Feeling depressed, depleted and defeated does not mean you lack faith or are spiritually weak.
How would you feel after a great victory? Ecstatic? Euphoric? Or perhaps also a bit depleted? Like you’ve reached your peak and things can only go downhill from there.
I don’t mean to start this beautiful Monday morning by depressing you 😅
But, I’m wondering if that’s what happened to Elijah in 1 Kings 19, because for some reason, he had reached a point where he wanted to give up on life:
He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’ – 1 Kings 19:4 NIV
Elijah is considered the greatest prophet in the Old Testament, and just a few verses earlier, we read [1 Kings 18:16-40] how he single-handedly exposed 450 Baal prophets, brought the entire nation of Israel to repentance and had all those false prophets killed. This was, without a doubt, the greatest showdown between the God of Israel and idol worship in the history of the people of Israel.
And yet, despite this evident victory, Elijah turns nearly suicidal. 🤯
This week, we will discover together what we can learn from Elijah’s meltdown. What jumps out to me right from the start is that this story teaches us that feeling depressed, depleted, and defeated does not mean you lack faith or are spiritually weak.
If even one of history’s greatest prophets reached such an ultimate low point in his life, there’s still hope for us.😉
Take a moment today to check in with yourself and take stock of your feelings. What is truly taking place in your heart? Do you feel anxiety, peace, fear, joy, or pain?
Whatever it is you are feeling, take a moment to share it with God in prayer. He would love to hear it!
