Post by pitbull on Aug 4, 2009 8:24:52 GMT -5
HAVING DOWN DAYS
There was a soldier who came to me for counseling, concerned over having some down days. This soldier was raised to believe you to always be up – you are always to be happy. If you ever have a “down day”, then something has to be wrong with you. Is this how you were raised too? Is this what you have been taught to believe?
Have you ever read Jonah 4:3? “Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.” What is really interesting is that this quote from this prophet occurs immediately following a great revival in Nineveh where the king and all the people repented and trusted in God. Yet, Jonah was so depressed he thought about wanting to just die.
This servant of God is not alone. Elijah, perhaps the greatest OT prophet, had similar thoughts that some would consider suicidal. “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 19:4] This too was immediately following his spiritual victory against the false prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel.
Consider how God followed a pattern of meeting the various needs of Elijah:
1. God helps him physically with bread, water, and rest. [1 Kings 19:5-8]
2. God helps him spiritually with personal revelation about Himself. [1 Kings 19:9-13]
3. God helps him emotionally but letting him know he is not alone and gives him a “battle buddy” to help in the ministry. [1 Kings 19:15-21]
When you are attacked by Satan with depression, doubt, or discouragement, are you willing to face this on all three levels? Are you willing to fight these physically, emotionally, and spiritually? Are you willing to seek help when you cannot do it on your own? Are you willing to admit that you are just as frail as some of God’s greatest servants, such as Jonah and Elijah?
The first step of course to get God’s help is by getting saved. We need to be willing to admit to God and ourselves that we are nothing more than vile, wretched sinners. [Psalm 14:1, 3; 51:5; Isaiah 53:6; 64:6; Romans 3:10, 23; 5:19; Galatians 3:22; 1 John 1:8] This is the first thing that must take place in order to get saved. Once you reach that point then you can obey Mark 1:15, John 6:28-29, Acts 16:30-31, Acts 17:30, and Romans 10:9, 13 to repent and ask Jesus to save you. Humble your heart and do this today.