I Alone Am Left...

1 Kings 19 overwhelmed my heart...there is so much in it.  So many applications!   The one that spoke to my heart among them all was the Lord’s tender care and encouraging response to Elijah’s discouragement and despondency.

Elijah felt alone, hopeless...he probably expected Jezebel to surrender, but instead she breathed threats and violence against his life.  He had done his best, but Jezebel had not acknowledged the Lord as God and her hold over Israel remained despite the overwhelming display of God’s power on Mt Carmel.  Elijah runs from Jezebel’s threats to Beersheba...and then goes a day’s journey into the wilderness and prays:

And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (Vs 4)

(Interesting to note that Elijah never died...he was caught up into heaven when the Lord said he was finished)

The Lord cares for Elijah’s physical needs first...He ministered to him with food and drink and gives him rest.  Afterward He sends Elijah on a 200 mile journey to Mt Horeb where He gives Elijah time to turn his heart upside down before Him.

And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”—1 Kings 19:9-10

God then reveals Himself to Elijah in a still small voice...in the silence after the great wind, the earthquake and the fire....and speaks words of encouragement.

Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. “Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”—1 Kings 19:15-18

Elijah felt alone...

—God assured him that he was not alone...that He Himself had reserved 7000 in Israel that had not bowed the knee to Baal.   I am sure Elijah’s heart was encouraged knowing that by God’s grace his ministry over the years had borne fruit. 7000 strong...

—God gave him an assistant in Elisha and in giving him that assistant he gave him a friend and companion in ministry and hope that his ministry would continue after he (Elijah) had departed from this earth

Elijah felt like a failure...

—God gives him work to do that would get his eyes off of himself and at the same time show him that his ministry would succeed.  God tells him to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, Jehu as King over Israel and Elisha as prophet in his place. By the time the last of these three men died, the worship of Baal would be banned from Israel.


God cares about our hearts and our lives, He cares about our ministries, He knows how to accomplish His plans in both the micro of our lives and in the macro of this world.  He wants us to cry out to Him, to trust Him completely and to depend on His power to accomplish it all.  Be encouraged...God will give You what you need to accomplish His work in Your life.  May our God supply all our need according to his riches in glory and by His power increase the fruits of our righteousness.  May He satisfy our mouths with good things, minister His tender mercies to each of us today and execute His righteousness and justice for those who are oppressed.It