“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).
TEXT — 1 Kings 19:1-8
Message
A sage once observed that it is heartening that we have an all-knowing God who does not grant all our petitions because it would be to our harm if we have all we desire. He loves us so much He will not give us what is hurtful. He knows what is not for our good, even when we think otherwise. But He will not delay those answers that are according to His will. The Bible records instances when the Lord declined the requests of some beloved saints.
Elijah, the great prophet used by God to eliminate hundreds of Baal prophets, was one such servant of God whose unscriptural prayer in his moment of depression was denied. After his remarkable triumph on Mount Carmel, where he turned the hearts of the children of Israel back to the true worship of God, Elijah fled to Beersheba when Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, threatened to kill him for slaying the false prophets. Fearing the woman, Elijah asked the Lord to take his life.
God rejected the supplication. He still had much work to be done through Elijah. He would use him to bring up Elisha and part River Jordan before departing for heaven in a type of rapture. God has delightsome plans for His people, which must not be allowed to be aborted by ideas from the devil in times of depression.
Believers must be vigilant by praying and dwelling on God’s promises so as to keep the spirit of fear, anxiety and depression at bay. These negative emotions must not be allowed to take root in our lives. At all times and despite all odds and challenges, real children of God must always encourage and delight themselves in God.
Thought for the day
Wisdom it is to reject depression with a ten-foot pole.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
