The Prophet ElishaShembull

Having a Task in God’s Kingdom

The Lord told Elijah, “Anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.” (1 Kings 19:16)

In the book of 1 Kings, we find many remarkable stories about the prophet Elijah. This “man of God” confronted the Israelites and their kings with their sinful behavior and idolatry, then called the people to devote themselves to the one true God. He was well known as a spokesperson of the Lord and his messages were often accompanied by impressive supernatural signs.

In 1 Kings 19, however, Elijah had lost courage. His ministry seemed futile, and he thought he was “the only one left” who served the Lord God.

But Elijah was mistaken. There were still 7,000 faithful people in Israel (7,000 probably being a symbolic number for ‘a lot of people’). Moreover, Elijah was to anoint a successor. He was not the only one through whom God worked!

If you serve the Lord, you may sometimes get the impression that you are the only one suitable for the job, or even the only one left who truly believes in God. But this is not true! You are part of a worldwide church, called to function within this “body of Christ”. The world’s fate does not depend on you but on the Lord God. He will take care of it, and you are to trust and follow Him.

Can you relate to Elijah’s despondency? How do you deal with such emotions? What gives you purpose?