AP

1 Kings 19:18  “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel – all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”

Discouragement is one of Satan’s most effective strategies to disrupt our walk with the Lord and to undermine our confidence in him.  It can hit us suddenly when events in our world don’t turn out the way we had hoped, in spite of our earnest prayers.  The prophet Elijah had just had a major victory over the forces of evil that were so active in the Baal worship which Israel had embraced under King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.  Nevertheless, the power God had displayed on Mount Carmel had left no doubt in anyone’s mind about who truly is the real Lord of Creation.

In that victory, Elijah’s steadfast faith and courage were legendary in the face of overwhelming opposition.  How could it possibly be that shortly afterwards he was now running scared, even to the point of seeking refuge in death:  “‘I have had enough, LORD’, he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors’” (4b)?  The ‘Accuser-Deceiver’ (Satan-Devil) had managed to convince him that he was a dismal failure, and that everyone, not only Jezebel, had turned against him (10)!  But God is good.  He met Elijah’s physical needs by strengthening him with food (5-8).  He again reminded Elijah of his power over his creation (9-12a).  And then he gently whispered further instructions to the prophet, recommissioning him to get on with his task, reassuring him of even greater success (12b-18)!

What a great and understanding and compassionate God we serve – the apostle Paul used this very episode as an example to the believers in Rome of God’s unfailing faithfulness to all his promises (Romans 11:1-4).  Sometimes we feel like Elijah.  Satan knows how to manipulate our emotions at times when circumstances have made us most vulnerable – when we are tired, or hungry, or lonely, or even when an uplifting experience has left us spiritually drained.  It is easy to fall into Satan’s trap and assess events and circumstances from a purely human perspective.

Instead, let us not forget that God remains sovereign, and he is working out his eternal purposes for the good of the covenant people he loves, even when the going seems to be too hard in our eyes.  Godly people, both inside and outside the Bible, continue to face Satan’s vicious attacks.  Many of the psalms and Christian hymns and biographies bear this out.  The apostle Peter gives a timely word of advice: “Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:8-10).

Let us always, by God’s grace and in HIS strength, remain alert, patient and trusting in the face of adversity.  And let us remember in prayer our brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing vicious persecution, either directly or co-laterally throughout the world, at present.
– Bruce Christian