I was reading in 1 Kings 19 about Elijah and his fearful flight from the wicked Jezebel. Let me set the context for this story. Elijah, God's prophet, was used by God to win a great victory on Mount Carmel. When Jezebel hears about the story she threatens the life of Elijah. Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. You would think that after a great spiritual victory, you wouldn't be afraid of the threats of men, or in this case a woman. But we find Elijah running away in fear (1 Kings 19:3). He so wiped out, so stressed out, that he utters this sentence to God, "I have had enough Lord. Take my life, I am no better than my ancestors." Then Elijah lay down under the tree and fell asleep. (1 Kings 19:4). Admittedly, I'm not a psychologist. But you don't have to be a psychologist to know that Elijah is pretty stressed out. This is where the story gets interesting. What does God do to reduce the Elijah's stress?
1) God provides rest and nutrition. 1 Kings 19:5-6, "All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." He looked around and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again." Elijah was physically and spiritually exhausted. When we grow physically and spiritually exhausted, we have less control over our emotions. Depression descends more easily. Worry grips us more doggedly. Temptations catch us off guard. So, God provides some wholesome food and some more sleep for Elijah.
2) The Lord sends an angel to strengthen him. Verse 7 reads, "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." The Bible tells us that the angels minister to us and sometimes we are not even aware of it (Heb. 1:14).
3) The Lord helped Elijah verbalize his feelings. Verse 9 - "What are you doing here Elijah?" Elijah was able to articulate his feelings and emotions. Half the battle in reducing stress is to be able to verbalize our feelings. Sometimes to a friend. All the time to God through prayer. If you read Psalms, David was an expert at verbalizing his feelings.
4) The Lord re-directs Elijah's attention to Himself. God does this by bringing Elijah to a mountain. On the mountain Elijah experiences a powerful wind, an earthquake, a fire, but God was not in any of those things. Verse 12 reads, "After the fire came a gentle whisper (literally in Hebrew - sheer silence). When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave." God got Elijah's attention in the sheer silence on the mountain. Sometimes when we are stressed out we just need to get quiet before the Lord so we can hear Him.
5) God provides encouragement. Elijah thinks he is the only one really serving God (verse 14). But God lets him know in verse 18 that there are "seven thousand in Israel who have not bowed down to Baal..." Things are never as bleak as they appear when we listen to the voice of God.
6) God renews Elijah's purpose. The Lord wasn’t finished with him, there were still kings to anoint and prophets to commission. His best days of ministry and his most spectacular moments were still ahead of him. Elijah needed to determine afresh to complete God’s will for his life on this earth (verses 15-17).
7) God provided a friend to help share the load. His name was Elisha (verse 19). Elijah now has a friend to share his burdens and blessings with. Do you?

Read 1 Kings 19 and allow this wonderful story to sink into your mind. God has a plan to restore our souls, to renew our thinking and to rehabilitate our lives. God has a plan to reduce our stress and it is very practical.
Get some rest and start eating healthy. Realize that there are angels who are concerned about you. Verbalize your feelings to God in prayer. Listen to God's voice as you quiet yourself before the Lord. God speaks through Scripture. Remember, things are not as bad as you think. God isn't through with you, no matter how you feel. And finally, find friend to share your blessings and burdens with.
If this worked for Elijah, I know it will work for me and you!

Pastor Tim