Elijah was the man of the hour. When God wanted to punish his people for their disobedience, Elijah was the one he used to announce a drought. God then demonstrated that he’d take care of his man by multiplying the flour and cooking oil of the widow who was caring for him. When God wanted to demonstrate his superiority over the pagan god Baal, he sent Elijah to the top of a mountain to have a fire delivering contest with them. And when God had made his point and it was time for the drought to end, he again used Elijah to summon rain.
But all that was before the king’s wife—who didn’t appreciate Elijah showing off, placed a death sentence on his head. So he sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. (I Kings 19:4 NLT).
Depression can sneak up when life’s at its best. But regardless of when it comes, the cure entails the same elements. Elijah was at his wit’s end and tired to boot so God gave him rest and nutrition. Depression can also make us want too much rest—and mustering the energy to eat healthy is often difficult, but proper rest and nutrition are essential for healing. Elijah needed both.
Curing depression normally involves re-focusing as well. Up until this point, Elijah’s God intervened in showy manners. And maybe Elijah had grown accustomed to this. So God spoke in a gentle whisper and reminded Elijah that being still in his presence is sometimes all the depression medicine that’s needed.
When depression sneaks up on you, rest, get proper nutrition, and take time to re-focus.
Prayer: Father, when our spirits are down, lift us up by Your loving grace and encouragement.
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I love that your post is based on scripture and faith. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm visiting today from Super Sunday Sync. Thanks for linking up!
Thank you for sharing on this topic. It was actually exactly one-year ago today that I began to realize that I was struggling in this area. I am so thankful to be on the other side and feeling much better this year. The Psalms have been great comfort to me -- as David poured out His heart to God, so have I. I am thankful that His mercies are new every morning. :)
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts - I liked your three words of advice: "rest, get proper nutrition, and take time to re-focus". Visiting from Hear It on Sunday, Use It on Monday.
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