Alone In Battle

1 Kings 19:9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:

12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

15 And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

When you read the paper you may feel like you are all alone standing for God. At work or school, you indeed may be the only Christian or at least the only open one. Even in your family, you may seem like the only one who really cares about Christ. Your church congregation is dwindling or you sense a shift from substance to emotionalism. You feel like Elijah. It is you and God against the world, the flesh and the devil.

Yet, as we see, God has not lost any of His power and contrary to Elijah's perceptions and feelings he was not the only one left that worshiped the one true God.

Too often we want God to bring down fire on His enemies like "James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:" (Mark 3:17)

Yet, notice that God was not in the wind, the fire or the earthquake. He was in the quiet when Elijah heard the still, small voice. Still as in calm. It is in the intimacy with Him and hearing His voice that He is working in us. Indeed, when the world is full of literal or symbolic strong destroying winds, fires and earthquakes we can face them if we will listen for that still, small voice. God is in control.

Sometimes it is our ego that makes us feel like the only one standing up for God. Other times, it is our perceptions, our feelings that beat us down and we feel like a martyr or Lone Ranger. Yet, even the Lone Ranger had Tonto so he was not truly alone. Neither are you. You may not always see them. They may be hidden in a cave like those Obadiah care for awaiting the day they will come forth when God brings the victory.

They may be in their third year of training in their Arabia, like Paul, getting intense one on one discipleship before their ministry starts. Who knows, but God? Yet, like Elijah's day, God has those who have not bowed the knee to our modern Baals.

Thus, like Elijah, be about the ministry God has called you to do. Be faithful in your witness. Seek holiness and intimacy with God. In due time, God may bring you an Elisha or you may find you are someone's Elisha. You know not all the thoughts He has for you and others or what missions you will be called about to serve in or lead.