Elijah
prayed, "Lord, take my life."… Then the Lord said to him, "Go,
return on your way." (v.4, 19)
Christians
who pass through the dark tunnel of depression tend to focus on their sins,
weaknesses and failures. So much so, that they may even want to die. God can
use times like this, however, to increase their awareness of His inexhaustible
grace. Here in 1 Kings 19 we read that Elijah was despondent. He was physically
and emotionally drained after fleeing from the evil Queen Jezebel. In despair,
he asked God to take his life. Instead, the angel of the Lord ministered to his
physical needs. Some days later, the Lord spoke to Elijah and told him that his
work was not over.
When you
are in despair, the first step on the pathway to new hope is to take care of
your physical needs. Then listen to God's voice through the Scriptures. He will
then gently point you back to His call on your life and enable you to do His
work and bless others. In our times of discouragement, let us remember that God
loves us and desires to lead us to a place of a renewed vision of Himself.
The Truth:
“Be still,
and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted
in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10)
