“Anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet,” the Lord spoke to Elijah. 19:16 in 1 Kings
The prophet Elijah is the subject of numerous amazing tales found in the book of 1 Kings. This “man of God” called the Israelites to devote themselves to the one true God and challenged the Israelites and their kings about their idolatry and immoral behavior. He was widely recognized as the Lord’s representative, and his teachings were frequently supported by striking paranormal manifestations.
But by 1 Kings 19, Elijah had grown timid. He believed he was “the only one left” to serve the Lord God, and his ministry appeared to be ineffective.
Elijah was wrong, though. In Israel, there remained seven thousand faithful people (seven thousand being a code word for “many”). Elijah was also supposed to anoint a successor. He was not the only person God worked with!
Serving the Lord can occasionally give you the feeling that you are the only person left who genuinely believes in God, or possibly the only one qualified for the position. However, this is untrue! You are expected to work inside this “body of Christ” as a member of a global church. The Lord God alone determines the fate of the world, not you. You are to trust and obey Him, and He will take care of the rest.
Can you identify with Elijah’s hopelessness? How do you handle these kinds of feelings? What motivates you?
