruction at the end. Up until now, Elijah has seen some spectacular things as God has worked through him – and now God gives this practical instruction in what to do – and we see that God is showing how things work under His sovereign reign of God – and I’ll change that word SOVEREIGN – he is saying how things work under the NORMAL reign of God.

God uses real, normal people and their good works to bring about His good purposes. This is how the normal kingdom of God works. Read Jesus’ parables. We want fire to fall from heaven – as often as possible – because we believe that will change everything – but we see with Elijah – that does not solve everything.

We go to the conference – and think – I’ll never struggle again! Does that happen? No. It might be a catalyst – but it is the NORMAL, DAILY things that change things! It takes countless acts of charity, service, works of justice, bridge-building, conversations – breaking down barriers, and truly loving people to bring about transformation.

Lord, help us to engage in those works. Daily. Moment by moment. For our own souls and spirituality, help us to be faithful with those rhythms you have built inside of us. Help us in our world – to not trust in princes, horses, chariots, our own strength, but to trust in You – that You are with us and You are for us!