Arise and Eat—Part Two
Last time, we compared man’s prescription for depression (escape, isolation, and giving up in despair) with God’s prescription (Sleep. Arise. Eat.). Let’s revisit our passage in 1 Kings 19 as we uncover the pattern and purpose of God’s prescription.
“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.”
Looking at verse 7, we see the pattern of God’s prescription: Sleep. Arise. Eat. Then, do it all over again: Sleep. Arise. Eat. God’s second command to Elijah is the same as His first one: “Get up and eat.” As much as I would like to say that the cure for depression is to get up and have a good meal and then get some sleep, that is not what modern science or Scripture teaches. Overcoming depression is a day-by-day battle, especially once that depression has progressed to the point of contemplating suicide. Our God isn’t a one-and-done God. We have to keep resting, keep getting up, keep eating, and keep doing those small things to take care of ourselves. It is in the practice of doing so that we teach ourselves that we have value. We are worth the effort. God knows and appreciates our value already. He has to lead us by the hand to discover it for ourselves for us to be in the right state of mind for the journey of overcoming depression.
Notice that the second time that the angel says, “Arise and eat,” he gives a reason. God knows what is up ahead for us. He knows the path our life will take (Job 23:10). He knows that we are dust, and that the road ahead will be too much for us, unless we gather our strength. So He lets us in on the purpose for His prescription: So the journey will not be too much for us. I don’t know the specifics of what God has in store for your life, but I can tell you He has a plan for you, a purpose for why He put you here on this earth, and He has not given up on you yet. He doesn’t get frustrated or impatient or exhausted with our struggle over the same thing day after day. Even if you feel those things about yourself, our God is a God who sees us in our suffering (Genesis 16:13). Even if the people around you don’t see how you’re doing your best, God appreciates it. He celebrates those small victories, the bread-and-water self-care, the arising. God wants to prepare you for the next thing He has in store for you. And that next thing He has planned requires that you figure out how to deal with your depression now. It won’t be easy, but you can trust Him to provide what you need along the way.
After his journey, in verse 9, God lets Elijah rest again after arriving at his destination. Again, these self-care practices have to become a pattern. Even if you overcome depression and never struggle with it again, you will still need these skills as long as you are on this earth. It is vital for us to practice these things until they become second nature to us. Here is God’s message for you in this moment: Sleep. Arise. Eat. Drink. Take care of your physical body. Then sleep again. Devotional author, Oswald Chambers, called this “obedience in the ordinary.”[1] These self-care practices are the first step we have to take on the road to recovery. And these are the habits that will sustain us through the next journey and the next and so on. God has more to do through you. He knows the limits of your physical form, and in order to move forward, He needs you to take care of your body. It is the temple where His Spirit lives in you. It is sacred. And it is a spiritual act of obedience to take care of it. Don’t discount the ministry you can do now by taking care of yourself. I’m praying for you, as you embark on this journey to recovery.
[1] Oswald Chambers, “The Initiative Against Depression,” in My Utmost for His Highest (Grand Rapids, MI: Barbour Publishing, 1963).
A Snapshot of my Recovery: Present Day
I am laying in the bed that I share with my husband of seven years. I have one cat draped across my pillow almost suffocating my face, and I have another cat leaning up against my feet. I would have liked to be more “productive” today. My hair needs a trim, and my food stores are looking a little low. But instead, I got out of bed this morning. I ate breakfast. I spent time in God’s Word. I called my mom. And then I went back to bed for a nap. This week has been especially tiring with lots of new people and places. While my brain is berating myself for not being able to do what everyone else can do so easily, I can hear the still, small voice of my Father—the One who wept with me at the height of my depression—saying, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” He knows how long the road has been and how the struggle has raged on and on. He knows how long it has taken me to value myself enough to take care of these small, physical needs. It might not seem like a lot, but today I was obedient in the ordinary. I slept. Arose. Ate. Slept. And did it all over again. And I am content that at least for today, I have pleased God.
