1 Kings 19:9-18
9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.
And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15 The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
Reflection:
We find Elijah deeply discouraged as he feels he is the only prophet or servant of God left. However, Elijah is shown by the Lord that God preserves and reserves His people. The feeling of being alone quickly turns to the realization that God has preserved His people.
Similarly in our lives, we might also feel discouraged when we don’t see the kind of fruit or responses we would like. Feelings of discouragement or frustration might lead us to feel that we’re alone - that no one else feels what we feel; agonizes the same way we do; struggles as we do. But let God’s word come and free us into the truth. We’re not in it alone because God preserves and reserves His people.
Response:
Whatever discouragement or frustration we might have, let’s bring them to the Lord. Let’s receive and be restored to the truth that we do not go alone. God has preserved and reserved His people to serve together. Let’s quickly be reminded that God called us to be His people and called us to be a part of His church. His people are in it together.
