Read 1 Kings 19:1-14
At this point all Elisha wanted to do was run away from the world and hide in a cave. He was in a cave daze. He felt incredibly alone, and if he had his druthers probably preferred it that way. However, God shows up and asks him twice: “What are you doing here?” Twice because this question can be asked two ways: What are you doing HERE? and WHAT are you doing here? We have to answer the first question, before we can answer the second.
No one is immune to cave daze. There are many different causes. They are not all spiritual, but all have spiritual remedies. By identifying what is causing us to want to withdraw into a cave, we are able to respond appropriately.
The most common causes are:
1) Sin God warns us in Deuteronomy 28:65 that willful rejection of Him will result in a “despair of soul.” Psalms 107 describes it as “soul prison.” The way out is simply honest confession and repentance (Psalms 32:1-7; 1 John 1:9; Acts 3:19).
2) Others Jezebel’s threat for revenge played a big part in Elisha’s cave daze. Saul was the cause of David’s in 1 Samuel 22:1. There will be storms in our lives that are caused by the choices others make. Their cave daze can suck us in with them. The Christ-like response is always grace. When we chose grace, we choose to allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us regardless the circumstances and situation.
3) An emotional response to a physical imbalance. Elisha being physically and spiritually exhausted was one of the main reasons for his daze. God met his need with space, rest and food. Physical illness, chemical and hormonal imbalances, exhaustion, unhealthy diets all impact our emotions and sense of wellbeing. Physical imbalances are not self-correcting. We need to get whatever help is necessary. Changing requires changing!
4) Spiritual attack. Satan is always looking for an opportunity to strike (1 Peter 5:8). We have to make sure we are not giving him a foothold in our choices and attitude (Ephesians 4:26,27). He attacks us as his way of attacking Christ. The necessary response is two-fold: be fully armored (Ephesians 6:10-17) and faithfully resist and Satan has to flee (1 Peter 5:9; James 4:7)
5) Life There are things in this world that are depressing (John 16:33). They will make us sad and sometimes mad. If they consume our focus, they can also consume us emotionally, physically and spiritually. Our response is determined by the choices we make. We can see it as an obstacle or an opportunity. Our emotional response can prompt in us empathy or apathy; involvement in the lives of others suffering cave daze (2 Corinthians 1:3-5) or escaping into our own misery. Paul said he learned the secret of life caused cave daze: contentment through dependence on Christ. (Philippians 4:11-13)
Once we figure out how we got into our cave daze and identify the proper response, we can then answer the second question: What are you doing here? Instead of wallowing, we can worship. Jeremiah made that choice in his cave daze. In the first part of Lamentations 3, he actually blamed God for his daze, but then he remembered who God was and found incredible hope (Lamentations 3:21-26). The Lord extends to us the promise of hope that will not disappoint if we too choose to trust Him in our cave daze (Romans 5:1-5). We need to remember that caves are some of His favorite places to work. He loves turning caves into cathedrals.
Making It Personal
Why did neither Elisha’s relationship with God nor his active ministry immune him to cave daze?
Did his doing amazing things with and for God actually make him susceptible to various causes of cave daze? Which ones?
What is the danger of assigning spiritual blame to every case of depression?
How can this make you judgmental and keep you from graciously ministering to the one feeling the need to hide in a cave?
How would choosing to worship instead of wallowing make a difference in your cave daze/days?
