Have you ever wondered why discouragement often comes right after a spiritual victory?
You finally see God answer a prayer. You experience a breakthrough. You make progress in an area where you’ve struggled. You have a wonderful time with the Lord.
And then, unexpectedly, discouragement comes crashing in.
Why does that happen?
That’s exactly what happened to Elijah.
One moment, he was standing on Mount Carmel watching God send fire from heaven. The next, he was hiding in the wilderness, convinced he was alone, that nothing was changing, and that his ministry had failed.
What happened?
How could a man who had just witnessed one of the greatest miracles in Scripture become so discouraged that he asked God to take his life?
And perhaps more importantly, what did God do for Elijah—and what does that teach us about our own seasons of discouragement, disappointment, exhaustion, and spiritual fatigue?
Today’s reading provides hope for anyone who feels weary, overwhelmed, or ready to give up.
Ask ten people, and you’ll probably get ten different answers.
Some blame politicians. Others blame the media, the education system, illegal immigration, racism, corporate greed, government overreach, moral decline, or the breakdown of the family.
And depending on who you ask, the solution is usually to defeat the people on the other side.
But what if we’re arguing about symptoms while ignoring the real disease?
That’s exactly what was happening in Elijah’s day.
Israel was in crisis. Corrupt leadership. Moral confusion. Spiritual decline. Deep division. Sound familiar?
And when things started falling apart, everyone wanted someone to blame.
But Elijah pointed to a problem much deeper than politics, personalities, or public policy.
A problem that still exists today.
And until we understand that problem, we’ll never understand the solution.
Depression, if you’ve ever suffered with it, you know it can be a dark, discouraging place to be. At its worst, it’s been called the “dark night of the soul.” But there is hope for those experiencing discouragement, depression, and hopelessness.
Today we’ll start looking at people in biblical times who experienced feelings of
