Arise and eat—1 Kings 19:5

The angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were never depressed, we would not be alive—only material things don’t suffer depression. If human beings were not capable of depression, we would have no capacity for happiness and exaltation. There are things in life that are designed to depress us; for example, things that are associated with death. Whenever you examine yourself, always take into account your capacity for depression.

When the Spirit of God comes to us, He does not give us glorious visions, but He tells us to do the most ordinary things imaginable. Depression tends to turn us away from the everyday things of God’s creation. But whenever God steps in, His inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things-things we would never have imagined God was in, but as we do them we find Him there. The inspiration that comes to us in this way is an initiative against depression. But we must take the first step and do it in the inspiration of God. If, however, we do something simply to overcome our depression, we will only deepen it. But when the Spirit of God leads us instinctively to do something, the moment we do it the depression is gone. As soon as we arise and obey, we enter a higher plane of life.

Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
The song says, “why would I wait to die to come alive?” The devo says, “just go do whatever simple thing God says and you will end depression (come alive). Are they referring to the same concept?

Yes, paralysis of analysis and depression are first cousins. Both are related to non-action. Sometimes when you can’t hear me, you need to get quiet …… But sometimes when you can’t hear me, getting quiet is not the answer. Getting going is the answer. At least it’s the first step. There will be time to get away and get quiet, but to unclog our communication conduit, sometimes you just need to get up and start.

Yes, but what if I start in the wrong direction?

Dont you believe I can redirect you after you’ve started?

Well, yes.

That is the rhythm that works best, activity interspersed with times of purposeful quiet listening. I can work with that. You can too.

Thanks, BTW how about my friends that are “clinically” depressed? Is this still a good prescription?

Yes, I’m not saying meds are bad. But even with meds, a person will do better and hear my voice better when they get up and obey …… in even the smallest way. The car rolling down the road is easier to steer than the one sitting in the parking lot with the key turned off.

Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops —Matthew 10:27

Samuel answered, ’Speak, for Your servant hears’ —1 Samuel 3:10

Just because I have listened carefully and intently to one thing from God does not mean that I will listen to everything He says. I show God my lack of love and respect for Him by the insensitivity of my heart and mind toward what He says. If I love my friend, I will instinctively understand what he wants. And Jesus said, “You are My friends . . .” (John 15:14). Have I disobeyed some command of my Lord’s this week? If I had realized that it was a command of Jesus, I would not have deliberately disobeyed it. But most of us show incredible disrespect to God because we don’t even hear Him. He might as well never have spoken to us.

The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me (see John 11:41). If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God all the time through the devotion of hearing. A flower, a tree, or a servant of God may convey God’s message to me. What hinders me from hearing is my attention to other things. It is not that I don’t want to hear God, but I am not devoted in the right areas of my life. I am devoted to things and even to service and my own convictions. God may say whatever He wants, but I just don’t hear Him. The attitude of a child of God should always be, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” If I have not developed and nurtured this devotion of hearing, I can only hear God’s voice at certain times. At other times I become deaf to Him because my attention is to other things— things which I think I must do. This is not living the life of a child of God. Have you heard God’s voice today?

Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
The concept that you hear me all the time, every word I say, is a good thing to think about. You gave the example in John 11:41

Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.”

It’s part of the package of walking with you. If I visualize walking with you … it’s like walking with any friend. We would be conversing, not just walking along silently. When walking and talking with a friend, of course they hear me and I hear them. The conversation goes back and forth. You and Father were like that and it seem like you’re saying that we are capable of that same type of relationship as well. Why do I live at such a lower level of connection and communication? Is it just that I dont put out the effort? or that I dont really believe? Or what? What do I need to do? I want to live like that!

One thing to be aware of is the danger in your last question, “What do I need to do?” especially the last 3 words, “need to do.” That can lead you into bondage. Bondage to lists and measuring up. These were things that the Pharisees were fond of. They thought it would lead them to righteousness like many in my church do today. And it’s not that those things on the list are bad in themselves. It’s just a matter of the power source. If you are keeping lists and checking them off with human power, it will lead to pride and judging others who dont measure up. If you just come to me and build our relationship so tight that you always hear my voice, and then just do what you hear and see me doing …… That’s the way to live. Then you will be building my kingdom … not because you are trying to and measuring your performance but because it’s just the natural out-growth of us walking together.

Here it is in John 5:19 So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

Lord, help me (us) to live like that. Today.

Same song with the lyrics on screen.

They said to Moses, ’You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die’ `—Exodus 20:19

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You —Isaiah 26:3


Is your mind stayed on God or is it starved? Starvation of the mind, caused by neglect, is one of the chief sources of exhaustion and weakness in a servant’s life. If you have never used your mind to place yourself before God, begin to do it now. There is no reason to wait for God to come to you. You must turn your thoughts and your eyes away from the face of idols and look to Him and be saved (see Isaiah 45:22).

Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him. You should seek to be “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ . . .” (2 Corinthians 10:5). This will be one of the greatest assets of your faith when a time of trial comes, because then your faith and the Spirit of God will work together. When you have thoughts and ideas that are worthy of credit to God, learn to compare and associate them with all that happens in nature-the rising and the setting of the sun, the shining of the moon and the stars, and the changing of the seasons. You will begin to see that your thoughts are from God as well, and your mind will no longer be at the mercy of your impulsive thinking, but will always be used in service to God.

“We have sinned with our fathers . . . [and] . . . did not remember . . .” (Psalm 106:6-7). Then prod your memory and wake up immediately. Don’t say to yourself, “But God is not talking to me right now.” He ought to be. Remember whose you are and whom you serve. Encourage yourself to remember, and your affection for God will increase tenfold. Your mind will no longer be starved, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.

Good morning Lord,
This makes total sense … when I look at it objectively. I can see that when the focus of my mind is off target, thinking my own ideas and about my own problems and struggles it is truly the devil’s playground and I can generate a lot of stress and depression. Or I can choose to not focus on all that stuff and focus on you and just stay curious and expectant about all that other stuff … and life will be better, my life, and the lives of those around me. And your kingdom will be better served. So it’s all good, to “keep my mind stayed on you” But I have two questions? Why can’t I seem to do this more consistently? And How do I share this concept with those who are hurting and I can see that this would be really good medicine for them. (even though I’d feel hypocritical prescribing it for them because I dont follow it so well myself)

The first step to cure a wandering mind is simply to decide. Decide to focus on me and our relationship. That will last a short time. But dont accept defeat. I do not condemn you when you fail and your mind begins to wander. But I’m happy when you bring your mind back to me. I’m really happy when you get consistent at that and I know I can rely on you to always and quickly bring your mind back to centering on our relationship. The more you do that, the more communication and blessings I will be able to pour out on you. And that is my desire. Here it is in The Message:

People with their minds set on you,
you keep completely whole,
Steady on their feet,
because they keep at it and don’t quit.
Depend on God and keep at it
because in the Lord God you have a sure thing.
Isaiah 26:3

So make the decision, And keep on making it. Dont waste time feeling guilty when you “fall off the horse” . Just get back on. Re-make the decision to keep your mind focused on me and our relationship. Replace guilt with curiosity. Stay curious about how long you can maintain focus and what stressors you will allow to draw you away next time. Go ahead. Be curious about whether there is a problem too big for me to handle. Watch and see. Together we can handle all that will come your way

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things . . . —Isaiah 40:26

I am already being poured out as a drink offering . . . —2 Timothy 4:6

Are you ready to be poured out as an offering? It is an act of your will, not your emotions. Tell God you are ready to be offered as a sacrifice for Him. Then accept the consequences as they come, without any complaints, in spite of what God may send your way. God sends you through a crisis in private, where no other person can help you. From the outside your life may appear to be the same, but the difference is taking place in your will. Once you have experienced the crisis in your will, you will take no thought of the cost when it begins to affect you externally. If you don’t deal with God on the level of your will first, the result will be only to arouse sympathy for yourself.

“Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar” (Psalm 118:27). You must be willing to be placed on the altar and go through the fire; willing to experience what the altar represents-burning, purification, and separation for only one purpose-the elimination of every desire and affection not grounded in or directed toward God. But you don’t eliminate it, God does. You “bind the sacrifice . . . to the horns of the altar” and see to it that you don’t wallow in self-pity once the fire begins. After you have gone through the fire, there will be nothing that will be able to trouble or depress you. When another crisis arises, you will realize that things cannot touch you as they used to do. What fire lies ahead in your life?

Tell God you are ready to be poured out as an offering, and God will prove Himself to be all you ever dreamed He would be.

If I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all—Philippians 2:17

We have been made as the filth of the world . . . —1 Corinthians 4:13

Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision —1 Samuel 3:15
God never speaks to us in dramatic ways, but in ways that are easy to misunderstand. Then we say, “I wonder if that is God’s voice?” Isaiah said that the Lord spoke to him “with a strong hand,” that is, by the pressure of his circumstances (Isaiah 8:11). Without the sovereign hand of God Himself, nothing touches our lives. Do we discern His hand at work, or do we see things as mere occurrences?

Get into the habit of saying, “Speak, Lord,” and life will become a romance (1 Samuel 3:9). Every time circumstances press in on you, say, “Speak, Lord,” and make time to listen. Chastening is more than a means of discipline— it is meant to bring me to the point of saying, “Speak, Lord.” Think back to a time when God spoke to you. Do you remember what He said? Was it Luke 11:13 , or was it 1 Thessalonians 5:23? As we listen, our ears become more sensitive, and like Jesus, we will hear God all the time.

Should I tell my “Eli” what God has shown to me? This is where the dilemma of obedience hits us. We disobey God by becoming amateur providences and thinking, “I must shield ’Eli,’ ” who represents the best people we know. God did not tell Samuel to tell Eli— he had to decide that for himself. God’s message to you may hurt your “Eli,” buttrying to prevent suffering in another’s life will prove to be an obstruction between your soul and God. It is at your own risk that you prevent someone’s right hand being cut off or right eye being plucked out (see Matthew 5:29-30).

Never ask another person’s advice about anything God makes you decide before Him. If you ask advice, you will almost always side with Satan. “. . . I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood . . .”