P
Patrick
Guest
Yesterday's Devotional, sorry, I did not read it til this morning, but we all need this, everyday.
The Way Up When Life Gets You Down
There are times in life when we all feel down. But God's Word shows us the way to get back up. Look at Elijah, who "was just like us". How come he got so far down?
(a) It happened on the heels of a great victory. He didn't start out in the doldrums, and he didn't fall into sin. No, he'd just called down fire from Heaven and slain 450 false prophets. ( 1 Kings 18:22-39). But that's hard work. So he went from exhilaration to exhaustion. Weary, defenses down and vulnerability up, he fell into a natural depression because fatigue strips us of our courage. (b) Fear caused him to lose perspective. The man of God who'd just faced down an evil multitude, ended up running from one woman, Jezebel ( 1Kings 19). Fear made him forget God's power, it skewed his perspective and left him feeling suicidal. Exhaustion coupled with fear is a dangerous combination. It invites hopeless, wrong thinking, and creates the illusion that your options are gone. © He became isolated. Elijah left his servant at Beersheba and journeyed into the wilderness alone, (1Kings 19:3-4). When you most need support, anxiety, a sense of inadequacy and fear of failure, will push you into isolation. At that point you are in the worst possible company - your own. Elijah thought, "I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me". "It's bad and I can't see it getting better!' When you're down, isn't the time to isolate. That's when you need to reach for God, and the people who love you and can help you back up.
To my friends here, I love you, and I want to help you all up again, and again, and again. Please know I am with each and everyone of you every day in prayer and in heart. Please continue to walk in faith with the Lord, and please, please, please do not give up, for the Lord is bringing our spouses back into his Word, and into our marriages.
The Way Up When Life Gets You Down
There are times in life when we all feel down. But God's Word shows us the way to get back up. Look at Elijah, who "was just like us". How come he got so far down?
(a) It happened on the heels of a great victory. He didn't start out in the doldrums, and he didn't fall into sin. No, he'd just called down fire from Heaven and slain 450 false prophets. ( 1 Kings 18:22-39). But that's hard work. So he went from exhilaration to exhaustion. Weary, defenses down and vulnerability up, he fell into a natural depression because fatigue strips us of our courage. (b) Fear caused him to lose perspective. The man of God who'd just faced down an evil multitude, ended up running from one woman, Jezebel ( 1Kings 19). Fear made him forget God's power, it skewed his perspective and left him feeling suicidal. Exhaustion coupled with fear is a dangerous combination. It invites hopeless, wrong thinking, and creates the illusion that your options are gone. © He became isolated. Elijah left his servant at Beersheba and journeyed into the wilderness alone, (1Kings 19:3-4). When you most need support, anxiety, a sense of inadequacy and fear of failure, will push you into isolation. At that point you are in the worst possible company - your own. Elijah thought, "I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me". "It's bad and I can't see it getting better!' When you're down, isn't the time to isolate. That's when you need to reach for God, and the people who love you and can help you back up.
To my friends here, I love you, and I want to help you all up again, and again, and again. Please know I am with each and everyone of you every day in prayer and in heart. Please continue to walk in faith with the Lord, and please, please, please do not give up, for the Lord is bringing our spouses back into his Word, and into our marriages.
