Elijah's Experience under the Juniper Tree - finding hope in hopeless times

Elijah was a mighty prophet, yet he was very human. His journey included a time of great depression and discouragement. Elijah ran to the wilderness and sat under a juniper tree.

One in five Australians experienced a mental disorder in the last 12 months. The Australian Bureau of Statistics say 2.1 million Australians, or 9.3 per cent of our population are suffering from some form of depression.

Elijah knew what depression felt like. Discouragement. Like the psalmist in Psalm 42, he felt overwhelmed - all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

Elijah had been through a lot… the dry brook, the empty barrel, the dead boy, the prophets of Baal, the lack of rain. He had seen the Lord do wonders. At Mount Carmel he had confronted the 850 false prophets of Baal and the nation's idolatry. He saw God's great power and intervention. Fire came down from heaven, and consumed Elijah's sacrifice.

Queen Jezebel threatened his life. Elijah went through deep discouragement and despair. He wanted to run away from it all. Discouragement can be powerful.

You could call it "Emotion sickness". People like David, like Job have experienced discouragement.
1 Kings 19:4 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.

Elijah sits under the juniper tree. He cries out: I have had enough! He wanted to quit. Take my life!

Have you had a juniper tree moment? "I feel like giving up!"

Isolation can often deepen discouragement. Don't be afraid to reach out. Share your burden. Reach out to others...