Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 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. 7 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.” 8 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. The Lord Speaks to Elijah 9 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?” 10 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.” 11 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. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.[a]13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 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.” 15 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. 16 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. 17 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. 18 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.” 

    A few years ago I was in London visiting Churchill’s war room in the underground bunker that he often occupied during the bombing of London. Winston Churchill was one of the great statesmen of the last century and the positive influence he had on England during WWII cannot be overstated. However, many do not know that Churchill suffered from depression. Churchill called his depression the “black dog”. To combat his depression Churchill would often paint, eventually becoming accomplished. He would also lay brick at Chartwell, which was the name of his estate outside of London. These creative activities became quite therapeutic. In today’s passage Elijah, the prophet of God seems depressed (v. 4). He has just won a great spiritual victory over the prophets of Baal and now he is running for his life from wicked queen Jezebel. He finds himself alone and exhausted. I am no expert on depression and I do believe that there are clinically depressed people that could certainly benefit from professional help. This devotional is not intended to be a treatment for clinical depression but rather a guide for when we are feeling depressed in the midst of ministry. Those involved in ministry can find themselves feeling like Elijah, so what can we learn and what can we do? The first thing that comes to mind from our passage is proper rest. Sleep is a gift, a grace from the Lord. If you get sleep, you recognize how precious it is. If you are not getting sleep, ask the Lord for it! Second, are you eating right? There are more studies that show the benefits of eating right than I can shake a stick at. Feed your body good foods. Although not stated in this passage, I think having a creative outlet is very beneficial. We are created in the image of God and God is certainly creative! I believe when we are being creative we receive an emotional benefit. Most importantly, get God’s perspective on your situation. Elijah thought he was alone in his endeavors but he certainly was not! When we get depressed, our vision often becomes myopic, self-focused. That is when we must hear from the Lord. We need to get alone, ignore the chaos, and pay attention to the word of the Lord, gaining his perspective on the situation. Proverbs 14:30a states, “A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh...” Do you have a tranquil heart or are you fighting the “black dog”? 

In Christ,

John