You serve the Lord faithfully. You have a measure of success. Yet there is pressure and pushback…and you don’t know what to do. As one of God’s leaders, you may have felt all this and more. You may even begin to question God. After all, you are doing His will. Shouldn’t the Lord watch out for His own, especially His faithful servants?

You are in good company. Elijah went through these feelings and sought answers from the Lord. In his book, Living Out of the Overflow, Dr. Richard Blackaby details what happened to Elijah after his victorious encounter on Mount Carmel when he stood up to the hundreds of prophets of Baal. After learning that Jezebel was out to kill him, he hid for a while. Then he took off to Mount Horeb to seek answers from God. He was feeling all alone.

Though we don’t know for sure, Elijah may have gone to the very cave where Moses had asked to see God in all his glory. Elijah needed to be reassured. He wanted a fresh encounter with God. But he also wanted to complain about his situation. Remember? He may have wondered why no one stood with him. Or why God didn’t take care of evil Queen Jezebel. Or why Elijah’s life was so difficult even after his many years of faithful service.

God asked him one probing question. “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9 NLT) I think God was saying, “Why are you on this mountain and hiding in a cave? Why aren’t you out serving Me? Why are you complaining? Have you lost your perspective on My call on your life? Have you lost your perspective about your God?”

Indeed, Elijah was looking at his circumstances and the reactions of others rather than seeing God’s continued presence and provision.

Can I make a few applications for us as we serve the Lord?

  • Don’t let the struggles you may face in ministry or in life get you off track from God’s call to service.
  • Don’t isolate yourself when struggles come. Elijah traveled some 200 miles away from where God had him serving. That is probably why God asked him, “What are you doing here?”
  • Don’t let other people’s opinions move you from God’s assignment and His vision for you.
  • Don’t let your struggles blind you to the many who are faithfully serving the Lord. Elijah thought he was the only prophet left. God had 150 other faithful prophets.

If you found yourself in Elijah’s sandals and God were to ask you, “Why are you here?”, what would you say? Some might say, “I’m bitter. I’m being persecuted. A lot of important people don’t like what I am doing. And I feel that You, God, have abandoned me.”

Don’t let circumstances cause you to become disoriented to God and His call on you and your ministry. God is still God. He is still all-powerful. He still has that important assignment for you. And He is with you…right now. Are you willing to do what it takes to be the Lord’s faithful servant despite the circumstances?

God’s best…