How to combat depression like Elijah

1 Kings 19:5 – And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.”

Of all the emotions mentioned of Jesus in the Bible, the one that appears most frequently is “compassion”, the very thing that God has for Elijah and all His other servants, including you. 

Laying alone in the wilderness, fearful for his life, exhausted, with a demonic curse on him from Queen Jezebel and a bounty on his head, Elijah, the man of God, needed to rest and recover. 

God’s recovery plan for Elijah, as outlined next, should give us wisdom and permission to share these same means of grace with others and apply them to ourselves. We’ll look at five points today and the final five in the next devo.

One, “he lay down and slept” (1 Kings 19:5). You are a human being and need your sleep, especially when you are overwhelmed. Your mind, body, and soul need to rest and recover. 

Two, “an angel touched him and said to him” (1 Kings 19:5). There are parts of your pain that cannot be healed apart from God’s touch. In prayer, it is good to name those places in your life and soul that need a touch from God and invite the Holy Spirit to heal you with His touch. 

Three, after sleeping we see him “Arise and eat” (1 Kings 19:5). Healthy nutritious food is required for your body to recover from depletion and exhaustion. 

Four, he ate a “cake baked on hot stones” (1 Kings 19:6). Enjoying a delicacy during a downtime can be a way of feasting and starting to recover your joy. 

Five, he drank “a jar of water” (1 Kings 19:6). Hydration is crucial to be a healthy human being, and, without enough water, your mind and body will be unwell. 

In the next devo, we’ll look at the remaining five points of God’s recovery plan for Elijah.

How have you handled it when you’ve had spiritual depression? Is there anywhere God can help next time?

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