And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus.
1 Kings 19:13b-15a (ESV)
Elijah had called down fire from heaven and had killed the 450 prophets of Baal. He had won a great victory and at least a temporary recommitment of the nation’s people to worship God (1 Kgs. 18:20-40). But then Jezebel, the queen, threatened his life, and he fled (1 Kgs 19:1-3). All the way to Mt. Sinai. And he took up residence in a cave, having a pity party, a discouraged prophet.
But while Elijah may have considered his ministry at an end, God had other plans. He appeared to Elijah, asking him what he was doing hiding in a cave and feeling sorry for himself. Elijah responded by reminding God how faithful he had been to God. But it all seemed for naught. All his work was in vain. And now his life was at risk. Why go on any longer?
We might have expected God to offer him words of comfort or encouragement. But He didn’t. He just told him to get back to work. And, by the way, he was not the only one still faithful to God. Seven thousand others had not turned aside after Baal (1 Kgs. 19:18).
When Discouragement Strikes
While calling down fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice was unique to Elijah, his discouragement is not. It is easy for us to become discouraged in the Lord’s work when the results are not what we think they should be. And that discouragement can easily lead to giving up and finding a hole to retreat into.
If you find yourself in that position, the first thing to do is evaluate your call. Are you where God wants you to be? It could be that you have misunderstood His call in your life. Or that He is leading you into a new direction.
But if you are where God wants you to be, then His message to you is the same as it was to Elijah. Get back to work. And trust that God will use you in ways that may not be obvious to you. You will likely never know, this side of the grave, the impact of your faithfulness to God’s call. But God knows. And His reward for faithful service is certain.
