I'm just gonna break 1 Kings 19 apart and see where this takes me.
1 Kings 19:2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of of one of them." I'm not 100% sure on what this means but it was bad enough to send Elijah into the desert.
"Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree and 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 19:3-4 Well if this doesn't say depressed I don't know what does. He is asking God to take his life. I cannot tell you how many times I asked God to do this for me when I was severely depressed.
Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. 1 Kings 19:5 Depression can make people very tired and can make it nearly impossible for them to get out of bed.
Now let's look at Gods response.
All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." He looked around and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 1 Kings 19: 5-6 God makes him a happy meal! :-D Then he lays back down again but what does God do next??
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said,"Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." 1 Kings 19:7 God sends his angel a second time!!! He doesn't say, "oh now get over it you're just being lazy!" He encourages him to eat and keep going.
I honestly love Gods attitude towards depression because He understands that "the journey is too much" sometimes. If you read a few verses down you see that Elijah makes it to the mountain and then God reveals himself to him!!! He not only does that but he comforts him by saying, "you're not alone. don't worry I got this."
So those are my thoughts. I posted this because I was at a Christian club at my college and the topic of depression came up and many people said in a very Christian-like manner than the "Godly" thing to do is to get over it. Clearly it is not. God allowed Elijah to rest. He made him a happy meal. People just don't understand.
1 Kings 19:2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of of one of them." I'm not 100% sure on what this means but it was bad enough to send Elijah into the desert.
"Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree and 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 19:3-4 Well if this doesn't say depressed I don't know what does. He is asking God to take his life. I cannot tell you how many times I asked God to do this for me when I was severely depressed.
Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. 1 Kings 19:5 Depression can make people very tired and can make it nearly impossible for them to get out of bed.
Now let's look at Gods response.
All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." He looked around and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 1 Kings 19: 5-6 God makes him a happy meal! :-D Then he lays back down again but what does God do next??
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said,"Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." 1 Kings 19:7 God sends his angel a second time!!! He doesn't say, "oh now get over it you're just being lazy!" He encourages him to eat and keep going.
I honestly love Gods attitude towards depression because He understands that "the journey is too much" sometimes. If you read a few verses down you see that Elijah makes it to the mountain and then God reveals himself to him!!! He not only does that but he comforts him by saying, "you're not alone. don't worry I got this."
So those are my thoughts. I posted this because I was at a Christian club at my college and the topic of depression came up and many people said in a very Christian-like manner than the "Godly" thing to do is to get over it. Clearly it is not. God allowed Elijah to rest. He made him a happy meal. People just don't understand.
