1 Kings 19:9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Have you ever noticed how sometimes the greatest battles follow the greatest victories?
The morning after Thanksgiving I found myself feeling a little low, but not because the day had been disappointing. Actually, the opposite. We had worked all day to prepare for 24 people to come and celebrate with us. From setting up tables and chairs to making food, my heart overflowed with anticipation and gratitude. Now it was over. It reminded me of finishing a big paper or exam.
Have you ever experienced a kind of emptiness after a major event? The prophet Elijah did on a much larger scale.
The eighteenth chapter of 1 Kings describes the challenge Elijah proposes to the prophets of Baal who were eroding Israel’s faith. He tells all 450 of them to meet him at Mt. Carmel before the people. They would offer sacrifices to Baal; Elijah would sacrifice to the Lord of Israel. Whichever sacrifice was consumed, would indicate the true God.
So the pagan prophets prepared their sacrifice and called out to Baal all day. They raved, they danced, they cried and cut themselves till their blood gushed. But to no avail. Then Elijah called upon the Lord God. Fire fell from heaven and totally consumed his sacrifice. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and acknowledged the true God. By any measure, Elijah’s success was astonishing.
But rather than taking a victory lap and relishing in one of the most remarkable victories of his life, he ran away. Queen Jezebel, the supreme Baal worshipper in Israel, threatened to kill him. So he fled, ending up in a lonely cave, dejected to the point he wanted to die. Then God spoke to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And he showed Elijah he still had work to do.
I think it’s easy for us to end up in a cave of despondency after a big success. Our enemy knows when we let our guard down, and takes full advantage. Don’t let him! God remains with us in victory or defeat. And if we’re still breathing, he still has a purpose for our lives. Get out of that cave!