WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
Elijah was a man who prayed and the Heavens shut down it’s waterworks. No rain and no dew for some three and one half years.
This was a man with faith so strong that he actually raised the dead, called fire from heaven, mocked and killed demon prophets and eventually called down the rain to end the drought.
He was also a man, that when faced with a death threat on his life, headed for the woods, went into a state of depression and told God to take away his life that he had had enough. (1 Kings 19:4)
America is no stranger to this malady. At the moment we lead the world not only in Civid19 cases but also in depression and/or mental illness cases.
It amazes me to find so many great men and women that have suffered or are suffering from this horrible sickness.
Abraham Lincoln, maybe the best US president ever, told Robert L. Wilson, Illinois state Representative,“….that he was so overcome with mental depression, that he never dare to carry a knife in his pocket.”
On another occasion Lincoln said, “If I could spread the way I feel across the whole human family there would not be one smile on one face.”
Listen to the Great King David right out of your bible, ”For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.
There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.
I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.
I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.” (Ps. 38: 2 thru 8 KJV)
King David, the man after the very heart of God, also had a fault and/or a weakness here and there. During his seven and one half years in Hebron he had six sons from six different wives. (1 Chron. 3:1 thru 4) It looks as though he was after a few hearts other than God’s; and we all know the story of his deal with Bathsheba where his voyeurism, turned to adultery and eventually into murder. (2 Sam. 11:2 thru 18)
Moses lost his cool and took a two by four or whatever, beat an Egyptian to death, turned fugitive and headed for the back side of the desert to spend his next forty years.
In the new testament we find Saul who later became the Apostle Paul coming at God’s new church with the vengeance of a wounded lion, trying with everything within himself to stop what he would later spend his life and his every possession to pioneer.
In our bibles we find that these giants of faith had weaknesses and frustrations as we all do. When we learn of their battles, sufferings, losses, reversals and their victories it helps us to know that we are all in a growing stage and are likely to be facing more situations that will help us to mature and strengthen on this journey to eternity.
At one time or another we find ourselves in Elijah’s, “..It is enough..” and “…Take away my life..”situation. Times when we face the impossibilities of life and are overwhelmed with the enormity of problems that are at times, not of our own making.
The Apostle Paul, right in the middle of his calling, right in the middle of God’s perfect will and acting in total obedience to God’s voice speaking in his heart; penned these words: “…When we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.” (2 Cor. 7:5 & 6)
When the disciples were traveling to Jerusalem with Jesus, forsaking everything in life to be close to him and to learn of him and his works, found themselves in a situation where “..They were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid.” (Mk. 10:32)
Jeremiah was ready to give up; to quit his preaching; tired of the trials and persecutions, like Merle Haggard, ready to walk off this city job today, said, “I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” (Jer. 20:9)
When God saw Elijah’s situation of falling asleep in weakness and depression he had an angel to start cooking up a meal right there in his swamp. While Elijah was in the woods, depressed, discouraged, suicidal, looking for Prozac and ready to end it all, God was cooking up a Holy Ghost meal that was going to get in his spiritual digestive system and give him a refueling that would carry him onward to do the work for which he was called.
We are living in a time and season of “Mind Battles.” Hundreds of millions of prescriptions for anti depressants and anxiety attacks are being written for hundreds of millions of distraught people both young and old.
Years ago, the late Og Mandino wrote, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, or a hell of heaven….Friends dead, jobs failed, words that wounded, money lost, sorrows unhealed, goals failed, ambitions destroyed, loyalties betrayed…Why have ye allowed such cobwebs of infamy to gather in the attic of your mind until there is scarcely room for a happy thought about this day.”
Some twenty six percent of Americans are suffering from this malady of depression and anxiety. If the devil can get our minds he can get us. If he can mess up our thinking he can take control. If he can get in our heads for very long he will move into our hearts. We have to fight this battle like a cornered wildcat. We have to come out swinging, clawing and scratching with both guns blazing.
Our bibles has its solution to these situations. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus..” (Phil. 2:5) and “ ..Who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Cor. 2:16) Another says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (1 Tim. 2:7)
It also gives us some instructions on what to let our minds dwell upon.
“….Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”(Phil.4:8 & 9)
Elijah went to the woods of depression. He was in a transitional phase of his life. We all have been there or will be there in the near future. This is a very precarious position. At times depressing and scary. An “Everything is gone“, “What in the world happened,” or a, “What did I do now?” deal. But God was there as he always is; touching, talking, cooking and giving directions. Encouraging and motivating him to begin the next stage of his God called assignment. To arise, to eat and drink. To get a super sized spiritual dinner that would give him forty days of strength to endure his journey and fulfill the calling and the labor of his life.
We know so little about God and his ways. They are so much higher than our thinking. The bible proclaims that, “…His judgments are true, righteous and unsearchable and his ways are past finding out.” (Ps. 19:9 ) & (Rom.11:33)
When we are overwhelmed, sleeping, weak, discouraged, depressed and feel so lonely; he is wide awake and mapping out great plans for a future with mountains, valleys, battles and victories that he alone knows and understands. Heights much greater than we have ever experienced and lows to keep us in balance.
This is what he had for Elijah and he has the same for you and me. Elijah headed for the mountain of God but somehow ended up in a cave. This is where the dynamite question from God exploded. “What doest thou here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9)
In our lingo the question is, “What are you doing here?” “What are you doing stopped in the cave?” And this leads to questions about our stopping places. What are you doing in a relationship that is going nowhere? What are you doing in a church that doesn’t win ten souls a year? What are you doing on a dead end job with a dead end attitude? What are you doing in a rut ministry with no anointing or excitement from Heaven? What are you doing depending on drugs to crank you up and more drugs to crank you down? What are you doing sitting here playing a do nothing game of checkers when I have a world that needs changing?
We could go on and on. There are too many stories of lives falling by the wayside. We see them everyday, preachers who quit, Christians who give up, visions dimmed, dreams dead, hope gone, faith gone with no more glint or twinkle in the eye and joy in the soul.
When Pentecostal fire fell from Heaven and the Holy Spirit of God began to fill and anoint the disciples, there was something in this package other than a time of shouting. With God’s touch comes dreams for the young, visions for the old and an outpouring of spiritual power on the handmaidens and all flesh. This package contains a challenge and a power to turn our world upside down. To get in the devil’s prison and free the slaves.
God gave Elijah a wind, earthquake and fire experience and then he gave him a communication experience with God’s still small voice being the teacher; and this is where it is. Don’t look for the skies to light up and the earth to shake when you are looking for something from heaven. It is not likely to happen. But be very careful when you get still and quiet in his presence. Be careful when you are in your little private intimate place of prayer because you are about to crank up a sound from heaven directly to your heart. You are about to hear something that will comfort you like nothing else can comfort you and guide you with a heavenly tug at the heart.
ON THE OTHER SIDE
We never know how deeply out lives effect those with whom we are connected or the ones with which we are going to be connected in our future.
While Elijah was going through his ordeal of depression, doubt and self pity there was a young man plowing in a field some distance away. He was in last place on a twelve team agricultural operation fighting heat, dust, bugs and fatigue; wondering if God was ever going to get him out of his round and round dead end rut job. Wondering if he would ever realize his dream of doing his God called assignment. He was in a spiritual holding pattern waiting and working until the God of Heaven sent his prophet and felt the touch of his mantle.
To some degree we are all in similar situations. We are the ones in waiting or the ones in ministry. There is a battle on both sides. Doing God’s work stirs the evil forces of this world. If Satan can stop our ministry his goal is accomplished. Without our work, no matter how simple or insignificant it may seem; we die. Our labor for him, no matter if we are on the cutting edge or in a no name support position; it is our spiritual lifeline.
Elijah persevered and won over his depression and suicidal tendencies and Elisha stayed at the plow until his word came from God’s prophet. When these battles were over it was time to have an ox killing, plow burning, tell mama good bye going away party. A time to cut strings from the past and to travel their world doing miracles from Heaven and in Elijah’s case, go to heaven.
A mission accomplished, a mission in motion and life goes on; generation after generation doing heavenly work trying to make our world a heavenly place. So rewarding, so fulfilling and satisfying to the human soul; yet such a mystery.
The very thing that fulfills our every desire can look so boring and laborious to our world. And to we that labor for him, the world can look so empty and vain. It rings out the truth from our bibles; “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God…” (Deut. 29:29) and the question from this same book, “Hast thou heard the secret of God?” (Job 15:8)
This thing we feel in the depths of our soul; this indescribable joy that wells up in the very depths of our being; this “whatever” that we know that the world’s gold cannot buy. This little heavenly secret that nestles itself in our hearts in our most trying times. This is the thing that brought Elijah out of his depression and moved him to his next level of service and it is the thing that will do the same for you and for myself. There is a miracle in process in those whom God himself is living…it is so wonderful and it is for right now at this moment!
Prayer: Lord, move me into your perfect will, let your angels feed me with heavenly food and get me out of this wilderness of depression. Take my past, my present, my mistakes, my failures; and most of all my sins. Forgive me and give me new life. Jesus, I now receive you into my heart and your instructions to show me the way. Please teach me how to live. Amen
(Now text me, Jim Hobby@863-510-6950)
We have started a Sunday Morning 10:00AM Footsoldier Inter-Faith Outdoor service at 2702 Savannah Dr.
Plant City, FL 33563
And we need your help!
We are outdoors with plenty of room for social distancing for a limited number of folks.
Southern
Gospel Music
Music
(Recorded)
If you decide to join us.
Give us a text @ 863 510 6950
For a reservation
Thanks a mil!
Pastor Jim Hobby
Email; [email protected]
Text: 863 510 6950
Website: footsoldierministries.org
Facebook; Jim Hobby/foot soldier ministries
Bring your own seatin!