Never Alone

  We touched briefly in the last couple of weeks on God sending Elijah into hiding while he waited on Ahab to change his mind (1 Kings 17:3-4, 8-9, 18:22, 19:10).  During that time, three years, Elijah felt very much alone.  Although Elijah was isolated from the other believers, there were others who were faithful.  There were Obadiah and the 100 prophets he hid in caves.  And in 1 Kings 19:18 God tells Elijah that there are 7000 more who have not worshiped the false gods.
  There is another reference to Elijah.  This time it is from the lips of Jesus.  In Luke 4:25-26, Jesus says that Elijah was not accepted by his own people, but was sent instead to a non-Jew, the widow in Zarephath.  Jesus' implication is that the Jews of Nazareth are just as unaccepting of him, a native son, as the Jews of the northern kingdom of Israel were of Elijah.  And so the prophet, whether Elijah or Jesus, is sent to a person or  people who are more open to the word of God.

  For Reflection:  Being sent to speak to other people, to do the work of God, may cause us to be alone or to feel alone.  But in the power of the Spirit we can draw on the strength of God, on the strength of those worshiping in heaven and on the strength of the faithful on earth.
  Let us pray with those in heaven:  "Holy, holy holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. . . . You are worthy, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being" (Revelation 4:8, 11).

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