Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Gloom, Despair, Agony On Me




Gloom, despair, agony on me. That's the best way to describe Elijah's condition in 1 Kings chapter nineteen. It's the consequence of not avoiding discouragement's path. Unreal expectations, allowing circumstances to overwhelm, and focusing inwardly all play a part in leading Elijah down the path of depression. 
 
 
In 2009, a health survey revealed 40 million American adults had been diagnosed with depression; serving as further evidence that discouragement and depression are the most effective tool that the devil uses against people, especially God's people. If more evidence is needed, then let me say that out of the fifteen years I have been preaching, last week's sermon received more comments from people than any sermon I have preached. Everyone battles with discouragement and depression. 
 
 
The four main causes of depression are fatigue, frustration, failure, and fear. Likewise, the four chief symptoms of depression are dissatisfaction, disgruntled, disengaged, and distressed. However, beneath the causes and symptoms is a deeper root cause. It's unbelief. When unbelief gets the upper hand in our hearts, it leads us down the path of discouragement and depression. 
 
 
In a recent conversation, someone questioned her salvation on account of struggling to trust God. I assured her the struggle to trust God is not a sign you are not saved, but a sign you are saved. The life of faith is a fight for faith. The child of God must fight unbelief faithfully because the failure to trust God for all he's promised in Jesus will lead us down the road of discouragement and depression. Therefore, the child of God should persistently pray, "Lord; I believe, help me with my unbelief." The solution to leaving the path of despair is winning the battle with unbelief. We win the battle with unbelief by trusting God. 
 
 
Elijah's story fuels our faith, so we can defeat unbelief, and leave gloom, despair, and agony behind. The first step to leaving discouragement's path reveals our need to trust God's faithfulness. 
 
 
Trust God's Proven Character to Provide 

"And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God" (1 Kings 19:5-8).  
 
 
Elijah received a messenger after he became dissatisfied with ministry and life, disgruntled with God and people, disengaged from all relationships, and distressed with the problems destabilizing his life. The messenger was no ordinary messenger. Verse seven reveals the messenger as "the angel of the Lord." When the anger of the Lord appears throughout the Old Testament it's called a "theophany." This is where the pre-incarnate Christ appears to God's people under the Old Covenant. Therefore, Jesus has manifested himself to Elijah and is now ministering to him. 
 
 
God's activity in Elijah's life has progressed very interestingly. The Lord uses ravens to provide Elijah's meals while camping at the brook Cherith. An impoverished widow furnishes sustenance in Zaraphath. However, when Elijah runs from the will of God, it is Jesus, who comes to provide for Elijah. Elijah flees, and God chases. 
 
 
The angel of the Lord's ministry was successful, and Elijah responds, "And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God"(1 Kings 19:8). This particular verse has great spiritual significance. The forty-day journey connects Elijah's situation with the past. Israel spent forty years roaming the wilderness because of unbelief. Elijah's wilderness experience was the result of unbelief. 
 
 
Elijah ended up in the wilderness of depression because he failed to trust God's proven character to provide for his people. For three-and a half-years Elijah experienced the faithfulness of God to provide, protect, and prevail. Nevertheless, he lost the fight with unbelief, and he ended up on the path of discouragement and depression. 
 
 
God has proven abundantly that he is faithful to his people. If you forget his proven character to provide, you will become discouraged and depressed. Thomas Chisholm, didn't want to forget, so he penned these words, "Great is Thy Faithfulness, great is Thy Faithfulness, morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand has provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me." The first step to winning the battle of over unbelief and leaving the path of despair is trusting God's proven character of provide. Second step: trust God's powerful presence to guide. 
 
 
Trust God's Powerful Presence to Guide 

"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).  
 
 
 
After arriving at Horeb, the mount of God, The Lord speaks to Elijah, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" This question isn't for God, but for Elijah. The Lord wants Elijah to do some self-examination. Elijah's response reveals his despair, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hose. 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." Elijah is so depressed he can't remember all that God did in chapters seventeen and eighteen. Elijah feels alone, and abandoned by God. 
 
 
Therefore, God will teach Elijah of his powerful presence, "And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke 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. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave” (1 Kings 19:11-13). 
 
 
The Lord was not in the strong wind; not in the earthquake, nor in the fire. However, it is in the sound of a low whisper that the Lord reveals his powerful presence. Why? Elijah's three-and a half-years was characterized by the supernatural and spectacular. Ravens providing food, and widow's son raised from the dead, fire falling from heaven, and rain removing the drought. The low whisper teaches Elijah that the Lord doesn't always operate in the spectacular. In fact, God's powerful presence is mostly seen in the everyday affairs of life. The great lesson is this: when it seems the Lord is not answering your prayers with the spectacular, and seems to be absent from your life, don't forget that God's presence to guide is always with his people. 
 
 
God promised Moses, "I will be with you." He promised Joshua, "I will be with you wherever you go." Jesus promised his church, "I will be with you to the end of age." You can trust God's powerful presence to guide because he will never leave nor forsake his people. In a fiery furnace? Problems consuming you? God is with you and will guide you through. Third and final step: trust God's sovereign plan to prevail. 
 
 
Trust God's Sovereign Plan to Prevail 

"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 of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him" (1 Kings 19:15-18).  
 
 
Elijah learns in these verses that God's victory doesn't always come through the spectacular. In fact, God's victory comes a majority of the time in the ordinary workings of everyday life. God was going to bring judgement upon Israel through the political process. When you can't see the spectacular, just remember that God's sovereign plan will prevail because God is in control. God reminds Elijah of this, "Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him" (1 Kings 19:18).  
 
 
Unbelief tells you God won't provide. Faith knows that God is faithful to provide for his people. Unbelief tells you God has abandoned you. Faith knows that God will never leave, nor forsake his people. Unbelief tells you God's not at work. Faith knows that God's sovereign plan will prevail because he is in control. Trust God's proven character; trust God's powerful presence; trust God's sovereign plan, and you will find yourself leaving gloom, despair, and agony behind.  


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