1 Kings 19:1-16.

Trusting in God Amidst Depression

         May 18, 2003                     © 2003, J.W. Carter
www.biblicaltheology.com            Scripture quotes from KJV

This lesson provides guidance for those who are going through depression, or are caring for someone who is experiencing depression. What is depression? (An emotional state that leads to discouragement, negative self-worth, hopelessness.) There are two types of depression that we experience. The first is situational depression that is triggered by circumstances and the way we interpret their effect on our lives. The second form is clinical depression that is triggered by hormonal imbalance, brain dysfunction or other purely medical conditions. Though circumstances still exacerbate the trauma experienced in clinical depression, those who suffer from clinical depression need the help of trained medical doctors and Christian counselors.

This lesson deals with situational depression, that form that is experienced by almost all people at some time or another. Christians are not immune to depression, and as a matter of fact, might even be more prone to it. We see in scripture several examples of individuals who were faithful to God and went through periods of deep and miserable depression that were brought on by their interpretation of the circumstances around them. Who are some examples? (Job 3:1; the Teacher Eccl. 1:2, 2:17; David when chased by Saul, Gideon when oppressed by the Midianites, Jonah under the fig tree, Jeremiah over the sins of Israel.) We see many examples of faithful people dealing with periods of depression. Each of these overcame the depression, and each victory was obtained the same way. Maybe there is something here for us to learn.

What are some circumstances that can trigger depression? Depression is caused by interpretation of circumstances, not by the circumstances themselves. When we look to God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can change the way we interpret those circumstances and move our focus off of the circumstances that would defeat us, to God who is our only true source of delivery.

1 Kings 19:1.

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

One scriptural example we can learn from is the experience of Elijah in 1 Kings, chapter 19. This chapter follows chapter 18, where Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal and Asherah with a duel. He went to Ahab, the evil king of the Northern kingdom of Israel and his wife, Jezebel. These two had led Israel away from God to worship Baal (the Baalim) and Asherah. Ahab accused Elijah of being the "troubler of Israel." Elijah countered by accusing Ahab of leading the people away from God, so a duel ensued, a duel that the Lord orchestrated in order to show that He is Lord. Elijah commanded the people to bring two bulls for sacrifice to Mount Carmel. In the morning the prophets of Baal would prepare their altar and the animal for burned sacrifice, but not set it afire, but rather call upon their god to come and burn the sacrifice. Through the day the prophets prayed, wailed, and cut themselves while Elijah teased and taunted them. Finally, when time for sacrifice came, Elijah called them to the side, rebuilt the alter of 12 stones representing Israel, placed the cut pieces of the sacrifice on the stones and wood and dug a trench around the sacrifice. He then told the prophets to douse the sacrifice three times with water until the trenches were full. At that point he prayed to God and fire fell, consuming the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones..  The people responded, rejecting Baal and returning their allegiance to God. Elijah commanded the people to take the 450 prophets of Baal (and the 400 prophets of Asherah?) to a near valley where they were massacred.  Following this repentance of Israel, rain fell, ending the three-year drought.

When Ahab returned from Mt. Carmel, he had witnessed the duel, the presence of God, and permitted the massacre of the Baalists.  As Israel was led to repent, it appears that there was at least some repentance on Ahab's part.  However, Jezebel was not present at Mt. Carmel and did not witness the work of God in that place.  Ahab returned to Jezreel, bringing the news to his wife, Jezebel, who had led the nation in the worship of Asherah.

You would think that this experience would respond in a very emotional high for Elijah.  However, the circumstances that followed the duel sent Elijah in a quite different direction.

1 Kings 19:2-4.

Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. 3And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 4But 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. 

Here Elijah sounds more like Jonah. What were the circumstances that triggered Elijah's depression? (Fear of Jezebel's claim to kill him, and her power to carry out her wish.) Jezebel had already proven herself as a persecutor of God's prophets by killing many. As the queen, she had the authority and resources to locate and kill him too, so he took off running in fear of his life.  Up to this point in his experience, God spoke clearly to him, and he saw God work in miraculous ways.  However, all of these circumstances were in support of God's purpose for Israel.  That purpose had, in Elijah's perspective, been fulfilled.  Israel had repented, and the drought was over.  Now, when he was in personal need, he looked to God for another miracle, but heard nothing.  His sight of God had become so clear that his faith faltered.  When he did not hear God's clear voice and direction, he felt abandoned.  He wanted to hear God in all of His power.  Elijah had a lesson to learn.

Do you see anything here that is a bit incongruous? Why should he be afraid of Jezebel? Remember, it is not the circumstances that create depression, it is the interpretation of those circumstances. Depression is a very difficult condition to define. If you were to talk to Elijah you would certainly ask why he is afraid. He would probably agree that there is no rational reason for fear, but the depression is still the same.  Depression is an irrational response, so rational arguments usually fail to help.  Look at some of the self-destructive ways Elijah responded to the news.

  1. He was afraid.
  2. He ran
  3. He isolated himself
  4. He wallowed in self-pity, lack of self-worth, lack of usefulness

This is a typical cycle of depression. Sin leads to anxiety, leads to depression, despair, and breakdown. (Hindson/Byrd).

If we look at where depression starts, we can begin to understand a little more about how to overcome it. It starts, not with the circumstance, but by our interpretation of it, and that interpretation is a sinful one. It is an interpretation that is selfish, self-centered, and not focused on God. It looks at, not our call in obedience to God, but rather in the disobedience of the circumstance to our own desire and feeling of authority. Elijah knew that the power on Mount Carmel was not his own, but was God's. It was God he was defending, not himself. It was when things got personal that Elijah's lack of confidence shows itself. Elijah's source of confidence changed, and that was Elijah's sin. Rather than placing his confidence in God to protect him, he relied on his inability to defend himself against the power of Jezebel. By personalizing the circumstances, Elijah had produced a no-win situation, because by himself he could never overcome Jezebel. By relying upon his own abilities, his situation was hopeless.

For Elijah, depression was a self-inflicted means of escape from the responsibilities of the real world. The actions that one makes in response to depression are an avalanche of self destruction. Elijah's fear result in decisions including running away and isolating himself. It is the isolation that can be most destructive, for a depressed person is his own worst counselor. Self-counsel when motivated by depression leads to despair, and ultimately to breakdown. With few exceptions, it is this breakdown that leads to suicide, either by taking their life, or by shutting out the outside world.

God intervened in Elijah's situation, and in doing so we see an example of how depression is overcome.

1 Kings 19:5-8a. 

And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 6And 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. 7And 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. 8And he arose, and did eat and drink,

Three things happened here. What were they? 

  1. Elijah was approached by an angel, a messenger from God, 
  2. Elijah was fed, and 
  3. Elijah was given a specific, meaningful, task. 

First, Elijah fell asleep. Often, those who are depressed will hide from their fears by sleeping. His sleep was interrupted by the touch of God's messenger. When someone is going through depression, intervention is needed. Note that the intervention was not aimed at Elijah's depression, but rather, in meeting some basic needs that Elijah had failed to fill. He was not eating. Often, depression leads to such a change in focus that an individual fails to take care of themselves as they usually would. Again, much time might be spent in bed, eating habits change for the worse (come people overeat while others might fast), personal cleanliness and grooming habits may change.

Finally, though Elijah's journey was one of running away, the messenger would turn the journey into one of purpose. Romans 8:28, "All things…" God would use Elijah's experience of depression to teach him, to disciple him and make him a better prophet. The messenger changed his running away into a journey with a specific direction: Mount Horeb, or Mount Sinai.

1 Kings 19:8b-10. 

And went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. 9And 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? 10And 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.

Elijah arrives at Mount Horeb after being cared for by God's messenger. One would think that Elijah would have overcome his despair when God had intervened, yet when the word of the LORD Himself came to Elijah, rather than respond in praise and worship, what did Elijah do? His focus was still on himself. God asked Elijah a simple question, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" I see two things of significance here. First, God called Elijah by his given name. What does it mean when the God of Creation calls you by name? His relationship with you is personal. He is not some far-away creator and dictator. The question that God asked pointed directly to Elijah's sin. Where was Elijah supposed to be? Elijah was supposed to be In Israel, serving as a prophet.  Why did Elijah come all the way to Mount Sinai? He thought that God was there. Their tradition was that, since Moses met God there, this was where one would come to meet God. God's question points at the inadequacy of that argument, that God was there on Mount Carmel, and is with him all the time. God is no more present in the sanctuary of Mount Sinai than he is where Elijah is.

When a Christian is depressed, one of the first questions asked is, "Where are you, God?"  People seek out the sanctuary of the church the same way that Elijah sought out Mount Sinai. They are looking for God to perform some kind of sign or wonder that will make His presence felt. One who is often obsessed with the focus of their depression, and it would seem that only a miraculous sign can bring them out. The LORD would provide Elijah with such a sign.

1 Kings 19:11-12. 

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: 12And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 

When we are in the slough of despond, we want to hear God in the wind, earthquake, and fire. We want God to come to our defense in mighty power and demolish the source of our stress. When we do not experience such a response we wallow in self-pity arguing that God does not hear us, that our prayers do not get through the ceiling, or that we are not worthy of God's care. The misunderstanding is the same as that Elijah experienced, so God had a lesson for him to learn. God does not change. All of God's demonstrated power is exercised through the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit speaks to us in the center of our hearts as that "still small voice", that word of truth that we know is the real truth that exposes our folly for a lie.

The violence of the wind, the earthquake, and the fire, like the violence of other circumstances can drown out the quiet and peaceful Word of the Lord. If we recognize this, we can stop looking for God in circumstances and refocus our search for Him in our own hearts where he truly abides.  We can stop looking for signs, and start listening to God's voice.

1 Kings 19:13-16.

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? 14And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because 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. 15And 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: 16And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.``

God's word to Elijah was simple, and would completely change his life. (1) He revealed his presence to Elijah through that small voice, and (2) he told him to get back to work: get back to doing what it is that God called him to be doing.

What are some of the impacts that depression has on a Christian's ministry? Depression, and the sins that we attach to it, are all powerful tools that Satan can use to minimize the effectiveness a Christian in the Kingdom of God. Sometimes it might help us to realize that it is not God who inspires depression, but Satan, and when we give into it, we are being obedient to Satan, not to God. God has called us to ministry, and to a mission. Satan can sidetrack us by discouraging us, by causing us to question our self worth, or usefulness. The truth is, that the only worth we have is in God anyway, and His worth is infinite.

What are some of the ways we can overcome depression?