Elijah’s spiritual depression, going into hiding, & prophetic anointing

A commentator on another post explained how she was feeling (this seems to be a common theme for many Christians at the moment which is why I have made a new post of it as others may miss it where it is presently buried among many other comments, and it contains important truths that I think many more need to hear):

“Dear Sister,

When Elijah went into the cave to escape from Jezebel in fear of his life, he obviously was not “under” the anointing or else he would not felt the need to flee but would have determined to STAND against her manipulative spirit. I have been “hiding in my cave” since an attack and I am dying for lack of water and a crumb of bread to eat, I cannot see, hear, or understand what His Spirit is saying, the presence and anointing of His Holy Spirit that was Life and Truth has been taken and I am lost and in darkness, where do I go from here? If I had wings like a dove I would fly away, I know His promise to me and all of His children that He will never leave or forsake us but the darkness is trying to destroy who I am in Him and there is noone who comforts my soul…”

My response to her was: 

The biggest surprise for some of God’s saints when persecuted, is that they are not always wrapped around in a load of spiritual bubble wrap and are not immune to it. Sometimes there are miraculous deliverances or healings but many times they still suffer on some level. The saints can get hurt by persecution physically, emotionally, mentally, sometimes even spiritually for a time. The apostle Paul was almost blinded by the stones thrown at him and suffered throughout his life then on with eyesight problems. Stephen, of course, died, his body broken by the stones. It does not mean God is not with these people and they are not anointed though, despite the fact they suffer! My back has been put out these last few weeks as a consequence of being almost yanked apart by a pastor and a church member – my crime? for speaking the truth. The fact it is not miraculously healed (yet) and I have suffered physically, emotionally and mentally from this is neither here nor there as a sign God is with me! Saints still suffer. I consider my own suffering nothing compared to what others suffer though for the gospel, and what of course my Lord Jesus went through on the cross.

I saw a guy in Pakistan who has suffered for over 8 years for the sake of the gospel, and his mind is almost as broken as his body. He has suffered immensely and God bless him he has not retracted his confession of Christ despite everything, but God knows this man has gone right to the brink of everything he is and has and more so. I do not think this man lacks faith, anointing or the Holy Spirit, but you see there is a twisted health and wealth gospel in the modern day church that does not ‘get’ persecution or suffering for righteousness sake, so that when it happens, Western Saints in particular can be in a real dilemma!

Often the presense of God feels furthest away at times of persection and we do not ‘feel’ blessed. God allows it though for our good to press into him, to refine our faith and depend in Him over feelings and anointings, and to persist and trust in God and seek His reality. To learn he never changes even when the world around us does. Any attack from Satan is allowed by God in order to perfect us in faith, and to correct faults we are blind to while on the mountain top. Therefore consider it pure joy when Heaven seems silent and you suffer, as you know through it God is making you perfect. Press on and press through. It will not be forever like this.

I have suffered persecution and the consequent attacks afterwards where Heaven seems silent so I know what you are going through. I have also conversely suffered persecution when I have had been surrounded by tangible blessing and ‘anointing’ and peace and God’s ‘anaesthesia’ from any felt harm. Whatever you feel, blessed or not, you are still blessed, and you will come out of this stronger if you continue and perservere.

When Elijah went into the cave to escape from Jezebel in fear of his life, he obviously was not “under” the annointing or else he would not felt the need to flee but would have determined to STAND against her manipulative spirit.

i have been “hiding in my cave” since an attack and i am dying for lack of water and a crumb of bread to eat, i cannot see, hear, or understand what His Spirit is saying, the presence and annointing of the Spirit

You have some really bad theology about the anointing that is all to prevalent in the church from the likes of false teachers like Benny Hinn et al. Of course Elijah was still under the ‘anointing’ when hiding – the anointing being on him as a result of his calling to ministry and his acceptance of it (as the anointing oil was placed upon a king one time only, the king did not constantly drip with the oil or have to feel it to affirm he was still king and had God’s authority. He knew it!)

The anointing was not a tangible feeling, a felt manifestation or feeling like he was walking on top of a mountain always or feeling powered up (this teaching is FALSE) – Elijah was constantly anointed (a once and for all act at his calling) as he had a calling on his life to be a prophet and knew it. It was out of Elijah’s knowledge of God and knowledge of his own calling that faith came to lead him to the top of Mount Carmel and to taunt as he did and just know that His God would answer by fire, it was not his ‘anointing’ that did this! However, like many ministers, particularly prophets, Elijah got depressed, stressed, disillisioned, discouraged fearful, doubting, felt sorry for himself, felt alone ….etc and this attack manifested right after being powerfully used by God, as it often does for many Saints. When Elijah doubted his calling or God being with Him, even a little, and let people’s words or actions get to him, then his faith and boldness weakened and his eyes were deflected from God to his own inadequacies and a pity party set in and he went into hiding.

Anointed people are still human and are not always pumped and wired and jumping with joy! The answer to Elijah’s discouragement was a revelation of God’s concern for Him expressed with some physical provision in the food and drink and the rest, not more ‘anointing’, and then the chance to unburden himself and express his concerns, frustrations and complaint to God. Then he had an encounter with God with the still small voice….. God showed Elijah it was not in the roaring wind, the earthquake, or the mighty fire but with the still small voice that He most often speaks. Like many others in todays’ church, Elijah looked for God in dramatic manifestations, power encounters or anointings. But the most important and fundamental thing – our identity – is affirmed in the still quiet voice and not noise and power, signs and wonders.

Said Charles Spurgeon: “This same lesson has to be learned over and over by us all: let us repeat it, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord.’ It is to be lamented that the most of professors obstinately cling to the fatal error of looking for displays of power of one kind or another. I hear that a certain church is seeking for a very clever man: she thinks that God is in the wind . . . That still small voice will be hushed and silent, while the boastings of your wisdom resound like a howling wind or a thunder unaccompanied by rain…..And now the thunder ceased, and the lightning was gone, and the earth was still, and the wind was hushed, and there was a dead calm, and out of the midst of the still air there came what the Hebrew calls ‘a voice of gentle silence,’ ….”

When Elijah heard this still small voice, he immediately wrapped his face in his mantle – his mantle reflective of his calling and ministry to be a prophet for it is this he later threw over Elisha as a sign Elisha was called to be a prophet also. Thus discouraged Saints are reminded by God in the still small voice of their identity in God, needed to be reaffirmed after periods of self doubt etc. Their mantle is thus wrapped around them once again and they are sent on their way to walk in it. When the mantle is not doubted, then Jezebel can be faced head-on, as we know God is behind us.

What you need to be strong in the Lord is thus reassurance of identity/calling not anointing, and this can only be achieved through hearing and listening to and believing the still small voice over the thunder after a time when heaven seems silent. After a reminder, refocus, God then gave Elijah something to do so he could avoid excessive introspection. He needed to stop looking at himself and his own circumstances. He needed to get on with what God wanted him to do.

“Then the Lord did what perhaps was best of all for Elijah, he gave him some more work to do. He sent him off about his Master’s business again; and I warrant you that, when Elijah went back over that road, it was with a very different step from that which brought him down to Beersheba. He had come along terrified and distressed; but now he goes back with the majesty that belongs to the Tishbite, he is afraid of no Jezebel now.” (Charles Spurgeon)