Down in the Dumps
Worship
Bright Intervals
40 Brief Worship Services and Meditations for Any Occasion
Object:
Greeting and Call To Worship
They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint!
Opening Prayer
O God, you have promised to be our refuge and our strength. We come to you weighed down by the cares and the burdens of our daily lives. We confess that at times the lamp of faith burns dimly and we are filled with doubt and despair. O God, in your mercy, lift us above our darkness and distress. Renew our faith, and fill us with your Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Lord's Prayer
Special Hymn
"Nearer My God To Thee"
The writer of this old and familiar hymn, Sarah Flower, was born in Harlow, England. She aspired to a career on the stage, but was forced to abandon her plans because of poor health. She married a civil engineer and lived the remaining years of her life in London. Sarah had a sister, Eliza, whom she deeply loved. When Eliza discovered she had tuberculosis, Sarah undertook the care of her sister. It was while caring for Eliza that Sarah discovered her literary gifts. One day she read the story of Jacob's encounter with God in Genesis 28 to her sister. When she finished, the words of this wonderful hymn came to her mind. Through many years, this hymn has brought hope and renewed confidence to God's people.
Scripture Reading
1 Kings 19:1-8
Meditation
Would it not be a wonderful thing if life brought us only joy and happiness? Would it not be great to have the attitude of the young boy whose Little League baseball team was playing a big game? The boy's parents arrived late for the start of the game, and their first question was, "What's the score?" "Oh," said the little boy, "it's 18 to 0, but our team hasn't even come to bat yet!" What a positive outlook that little fellow had!
But life is not that way for most of us. Along with joy come frustration, disappointment, the loss of loved ones, and lots of crises to face. Most of us can identify with the young mother who had one of those awful days that would get anybody down in the dumps. When her husband finally came home, she described all the day's disasters, and said, "And when I finally called Dial-A-Prayer, I got a busy signal!"
Whenever we find ourselves in a low mood, we need to turn to this story of Elijah in the Bible. Elijah was a strong person. He had shown great courage in standing up to the false prophets of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. But like a lot of us, Elijah was weary from dealing with so many troubles. He was down in the dumps, and in that low mood he asked God to end his life. But God did three things to help his prophet get back on his feet, three things God can still do to help us when we are down in the dumps.
First, God ministered to Elijah's physical needs. He knew that when we get physically exhausted our spirits sink into doubt and depression. So God provided Elijah with food and rest, and it made an immediate difference in Elijah's life. Sometimes we forget in our busy lives that the laws of physical health are also part of God's world. Sometimes a good meal and a good night's rest can change our situation dramatically.
Then God acted to give Elijah a new perspective on his life. The prophet was feeling very sorry for himself. He even tells God that he is the only one in all Israel to remain faithful to the Lord. But God gently turns Elijah's outlook away from himself and his troubles to the fact that God has more than 7,000 persons in Israel who have remained faithful to the Lord! Suddenly, Elijah sees things in a different perspective. Our perspective on life is very important. Do you recall the story of Susan who wrote to her parents from college? She said, "I have decided to leave school and marry Joe. He's just out of jail but he's very good looking. We've known each other for three months, and I know he will be a good father to the baby which arrives in April. Love, Susan. P.S. Dear Folks, I am not leaving school, nor am I pregnant, nor am I dating an ex-con named Joe. But I wrote this letter hoping it would give you a better perspective on the fact that I got an 'F' on my last chemistry test!"
There is one more thing God did to put his prophet back on his feet -- God gave Elijah a renewed purpose. He told him he had a job for him to do on God's behalf, and a mission to accomplish. Sometimes we let ourselves get overwhelmed by the evil in this world. But when we undertake some task, no matter how small, in the service of Jesus Christ, our lives take on a whole new meaning and purpose. As the old Chinese proverb reminds us, "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." That is how God ministered to Elijah long ago, and how God can help us when we are down in the dumps.
Closing Prayer and Benediction
O God, lift us on eagle's wings that we may renew our strength, and go forth from here in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint!
Opening Prayer
O God, you have promised to be our refuge and our strength. We come to you weighed down by the cares and the burdens of our daily lives. We confess that at times the lamp of faith burns dimly and we are filled with doubt and despair. O God, in your mercy, lift us above our darkness and distress. Renew our faith, and fill us with your Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Lord's Prayer
Special Hymn
"Nearer My God To Thee"
The writer of this old and familiar hymn, Sarah Flower, was born in Harlow, England. She aspired to a career on the stage, but was forced to abandon her plans because of poor health. She married a civil engineer and lived the remaining years of her life in London. Sarah had a sister, Eliza, whom she deeply loved. When Eliza discovered she had tuberculosis, Sarah undertook the care of her sister. It was while caring for Eliza that Sarah discovered her literary gifts. One day she read the story of Jacob's encounter with God in Genesis 28 to her sister. When she finished, the words of this wonderful hymn came to her mind. Through many years, this hymn has brought hope and renewed confidence to God's people.
Scripture Reading
1 Kings 19:1-8
Meditation
Would it not be a wonderful thing if life brought us only joy and happiness? Would it not be great to have the attitude of the young boy whose Little League baseball team was playing a big game? The boy's parents arrived late for the start of the game, and their first question was, "What's the score?" "Oh," said the little boy, "it's 18 to 0, but our team hasn't even come to bat yet!" What a positive outlook that little fellow had!
But life is not that way for most of us. Along with joy come frustration, disappointment, the loss of loved ones, and lots of crises to face. Most of us can identify with the young mother who had one of those awful days that would get anybody down in the dumps. When her husband finally came home, she described all the day's disasters, and said, "And when I finally called Dial-A-Prayer, I got a busy signal!"
Whenever we find ourselves in a low mood, we need to turn to this story of Elijah in the Bible. Elijah was a strong person. He had shown great courage in standing up to the false prophets of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. But like a lot of us, Elijah was weary from dealing with so many troubles. He was down in the dumps, and in that low mood he asked God to end his life. But God did three things to help his prophet get back on his feet, three things God can still do to help us when we are down in the dumps.
First, God ministered to Elijah's physical needs. He knew that when we get physically exhausted our spirits sink into doubt and depression. So God provided Elijah with food and rest, and it made an immediate difference in Elijah's life. Sometimes we forget in our busy lives that the laws of physical health are also part of God's world. Sometimes a good meal and a good night's rest can change our situation dramatically.
Then God acted to give Elijah a new perspective on his life. The prophet was feeling very sorry for himself. He even tells God that he is the only one in all Israel to remain faithful to the Lord. But God gently turns Elijah's outlook away from himself and his troubles to the fact that God has more than 7,000 persons in Israel who have remained faithful to the Lord! Suddenly, Elijah sees things in a different perspective. Our perspective on life is very important. Do you recall the story of Susan who wrote to her parents from college? She said, "I have decided to leave school and marry Joe. He's just out of jail but he's very good looking. We've known each other for three months, and I know he will be a good father to the baby which arrives in April. Love, Susan. P.S. Dear Folks, I am not leaving school, nor am I pregnant, nor am I dating an ex-con named Joe. But I wrote this letter hoping it would give you a better perspective on the fact that I got an 'F' on my last chemistry test!"
There is one more thing God did to put his prophet back on his feet -- God gave Elijah a renewed purpose. He told him he had a job for him to do on God's behalf, and a mission to accomplish. Sometimes we let ourselves get overwhelmed by the evil in this world. But when we undertake some task, no matter how small, in the service of Jesus Christ, our lives take on a whole new meaning and purpose. As the old Chinese proverb reminds us, "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." That is how God ministered to Elijah long ago, and how God can help us when we are down in the dumps.
Closing Prayer and Benediction
O God, lift us on eagle's wings that we may renew our strength, and go forth from here in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
