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ELIJAH’S WILDERNESS - 1 Kings 19

Elijah has just been used mightily by God on Mt. Carmel in the defeat of the prophets of Baal - he has seen the mighty power of God in proving Himself to the people as the One Supreme God.
Yet when Elijah hears of Jezebel’s determination to have him killed he is overcome by fear and depression and runs for his life, after a day’s journey he arrives in the wilderness and asks the Lord to take his life.

His complaint [v.10]
I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and they seek to take my life.
The Lord’s answer
He passed by and there followed a great and strong wind; an earthquake and a fire, but the Lord was not in any of them.
Then A STILL SMALL VOICE

It was this voice which most affected Elijah, he hid his face in his mantle and went out to the entrance of the cave.
Instead of answering Elijah’s complaint directly the Lord gives him some work to do.

Lessons from this
  1. A time of success in the Lord’s work can lead to a time of attack from the enemies of the Lord which in turn can bring the saint to disillusionment, despair, depression, discouragement etc.
  2. At such times we long to see God do some mighty miracle, yet that is not what we really need, Elijah was brought to a place of deep intimacy with the Lord in the quietness and stillness of His presence. The most precious moments we experience are those times when we share such intimate moments with our Lord; they remind us of His tender love and care, and humble us with that knowledge that the God of the universe is intimately acquainted with my needs.
  3. The Lord did not pander to Elijah’s self pity, rather He put him to work.
  4. Elijah’s time of weakness was not held against him, but became an opportunity for renewed service and more intimate relationship with God.


Elijah’s wilderness was an emotional one, it brought him down to depression and self pity, but in the hands of the Lord it became a positive experience leading to new areas of service.