DISCOURAGEMENT: FROM THE MOUNTAINTOP TO THE VALLEY

BIBLE PASSAGE:
While he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came
to a broom tree, 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.”
(1 Kings 19:4)

MEDITATION:
If we are honest with ourselves, we have all experienced ‘highs’
and ‘lows’ in our lives, haven’t we? Sometimes we can move
from a mountaintop to a valley as a result of our own actions.

Sometimes the impact of words or attitudes from someone else
toward us, can sweep us from a mountaintop to a valley. But,
sometimes we have trouble determining the reason we moved
from a joyous attitude into a melancholy feeling that almost
feels like depression.

The interesting thing about these rollercoaster emotions is,
it can happen to those who are in close fellowship with the
Lord. Quite often, it can occur immediately after we just
had a ‘spiritual high’ type of experience.

Let’s look at Elijah for an example.

Elijah has just told the people to make a choice – either follow God,
or follow Baal. He announced that Baal had 450 prophets, but he was
the only prophet of the Lord remaining. Then he offered a challenge:
    The prophets of Baal were to slaughter a bull and
    put it on a pile of wood – but not set fire to the wood.

    Elijah would do the same with another bull.

    Then each would call on their god to light the wood.
    Whichever pile was lit, then that would be the true God.

The false prophets called on Baal, but the pile of wood was never lit.
Elijah even taunted them by saying they weren’t yelling loud enough.

Then Elijah built his altar to the Lord and asked them to drench
it with water three times, and to build a trench around the altar to
catch the overflow of water. Elijah called on the Lord and fire came
down and burned the bull, the altar, the stones, the soil, and licked
up the water from the trench.

When the people saw this, they all shouted,
    “The Lord, He is God!”
Elijah had the prophets of Baal captured and executed.

Sounds like a great victory doesn’t it? Elijah was vindicated;
the false prophets were defeated; rain returned and the drought
they had been suffering was ended.

So how did Elijah respond to this ‘mountaintop’ experience?
He wished he was dead!

All it took was a threat from one woman, Jezebel, and Elijah
went from an emotional ‘mountaintop’ to an emotional ‘valley’.
    Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done
    and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
    So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the
    gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time
    tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
    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.”
    (1 Kings 19:1-4)

It doesn’t seem possible that after a great victory, the prophet
of God would pray, “Take my life”. However, most of us can
relate to Elijah and his emotional roller coaster. Physically,
whenever we reach the mountaintop, it’s all downhill from there.

This can also be the case emotionally. When we reach an emotional
peak, we can often experience a downhill plunge soon afterward. The
problem is, how far down will we go? When we go downhill emotionally,
we run the risk of going downhill spiritually as well.

ACTION:
Emotional peaks can be followed by emotional valleys, and when we are
in the valley, we are most susceptible to discouragement. And when we
are overwhelmed with discouragement, it can affect us spiritually, can’t
it?

We can sometimes find ourselves gravitating to some overpowering sin
that we have been susceptible to throughout our life. Why? Because we
somehow think it will give us some temporary relief. But is that what
happens? It might distract us for a brief amount of time, but then we
can become overwhelmed with guilt for our sin.

Falling from a mountaintop of joy, to a valley of discouragement
can happen to anyone, at any time. It happened to Elijah, and it
can happen to us as well.

Be prepared:
    When on the mountaintop, remember that a valley
    could come next. Don’t allow the letdown after a
    victory to become an occasion for discouragement.
    So, how do we accomplish that? As soon as we feel
    the shadow of discouragement, we go to the Lord in
    prayer and ask Him to help us in being victorious
    over the emotional ‘free fall’ we are experiencing.
    God has promised to never forsake those who belong
    to Him.

Pray:
“Heavenly Father, thank You for the joyous times
in my life, and remind me of Your promises when
I start feeling the pains of discouragement an I am
tempted to sink into a valley of depression. You
have promised that You will never forsake me, so
help me to focus more on your presence that I do
on my discouraging situation and the gloomy
emotions it has triggered. Thank You for holding
my hand and walking with me through any valleys
that I experience. I love you Lord, and I thank You
for Your love for me!”

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