You’re Not Alone

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading titled You're Not Alone was written by Patricia Rabin. So great to see you.

You too. So glad you're here. The greetings were warm and welcoming. Members of a ministry in Southern California gathered online before their evening program. As their speaker, calling in from Colorado, I watched silently as the others gathered on the video call. As an introvert and not knowing anyone, I felt like a social outsider. Then suddenly a screen opened, and there was my pastor.

Then another screen opened. A longtime church friend was joining the call too. Seeing them, I no longer felt alone. God, it seemed, had sent support. Elijah in 1 Kings 19 wasn't alone either, despite feeling like the only prophet left after fleeing the wrath of Jezebel and Ahab. Journeying through desert wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights, Elijah hid in a cave on Mount Horeb. But God called him back into service, telling him, Go back the way you came, and go to the desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elijah son of Shaphat from Abel Mahola to succeed you as prophet. God then assured him, Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal, and whose mouths have not kissed him. As Elijah learned, while serving God, we don't serve alone.

As God brings help, we'll serve together. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 Kings 19, verses 8 through 11, and verses 15 through 18. So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled 40 days and 40 nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night, and the word of the Lord came to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? He replied, I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword.

I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too. The Lord said, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And now picking up at verse 15, the Lord said to him, Go back the way you came, and go to the desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram, also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Mahola to succeed you as prophet.

Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal, and whose mouths have not kissed him. Now let's pray. Heavenly Father, we need your presence in every situation. We thank you that even when our surroundings are unfamiliar and the people are unfamiliar to us, that you give us confidence and strength to serve wherever you place us. Thank you that you are always with us. In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for listening. I'm Joyce Dinkins, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.