Dealing With Depression:

Depression is a normal symptom of life that everyone will deal with on various occasions of life. It often occurs when unexpected circumstances happen out of the blue that breaks one’s spirit. God’s word however gives us some key things to overcome depression every time unto full and complete recovery.

One of the first times I remember dealing with depression was a long time ago. I don’t even remember what I was depressed about. I woke up and heard God speak to my spirit saying to read about Elijah, so I got my concordance and found 1Kings 18 & 19.

Elijah is one of the people shown in scripture to deal with depression to get through it.

• Depression has a way of making a believer feel as though the reason they are in their depression is because they have been standing for God and maybe things would be better if they compromised.
• Depression makes a person feel alone as if he is the only one going through.
• Finally, depression leaves a feeling of numbness making a person reject themselves and to despair of all hope even the will to live. This is why people with depression go through the motions of life without feeling often being emotionally fragile. These feelings can cause a person to isolate himself.

All these things can be seen in the below accounts of scripture.

Elijah had just come out of doing the work of the Lord proclaiming the truth to the leadership of Israel. He had just had God answer by fire to prove to everybody that his God was God (1 Kings 18:19-39).

He was then hit with an unexpected event. His life was threatened by the queen of Israel the wicked Jezebel (19:1-2).

He went through the below emotions and God had an answer for each one:

He was famished, tired, and had done all he could yet still ending up threatened and weak. He went into the wilderness which can represent being in the middle of no where, where it’s easy to ask yourself how did I get here, and what is going on[i]?

God’s first response was to send his angel to feed him. The angel of the Lord told him that he would need it for the next place that he was going to. Elijah thought God was done with him and he just needed to die but the angel feeding him was the first sign that God was still with him and that he would get through his depression (1 Kings 19:5-8).

Key # 1: We live not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God

(Matthew 4:4). In other words we are not alive simply by natural nourishment, but we live by the Word of God. We have to look for, expect, and seek God for his daily bread especially during times of depression. There is only so long that we can go without hearing what God is saying to us. When we hear him and eat of his word, it gives us strength to continue in the journey.

Next, Elijah isolated himself in the doorway of a cave. He was probably still thinking those negative thoughts of wanting to die and rejecting himself saying he was no better than his father’s (1 Kings 19:4-9).

God gently spoke to him saying What are you doing here? He states how he has been zealous for the Lord and look where it has landed him (1 Kings 19:9-10). God proceeds to make a point to him in so many words saying I know you are used to me moving in big stuff with you closing up the sky so it would not rain, and sending fire from heaven, but I want you to get quiet before me right now. I have some things and instructions I want to show you for what is to come (1 Kings 19:11-12).

Key # 2: Get quiet before God.

Sometimes, we may be used to ripping and running and working in the kingdom of God watching God make power moves in our lives, but there also comes a time where God simply desires for us to get quiet before him. He uses that time to strengthen us. To multiply our passion for him, and to show us how he wants to move for the next phase of life that he has called us to. Lay out before God in his presence. Listen for God’s instruction and get your worship music going along with the word of God to place your spirit in preparation to hear from God. He has specific things that he desires to share with us while we are in the middle of depression. The Bible says that God is a very present help in the time of trouble. We can expect God to speak with us if we are willing to get quiet before him during depression. Satan may mean for our depression to destroy us, but God will use it to make us stronger.

Last time I had to walk through depression. The Holy Spirit would softly speak scriptures into my spirit, and he even brought songs up in my spirit to listen to such as Israel Houghton search for you. I put that song on and went right into God’s presence. My gifts inside of me began to become stirred up as I listened to the Lord, prophesied to my situation, and rested in God’s presence. Try not to get caught up in how you feel, but allow God’s presence to calm your spirit and cause you to began to trust in God.

Key # 3: We have to fight the urge to be negative and to speak negative things out of our mouths.

Staying in God’s presence is the main way that we as believers can fight the urge to be negative and to speak negative things outside of our mouths. If we are in God’s presence hearing what he is speaking to our spirit we can then speak those things instead of speaking how we feel in the moment of our flesh.

Earlier I mentioned how Elijah began to speak negative about himself saying that he was no better than his fathers and he should just die, but God did not address him in that manner. God still addressed him as God’s anointed set apart for his glory. God showed him what he was to do next which was to anoint a young man who was also zealous for the Lord named Jehu to be the new king over Israel. God had planned to d-throne the wrist-limped Ahab and controlling Jezebel. They represented the current king and queen of Israel, but God wasn’t feeling them and their foolishness. God had big plans for Elijah just like he has big plans for us if we would only place our trust in him.

It is normal to be tempted to be negative and to speak negative while going through temptation, but it will not get us anywhere. It will only set us back. Death and Life are in the power of the tongue and we eat the fruit of what we say (Proverbs 18:21).

I can remember one time years ago I was going through a depression and I don’t remember what it was about, what was coming out of my mouth was not lining up with God’s word or plan for me. I was just frustrated and would say stuff. I remember having a dream during that time, and I don’t know how I knew, but I knew that the person in my dream who looked at me in a very serious and frustrated manner saying to me, “Russelyn, Be careful what you say.” was one of the angels that God has assigned to me.

The Bible says in Hebrews that God has ministering spirits (angels) that minister to the heirs of salvation[ii]. We are the heirs of salvation. We have such a great inheritance in Jesus Christ, but when we speak against what God is trying to do we hinder the work of those angels ministering on our behalf and it frustrates them because they have an assignment by God to carry out but become hindered by our words.

Elijah’s complaint was that he was alone. He thought he was the only prophet of God left (1 Kings 19:14). God’s response was that he has seven thousand in Israel who’s knees have not bowed down to Baal (vs. 18). He confirmed for Elijah that he was not alone.

Key #4: You are not alone.

The Bible says that there are several others of our brothers and sisters in Christ that are going through the same things[iii]. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid that says you are the only one in the world who is going through what you are going through that is a lie from the devil. God knew you would go through what you are going through and he has already made the provisions for you to give you the necessary grace to get through it[iv].

You aren’t the first person to go through depression, and you will not be the last. Try to remember the word of God and stories such as Job, who was blessed double after he was bought through several trying life circumstances. Also, Hannah, who became bitterly depressed so that she poured out her soul to God and he answered her prayer, and lastly Elijah who we are studying in this blog. If God did it for them he will do it for you too. He is no respecter of persons.

To conclude Elijah’s depression, he ended up getting all the way through his depression. It slowed him down enough to hear God, become strengthened for the next phase in life and to complete the assignment that God had called him to. He along with those that God instructed overthrew the current kingship destroying Jezebel and anointing Jehu as the new king.

Just like God was faithful to Elijah to bring him through, and strengthen and preserve him; we can rest assured that God will be faithful to do the same for us. So, don’t compromise and don’t give up, but continue to trust in the Lord[v].

[i] But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. 1 Kings 19:3

[ii] 13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Hebrews 1:13-14

[iii] 1 Peter 5:9 – Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your bretheren that are in the world.

[iv] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

[v] O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Psalms 31:23