BLIND SPOTS: DESPAIR

I KINGS 19

 

Several years ago, I was coming back from Harrisonburg.  I was driving along on interstate 64.  I was east of Charlottesville.  I was changing lanes when suddenly, I heard a car horn blaring. 

 

I looked just in time to see that I was changing lanes and was about to cut a guy off in the other lane.  As he passed me, he was yelling at me.  Obviously, I could not hear what he was saying, but I’m fairly certain that he was not saying, “May the Lord bless you.  Have a nice day.”

 

We’ve got to check our blind spots while we’re driving.  If we don’t, we’re liable to end up in a crash.

 

We’ve been looking at our emotional blind spots in this preaching series.  Just like we have some blind spots when we’re driving a car, we have some emotional blind spots while we’re trying to navigate the road of life.

 

There are certain emotions that have this tricky way of hiding in our emotional blind spots.  They lurk there.  They sneak up on us and seem to come out of nowhere.  They catch us off-guard.

 

And just like we need to check our blind spots while driving a car, we need to check our emotional blind spots.  We’ve been doing that in this series.  We’ve been looking at some of the emotions that are in our blind spots: anger, fear, frustration, arrogance, and bitterness.  We’ve looked at how we can recognize these emotions and how we can keep them from blindsiding us.

 

Today, we will finish up this series by looking at one more emotion that can hide out in our blind spots: despair. If you’ve ever felt that way, you’re not alone. 

 

Our Old Testament character for today had feelings of despair.  Elijah was a prophet of God to the northern kingdom of Israel.  But he hit a low point in his life where he told God, “I have had enough, Lord.”

 

Have you ever had enough of life? Have you ever been tempted to give up.  To quit.  To throw in the towel.  To wave the white flag of surrender when you get overwhelmed with life.

 

Please understand that feelings of despair are just normal emotions.  It doesn’t mean that you have lost your faith, that you’re not a strong Christian, or that there’s something wrong with you.

 

Look at Elijah.  He was a spiritual giant.  He was the most famous and most powerful of all God’s prophets.  So much so, that later, when John the Baptist came on the scene, it was said of John that he came “in the spirit and power of Elijah.”

 

Elijah was used by God to raise a dead boy back to life.  Elijah prayed and a drought came upon Israel that lasted over 3 years.  It persisted until Elijah prayed again.  Elijah defeated some 450 prophets of the pagan god Baal on Mt. Carmel.  Elijah met with Moses and Jesus on the Mt. of Transfiguration.

 

And yet, this mighty prophet of God, through whom God did miraculous things, got so distraught that he no longer wanted to live.  So, all it means when you get to the point of despai is that you are human.  It doesn’t mean that you are being disobedient to God.  It doesn’t mean that you don’t have enough faith.  All it means is that you have been blindsided by this emotion of despair.

 

Here's the encouraging thing for us.  God didn’t chastise Elijah for being distraught, discouraged, and depressed.  God ministered to Elijah in his despair.  And the Lord will seek to comfort you and encourage you when you are walking through the valley of despair. 

 

This morning, we will look at ways that God ministered to Elijah when he despaired of life.  God will minister to you in the same ways.  But first, let’s look at…..

 

1.REASONS FOR DESPAIR

 

There are times in our lives and some circumstances in our lives that can take us through periods of despair.  One such time is when we feel stuck.

 

Read I Kings 19:1-4

 

Now to fully appreciate Elijah’s emotional state of despair here, we need to go back 3 plus years.

 

During Elijah’s time, Israel was ruled by an evil king by the name of Ahab.  The Scripture says that Ahab did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than all the kings of Israel before him.

 

Ahab married a pagan woman by the name of Jezebel.  Ahab allowed Jezebel to promote the worship of the false pagan god, BAAL.  Ahab ended up serving and worshipping Baal.

 

God sent Elijah to confront Ahab regarding his wickedness.  Elijah told Ahab that there would be no dew nor rain for the next few years.  And Elijah’s prophecy came true.  Israel suffered 3 and a half years of drought.

 

This is significant because Baal, the god that Ahab worshipped was called the god of dew and rain.  The drought proved that the Lord God was the real God, not Baal.

 

After Elijah predicted the drought, God told Elijah to go into hiding.  Why? Because Ahab, in all likelihood, would be gunning for Elijah.  Elijah’s life was in danger. 

 

Three years go by.  Ahab is still searching for Elijah.  God tells Elijah to go appear before King Ahab and inform him that God would end the drought and send rain on the land.

 

When Elijah meets the king, Ahab calls Elijah, the troubler of Israel.  Elijah responds by saying-“I’ve not caused trouble for Israel.  It’s you, King Ahab.  You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and followed the Baals.”

 

To settle the matter, Elijah proposes a duel.  A showdown between himself and the prophets of Baal.  A clash between Baal and the Lord God of Israel.

 

Elijah tells King Ahab to gather all the people of Israel to assemble on Mt. Carmel.  He tells the king to bring the 450 prophets of Baal along with 400 prophets of another false god, Asherah.

 

Elijah challenges the prophets to a sacrifice showdown.  They would each prepare a bull for sacrifice.  Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal.  He said, “you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord.  The god who answers by fire, he is God.”

 

Elijah invites the prophets of Baal to go first.  So, the prophets of Baal call out to Baal from morning until noon.  Nothing happens. 

 

Elijah engages in some trash talking.  He says to the prophets of Baal-“Shout louder!  Surely he is a god!  Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling.  Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.”

 

The prophets of Baal continue praying to Baal until evening.  Nothing happens.  No fire comes down to consume the bull they had prepared for sacrifice.  It’s because Baal is not real.

 

So now, Elijah says it’s my turn.  He calls upon the Lord God to send down fire to consume the bull Elijah had prepared for sacrifice.  And the Lord God does.  Not only does the fire consume the bull, it consumes the wood, the stone altar, and the water in the trench around the altar.

 

Elijah has the prophets of Baal arrested and executed.  Then he tells King Ahab to go eat and drink because the drought is ending.  The rain is coming.

 

So, Elijah has this great victory over the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel.  But he soon goes from this mountain top experience down into the valley of despair where he has had enough and no longer wants to live.

 

Why?  When Jezebel learns what Elijah has done, she threatens to kill him.  And Elijah knows that Jezebel’s threat is not an empty one.  She has already killed off a number of the Lord’s prophets.

 

So, Elijah feels threatened and he feels stuck.  Three years have gone by, and nothing has changed.  Three years earlier the king wanted to kill him.  Now the queen wants Elijah dead.  His life is still being threatened.  No wonder Elijah got so overwhelmed with despair.

 

The same can be true for us when we feel like nothing changes for the good in our lives.  You’ve been struggling financially for so long.  Finally, you’ve saved some money.  You feel like you’re starting to get ahead.  And then you’re faced with a huge car repair bill.  And there goes your savings.  And in your despair, you say, “I just can’t ever seem to get ahead.”

 

You’ve been struggling with your health.  But your health turns the corner.  You’re starting to feel better.  But then one day you don’t feel so good.  You go to your doctor, and you get another bad diagnosis.  And you think, “I just can’t check a break.” 

 

Or maybe for you, it’s some other problem or issue.  But three years later you’re in the same place you were three years earlier.  Nothing has changed for the better.  You feel stuck. You throw your hands up. You feel like giving up.  And like Elijah you scream, “I have had enough.”

 

Another time and another reason for despair is when we are tired.  Read I Kings 19:5.  After literally running for his life to escape the murderous Jezebel, Elijah is physically exhausted.   

 

Physical exhaustion leads to emotional exhaustion. Stop and think about it.  When you are physically worn out, how are you feeling emotionally?  Are you on top-of-the world?  Most likely not.  Those are the times you find yourself walking through a valley of despair, especially when the companion to your physical exhaustion is an overwhelming situation.

 

Another time and another reason for despair is when we feel isolated.  Elijah runs away.  He leaves his servant behind.  Elijah has already talked about how he feels like he is all alone.  He said-“I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left.” 

 

So, Elijah feels like he doesn’t have a friend in the world.  He is caught up in this vicious cycle of despair and isolation.  Isolation and despair.

 

Perhaps you’ve gone through that terrible cycle.  You’ve found yourself blindsided by despair, discouragement, or even depression.  And you feel like no one cares.  So, you respond by cutting yourself off from other people.  And your loneliness just adds to your sense of despair.

 

Elijah was in a state of despair because he was running on empty in four areas: physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally.  All sorts of things can lead us down into the valley of despair.  It’s easy to get blindsided by this emotion.

 

But the good news is that you don’t have to stay there.  The apostle Paul, who earlier in the book of 2 Corinthians wrote that he despaired even of life, also wrote these words of hope:

 

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but NOT IN DESPAIR; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” -2 Corinthians 4:8-9.

 

Paul went through the valley of despair, but he didn’t stay there.  And you don’t have to either.  Let’s look at how God will provide for us when we wrestle with despair.  There is…..

 

2.HOPE IN THE FACE OF DESPAIR

 

My pastor friend, Steve Idle, wrote-“there are a lot of things that are overrated in this world, but hope isn’t one of them.”

 

We need hope and we can have hope even when we are going through the valley of despair, because our God is a God of hope!  The apostle Paul wrote:

 

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

-Romans 15:13

 

God can fill your heart with hope.  Let’s look at how God comforts us in our despair and how this will renew our hope. 

 

The first thing God did for Elijah wasn’t anything miraculous, but it was most definitely practical.  And it was what Elijah needed in that moment.  It may be what we need when we are struggling with discouragement and despair.  We may simply need to…….

 

A.REST

 

READ 1 KINGS 19:5-9A

 

Elijah was hungry and needed something to eat.  God provided fresh bread for Elijah to eat.  It was baked over hot coals.  Warm, fresh bread to satisfy his hunger, and water to satisfy his thirst.

 

And God gave Elijah some time to sleep.  He was exhausted.  So, God provided for Elijah’s physical needs.

 

Physical exhaustion will lead to emotional exhaustion. When we don’t get enough sleep and we don’t eat right, we get rundown. And then we start to feel down and discouraged on an emotional level.

 

Our bodies need food, and our bodies need rest.  Pastor Rick Warren wrote that sometimes one of the most spiritual things we can do is to sleep.  Even Jesus took naps!

 

It’s ok for you and I to take care of ourselves. God wants you to.  Another thing that Elijah needed in that moment was the……

 

B.REASSURANCE OF GOD’S PRESENCE

 

The Bible says:

 

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

-Psalm 46:10

 

God certainly reassured Elijah of his presence and his power to help him.

 

READ I KINGS 19:9 b-13

 

Now I wonder how many people reading this would expect God to be in the supernatural phenomenon.  But Elijah did not find God in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire.  God reassured Elijah of his presence in a gentle whisper.  A small quiet, calming gesture.

 

I wonder how often we are looking for God to give us some sort of miraculous sign or provide us with some sort of emotional high, that we overlook and miss out on God’s presence in simple, everyday ways?

 

God can work through those ways too.  A simple answer to prayer.  A comforting Bible verse that you read.  The gentle kindness of a friend.  The inner testimony of the Holy Spirit that God is with you.

 

God is an ever-present help.  He is always with you whether you feel his presence or not.  God will walk with you through your valley of despair.  He will not abandon you there.  He made this promise through the prophet Isaiah:

 

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” -Isaiah 41:10

 

God’s presence is so reassuring when we struggle with discouragement, despair, and depression.  A third way that God ministers to us in our despair is that he provides us with a……

 

C. RENEWED PURPOSE

 

God spoke to Elijah in that gentle whisper.  And he gave Elijah a new assignment.  He was to anoint a new king over Israel.  He was to anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet.

 

When we are walking through despair, we need a renewal of our spirits.  And often times a renewed spirit comes from embracing a renewed purpose that God provides for us.  We need to re-engage in some sort of ministry or service and allow God to work in us as he works through us.  Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive.  One of the greatest ways to receive a blessing that we need is to be a blessing to others.

 

And finally, we really need something else that God provides……

 

D.FELLOWSHIP

 

Once again, Elijah complained to God that he was the only one left in Israel who was faithful to him.  But God reminded Elijah that there were 7,000 people in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal.

 

And then God gave Elijah a new best friend in Elisha.  God brought Elisha into Elijah’s life to be his partner in ministry and to minister to Elijah.  It was another way that God reassured Elijah that he wasn’t alone.

 

That’s one reason why God provides us with our church family.  We don’t have to walk through our emotional valleys all by ourselves.  We can come alongside each other.  That’s why the writer of Hebrews wrote:

 

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day (the Day of Christ’s return) approaching.” -Hebrews 10:24-25

 

Kathryn Greene-McCreight, in her book, DARKNESS IS MY ONLY COMPANION, describes her journey through 10 years of extreme depression and bipolar disorder.  And she spoke of how gathering with God’s church helped her: “…it is so important to worship in community, to ask your brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for you…..Sometimes you literally cannot make it on your own, and you need to borrow from the faith of those around you.  Companionship in the Lord Jesus is powerful.”

 

The Lord placed us in this church family so that we can love each other and provide encouragement and support for each other.  We need each other. 

 

You don’t have to walk through your dark valley by yourself.  Come to worship as often as you can. Join a Bible study group if you can.  Let us love you, encourage you, and support you. 

 

Our ultimate hope is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.  He provides us with the hope of eternal life in heaven.  We’ll going to celebrate the basis of our hope in Jesus in a special way this week as we focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus.

 

If you need the hope that only Jesus can provide, I want to invite you to place your faith in Jesus, his death and resurrection to save you.

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Us

Lebanon Christian Church

409 Yorktown Road

 

Newport News (Lee Hall), VA 23603

 

Phone: 757 887-5536

 

  

CCS #8003



 

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