4/713 Dealing with Mental Illness

³ Elijah was afraid. So he ran for his life. He came to Beersheba in Judah. He left his servant there.

⁴ Then he traveled for one day into the desert. He came to a small tree. He sat down under it. He prayed that he would die. “Lord, I’ve had enough,” he said. “Take my life. I’m no better than my people of long ago.” ⁵ Then he lay down under the tree. And he fell asleep.

Suddenly an angel touched him. The angel said, “Get up and eat.” (1Kings 19:3-5)

Thoughts: Friday Pastor Rick Warren's 27 year old son, Matthew committed suicide.  He suffered from mental illness.  Rick Warren was best selling author of  "A Purpose Driven Life" and "Forty Days in the Word."  Rick himself had suffered depression from burnout and overwork in the ministry.
      It is mental illness awareness month. In New Testament times there was no mentally ill category.Yet parents have always been concerned about their children's mental, spiritual and physical health (cf. Mt. 15:22; Mk. 9:14).  Even great men of God like Elijah became depressed at times.  Elijah was tired of the spiritual fighting and running and was ready to give up his life.  Job was sad enough to ask that the day of his birth be cursed.  Jesus cried tears of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Yet God saw eah of them threw their valleys.  He will see us too if we trust in Him. God is a God of healing even and perhaps especially of those with mental problems.

Prayer: So Lord, we pray for those who are suffering from mental illness, and the families who suffer with them.  We also pray for those like the Warrens who are grieving over a loved one whose mental illness took them.