We all have times where we feel overwhelmed with the different things that life can deal out. God never promised that our lives would suddenly be easy once we accepted Jesus as our Savior. He did, however, promise to be with us through all of it. I'm so thankful for that.
"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." Isaiah 43:2
All those who walked with God (as recorded in the scriptures,) had times where they felt defeated. The account of Elijah standing against the prophets of Ba'al,"- Ahab, and Jezebel,- is one of my favorite "faith," accounts because Elijah fled even after seeing the power of God. He felt alone and defeated (as you'll see in the passages shared below) Yet God taught him one of the most powerful lessons through it.
The account is much greater than the passages shared alone here, but in an effot to keep this from becoming too long, I'll start here:
"And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" 1 Kings 18:17
"And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim." 1 Kings 18:18
Not only did Elijah stand before Ahab, he challenged Ahab to call all of the people to Mount Caramel and told Ahab to also bring 450 of his own prophets, (of Ba'al,) so that God would prove that He is the only True God in the presence of the people of Israel.
So Elijah stands before the people of Israel, against all these false prophets and King Ahab, and he makes the point to the people that they would see who the real God is because he wanted the people of Israel to acknowledge the only true God.
Elijah challenged the false prophets and tells them to "call on their god," to answer by fire, so the people would see that the false prophets were following a false god, and the True God answers.
The people even responded, "What you say is good."
So the false prophets called on their false god ba'al from morning until noon they even danced around the alter thinking that all the commotion would help them.
It always makes me smile when I read what Elijah said to those false prophets after all the hours they spent calling on their false god, and dancing while getting no response.
"And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked."1 Kings 18:27
So when it came to Elijah calling on the true God to answer with fire, he even had the people pour water on the wood, not once, not twice, but three times until the water filled the trenches.
And then he prayed:
“Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
God answered in a mighty way. Not only did the offering burn, but the wood, the stone, and the soil burned up, and all the water that had been poured over the offering was "licked up," by the fire.
"When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”1 Kings 18:39
Next, Elijah had all of the false prophets seized and they were all put to death, and Elijah climbs to the top of Mount Carmel, and he prays for rain.
Seven times Elijah sent a servant out to look for a cloud before one was finally spotted. Elijah just kept praying, he didn't give up.
We should pray like Elijah did that day.
In the very next chapter of 1 Kings, ch. 19, after all that had just been witnesses and demonstrated by God, Elijah fled to the Bersheeba. Elijah felt defeated he was afraid for his life after Ahab and Jezebel sent word that they were going to have Elijah killed. (1 Kings 19:3)
But Elijah knew that his faith was not good at that moment. He sat under a bush in the wilderness and he prayed that God would take his life. Because he had fled in fear, Elijah said in his prayer,
"I have had enough Lord, I am no better than my ancesters." Vs. 4.
He lay down under the bush and fell asleep. An angel awoke him and he looked around, and there by his head was bread and water.
Elijah traveled forty days and nights until he reached Mount Horeb, where he entered into a cave to spend the night.
Elijah thought that he was the only prophet left. And God told him to go out on the mountain because the Lord was going to pass by. (vs. 11)
Next, a powerful wind tore the mountain apart and shattered the rocks.
But the Lord was not in the wind.
Then, the earth quaked.
But the Lord was not in the earthquake.
Then, there was fire!
But the Lord was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a "a gentle whisper," "a still small voice." (Vs. 12)
And Elijah went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
God asked Elijah, "what are you doing here?"
"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." 1 Kings 19:14
God sent Elijah back the way he came, instructed Elijah to anniont a few others along the way, and then told him, "I have reserved 7,000 in Israel, whose knees have not bowed to Ba'al." Elijah wasn't the only one left.
(I encourage anyone who reads this to read both of the complete chapters, 1 Kings ch. 18, and ch. 19.)
God already had a plan for him, and Elijah had seen the mighty works that God did before he fled for his life.
Still, even Elijah was shaken, but God didn't leave him that way. God came and, once again demonstrated His power through a mighty wind, an earthquake and fire. But the power demonstrated was not God, but a display of God's power. God himself spoke to Elijah in a still small voice.
Just because God seems to be silent at times, it doesn't mean that He is not in our trials with us.
So when we are feeling defeated, and when it seems that we are all alone, when we're looking for the power of God as assurance that He is with us, what we should all be listening for is that still small voice.