Depressed, discouraged, disheartened, and defeated

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" – 1 Kings 19.1-4

Did you ever wonder how Christians get down and discouraged with all the promises we have for our lives? Did you ever wonder how you can be on the mountaintop one day and in the valley the next?

Elijah was a man just like us, James says. Here, he had just a great victory in the Battle of the Prophets. Outnumbered 450 to one his faith had won the victory. He ought to have been on top of the world, right?

There was a problem though. King Ahab went home and told his mommy, (whoops, his wife) Jezebel what had happened and she was Not happy. She took out a contract on Elijah’s life. She wanted him dead – now.

After the great victory you might think that Elijah would not have been cowed. But instead of standing in faith he ran away a full day’s journey.

And he went into a funk. A deep funk. A funk so deep that he wanted to die. He sat down under a tree and just gave up.

I’m not sure have been that deep, but there are times when I find myself pretty discouraged. I find myself depressed. I find myself disheartened and defeated. How do I get there? How do you get there? How did Elijah get there?

It's pretty simple. It happens every time we fear man or our circumstances more than we trust God. It happens were say men is stronger than God or our circumstances are too had for God to handle. In other words it happens every time our faith fails us.

Elijah was so bad that he wished he was dead – but God was not done with Elijah. When we get in these depths of despair we need to just hold on. God will come.