Get Real November 23 Devotional
November 23, 2024
1 KINGS 19:5-6, 10 | 5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again.
10 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”
Elijah was beset by a major depression. The classic signs are evident in the narrative. Physically fit enough to outrun a chariot, he was suddenly exhausted, sleeping during the day. His view of his situation was distorted, evidence his claim to be fully isolated and alone, the only true believer left (when there were 7,000 who had not “bowed the knee”). A sense of being utterly alone is characteristic of depression. Elijah repeated a mantra or refrain in conversation with God, a negative script that clearly dominated his thoughts. He had no appetite. Finally, he had “suicidal iteration,” wanting his life to be over. These signs or symptoms indicate a situation with physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions—a trough or tunnel hard to escape from.
Have you or someone you love ever suffered from depression?
What are the signs?
