Sitting alone in a cave, the saintly prophet Elijah had completely given up on society. Now elderly, secluded and dejected, the prophet had begged God to strike him dead because he was convinced that essentially “this nation is too far gone. The church is backslidden beyond repair and every leader is a puppet of the devil. Revival is simply impossible and there’s no hope left. I’ve had it, Lord!” (see 1 Kings 19:4).
Curiously, he fell into a despairing state just hours after winning the greatest victory of his lifelong ministry: calling down supernatural fire from heaven in a contest against the false prophets of the pagan god Baal. In an awesome display of God’s almighty power, Elijah’s sacrifice and the twelve barrelsful of water he had poured around it were consumed. And the backslidden Israelites who were present all fell to their knees, crying, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” (1 Kings 18:39).
The awakening Elijah had prayed for had finally come — or so he thought — and he was energized to celebrate the greatest moment in Israel’s history. He was convinced that wicked King Ahab and his evil wife Jezebel would listen to him and pure worship would be restored in the city of Jezreel. Instead, before he even got back to the city, he was accosted by a messenger from Jezebel notifying him that he would surely be dead “by tomorrow about this time” (19:2).
Within twenty-four hours of his incredible victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah was back in the wilderness, trembling under a juniper tree. In his mind, everything had backfired and all his hopes for renewal had vanished. Now, forty days later, we find him in a mountain cave, all alone. Then the Bible tells us, “The word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” (19:9). That was God’s way of asking, “What’s bothering you?”
Elijah unburdened his heart to the Lord, complaining that he felt completely alone (19:14). God assured him that there were seven thousand hidden saints who shared his same burden. They had endured because of their hope in a coming day of deliverance.
Likewise today, the church’s blessed hope is the soon return of Jesus — our deliverance! God has a remnant, people set aside for himself, who are wholly given to him. If you are a part of that remnant, your blessed hope is the soon return of Jesus!