Day 6: The Multitude

…Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”

1 Kings 19: 18 (NLT)

One of Elijah’s concerns was how isolated he felt at being the only one (as far as he could see) who had been faithful to God. Remember? He told God in verse 10 “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

So now, not only is he given a dedicated assistant, but God informs Elijah that he will preserve 7, 000 other believers. It may not have been necessary for God to divulge that information to Elijah, but it was good news that would have reassured him, and helped to alleviate his previous anxieties. God cared about the wellbeing of his prophet.

Sometimes it can be easy to feel like God doesn’t care, that he is far away, observing other things, totally disinterested in mental health and wellbeing, ideals that have become staples of post-modernity, but just like Elijah’s depression was deemed important to be recorded in the Bible, so was God’s alleviation of his illness. We are not told if Elijah ever fully overcame his illness, or if he endured several bouts of depression later on in his ministry (although this doesn’t mean that God cannot totally heal someone from depression), but what is important is the attention and care that God gave to Elijah to help him during this particular depressive episode. It not only shows us how much he cares for us, but it gives us practical ways to help others, too.

If you do feel overwhelmed, take solace in the experience detailed in 1 Kings 19. If he did it for Elijah, then he can do it for you too.