In I Kings 18, the whole nation was morally bankrupt, and had turned away from following God.
They were sacrificing their children to the pagan god, Baal!
Elijah suggested a god contest between the Lord God Almighty and Baal.
Take a bull and sacrifice it he said to the Baal prophets, and I'll do the same to my God.
The God that consumes the sacrifice by fire from heaven is the true God.
Elijah laughed at the worshipers of Baal as they begged their god to consume their sacrifice by fire.
He'd say maybe he's gone to the bathroom, or he's on a trip.
After they gave up, Elijah said let's make this a little more interesting.
Soak my sacrifice with 12 barrels of water, so my wood and sacrifice is water logged.
Then, Elijah prays this very simple prayer.
1 Kings 18:36-38 (ERV)
36 At about the time for the afternoon sacrifice, the prophet Elijah approached the altar and prayed,
“Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I ask you now to prove that you are the God of Israel and that I am your servant.
Show these people that it was you who commanded me to do all these things.
37 Lord, answer my prayer.
Show these people that you, Lord, are God and that you are the one who is bringing them back to you.”
38 Then fire came down from the Lord and burned the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the ground around the altar.
Then it dried up all the water in the ditch.
Then, the people came forward and killed the prophets of Baal.
When they realized that Baal was not actually a god at all.
They killed them for having them kill their own children to a god who was not even there.
1 Kings 19:1-5, 10 (ERV)
19 King Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah did and how Elijah had killed all the prophets of Baal with a sword.
2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah and said,
“I swear that by this time tomorrow, you will be just as dead as those prophets.
If I don’t succeed, may the gods do the same or worse to me.”
These prophets that were killed by the people were employed by evil Queen Jezebel, and she took personally their death, and responded with a death threat of her own to Elijah.
3 When Elijah heard this, he was afraid.
So he ran away to save his life.
He took his servant with him, and they went to Beersheba in Judah.
Then Elijah left his servant in Beersheba 4 and walked for a whole day into the desert.
Then he sat down under a bush and asked to die.
He said, “I have had enough, Lord!
Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors.”
5 Then Elijah lay down under the bush and went to sleep.
An angel came to him and touched him.
The angel said, “Get up and eat!”
So he ran away to save his life.
Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors.”
The angel said, “Get up and eat!”
10 Elijah answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I have always served you the best I can, but the Israelites have broken their agreement with you.
They destroyed your altars and killed your prophets.
I am the only prophet left alive, and now they are trying to kill me!”
This story illustrates 10 signs of emotional burnout which are all in Elijah's life.
How do I know when my emotional tank is empty?
1. Fear creeps into my life.
2. I find myself running away from things.
3. I start backing out of relationships. (He left his servant behind).
4. I make foolish decisions impulsively.
(He walked a full day in the desert).
5. I push myself past my physical limits.
6. My work seems pointless.
(Don't try to control everything).
7. I complain that I want to quit and give up.
(Don't try to control everything).
1 Kings 19:18 (ERV) 18 I still have 7000 people in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed that idol.”
9. I compare myself to others, and I feel bad about me.
(Elijah said that I'm no better than my ancestors. Don't focus on your feelings, but on the facts.)
10. I think death might bring relief.
(Elijah prayed that he might die. It is a permanent solution to a temporary mood).
That's why James referred to Elijah as being like us (in our many moods), yet God used him (and his moods) when he prayed.
James 5:17 (ERV) Elijah was a person just like us.
He prayed that it would not rain.
And it did not rain on the land for three and a half years!
This passage has more to tell us.
It teaches us how to refill our emotional tank.
Psalm 23:2-3 (ERV)He gives me green pastures to lie in.
He prayed that it would not rain.
And it did not rain on the land for three and a half years!
It teaches us how to refill our emotional tank.
He leads me by calm pools of water.
He restores my strength.
He leads me on right paths to show that he is good.
1 Kings 19:5-7 (ERV)
5 Then Elijah lay down under the bush and went to sleep.
An angel came to him and touched him.
The angel said, “Get up and eat!”
6 Elijah looked around, and by his head there was a cake that had been baked over coals and a jar of water.
He ate and drank and then went back to sleep.
7 Later the Lord’s angel came to him again, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat!
If you don’t, you will not be strong enough to make the long trip.”
God is practical by encouraging him to eat and sleep.
He didn't reprimand him.
The angel said, “Get up and eat!”
He didn't reprimand him.
Psalm 127:2 (ERV) It is a waste of time to get up early and stay up late, trying to make a living.
The Lord provides for those he loves, even while they are sleeping.
Control the controllable.
You can control your sleep and your diet.
2. God encourages us to release our frustrations.
You can control your sleep and your diet.
2. God encourages us to release our frustrations.
1 Kings 19:8-9 (ERV)
8 So Elijah got up.
He ate and drank and felt strong.
Then Elijah walked for 40 days and nights to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God.
9 There Elijah went into a cave and spent the night.
Then the Lord said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?”
This mountain is where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.
The Lord asked Elijah what are you doing here?
If God ask you a question, he already knows the answer.
God is trying to get Elijah to unload on Him.
Elijah vents his fear, his anger, his resentment, his loneliness, his low self esteem, his worry, and his bitterness.
God isn't shocked when you complain to him.
Every emotion known to man was discussed in the Psalms.
He ate and drank and felt strong.
1 Peter 5:7 (ERV)
7 Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you.
It helps for you to share with friends in a small group.
Are you in a small group of believers?
I always say revealing your feelings is the first step to healing.
3. God tells us to remember and focus on Him.
Remember who God is, and remember all His promises.
Get your eyes off your problem, trials, and temptations and onto your God.
1 Kings 19:11-13 (ERV)
11 Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go, stand in front of me on the mountain.
I, the Lord, will pass by you.” Then a very strong wind blew.
The wind caused the mountains to break apart.
It broke large rocks in front of the Lord.
But that wind was not the Lord.
After that wind, there was an earthquake.
But that earthquake was not the Lord.
12 After the earthquake, there was a fire.
But that fire was not the Lord.
After the fire, there was a quiet, gentle voice.
13 When Elijah heard the voice, he used his coat to cover his face and went to the entrance to the cave and stood there.
Then a voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?”
God is demonstrating His power in the passage above.
You're burning out because you're trying to play God, and you're not.
Another prophet that burned out was Jeremiah, and he turned it around by focusing on the goodness of God.
Lamentations 3:19-24 (ERV)
19 Remember, I am very sad,
and I have no home.
Remember the bitter poison that you gave me.
20 I remember well all my troubles,
and I am very sad.
21 But then I think about this,
and I have hope:
22 We are still alive because
(1)the Lord’s faithful love never ends.
23 (2)Every morning he shows it in new ways!
(3)You are so very true (4)and loyal!
24 (5)I say to myself, “The Lord is my God,
and I trust him.
Some people turn to sugar when they are depressed.
God's sugar is...
Steadfast love
Finally, this is the last thing that God says to Elijah.
But that fire was not the Lord.
Lamentations 3:19-24 (ERV)
and I have no home.
Remember the bitter poison that you gave me.
20 I remember well all my troubles,
and I am very sad.
21 But then I think about this,
and I have hope:
22 We are still alive because
(1)the Lord’s faithful love never ends.
23 (2)Every morning he shows it in new ways!
(3)You are so very true (4)and loyal!
24 (5)I say to myself, “The Lord is my God,
and I trust him.
1 Kings 19:15-16 (ERV)
15 The Lord said, “Go back.
Take the road that leads to the desert around Damascus.
Go into Damascus and anoint Hazael as king over Aram.16
Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel.
Next, anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah.
He will be the prophet who takes your place.
God gave Elijah a brand new assignment.
Elijah was to appoint other people to help him.
Don't do this alone, Elijah!
How practical!
God wasn't through with Elijah.
God is not through with you.
One of the quickest ways of defeating depression is helping someone else.
I went through a year of depression in 1982.
How did you get out of it you say?
I followed these steps that I've been explaining to you (in this post).
Ask Jesus to come into your life and change you from the inside out and be your Lord if you haven't done so.
Romans 10:9-10 (ERV)
9 If you openly say, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from death, you will be saved.
10 Yes, we believe in Jesus deep in our hearts, and so we are made right with God.
And we openly say that we believe in him, and so we are saved.
10 Yes, we believe in Jesus deep in our hearts, and so we are made right with God.
And we openly say that we believe in him, and so we are saved.
Notes from Rick Warren, Saddleback Church
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