Continue the Quest

As Elijah rested and ate, the angel of the Lord came back and told him, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” Elijah got up ate and drank some more. He was strengthened by this and the scripture says, “he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.” 1 Kings 19:8-9
Elijah in his flee returned to Mount Horeb. This is the revered place where Moses had met God and received God’s laws to the people. It took Elijah 40 days and 40 nights to arrive at Mount Horeb, so he fasted during this time and was strengthened by God himself.
Upon arrival and going to sleep, the “word of the Lord came to him: ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 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.’ The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’” 1 Kings 19:9-11
Elijah really believed he was the only one left who was still true to God. He was lonely and bereft, and fearful for his life, and assumed nobody cared. Sound familiar? Surely, you have felt this way before; all alone at the prayer meeting, all alone at the mid-week service, all alone at the Bible study, all alone at the visitation of the sick and needy. All alone and discouraging thoughts begin to slowly creep into our mind…”no one really cares.”
“Stop it,” I tell myself, “stop it altogether and quit feeling sorry for yourself. Get a grip, own it and believe others are still doing what they must do and do it alone, but they get it done…so must you.” These self-chats are quite telling to say the least, but sometimes we just have to admonish ourselves and wait “in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9. The Lord will never leave us nor will he forsake you and me. We may feel alone, but we never are: we must continue the quest for His honor and glory.