After winning a showdown against the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18), the prophet Elijah began running for his life. The wicked Queen Jezebel was angry and promised to kill him (1 Kings 19:1-4). While sitting under a juniper tree in the wilderness, Elijah asked God to take his life (1 Kings 19:4). He was very discouraged.

But God wasn’t going to take his life. Instead God was going to give hope and encouragement.

Here are three things we need to remember from Elijah’s predicament whenever we start feeling discouraged.

Everyone gets discouraged

  • Even great servants of God go through these moments.
    • Elijah was discouraged (1 Kings 19:4).
    • Moses was discouraged (Numbers 11:10-15).
    • Jeremiah was discouraged (Jeremiah 20:14-18).
  • Discouragement happens to all of us.
    • It could be having to deal with people who say negative things about us.
    • It could be the loss of a job.
    • It could be trying to cope with the loss of a loved one.

God knows what you are going through

  • This was certainly true in the case of Elijah (1 Kings 19:5-10).
    • God knew what Elijah was going through.
    • God cared for Elijah in his time of distress.
  • God also did this in the case of Moses.
    • God was aware of what Moses was going through.
    • God also made provisions to take care of him (Numbers 11:16-23).
  • In our times of discouragement…
    • God knows what we are going through (Exodus 3:7; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
    • God cares about our problems (1 Peter 5:6-7).
    • God provides us with the help we need through our brethren (Galatians 6:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:14). We need to utilize this resource God has given us!

This moment is not the end

  • Elijah thought he was the only faithful person in Israel (1 Kings 19:10, 14).
    • God told Elijah things were not as bad as he thought they were (1 Kings 19:18).
    • God told Elijah that there was more work He needed him to do (1 Kings 19:15-17).
  • God has the same message for us.
    • Our main purpose in life is to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

It is the devil who wants us to give up. God wants us to trust Him, put Him first, and get busy doing the work He has called us to do (Matthew 6:33).