“Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” ” 1 Kings 19:2 (NKJV)
God had won the battle of the altars at Mt. Carmel. He had been with Elijah the whole time even though Elijah had felt like he was alone. Elijah had executed all the prophets of Baal. This should have been a time of rejoicing for God’s people.
However, Jezebel sent the message that she intended that Elijah would be executed in less than 24 hours. And Elijah ran out of fear. It is amazing that after the miraculous events at the top of Mt. Carmel, when God showed who had the power – God or Baal – that a woman could instill fear so great that the man of God ran to the wilderness.
We can go through times where we sense God’s presence so much that we can see him in our imagination and feel his presence surrounding us with his love. Then almost immediately afterwards, the enemy causes something to happen that if we allow ourselves to focus on the lies of the enemy we can totally forget all the closeness we have experienced. This time the enemy used Jezebel – a wicked, self-centered woman who hated God and anyone who chose to follow God.
In my life, I have experienced the mountain top times of God’s presence when it felt like nothing and no one could come between my Creator and myself. I’ve also experienced the low valleys where I have felt that I was so worthless that no one, especially the creator of the universe could possibly love me enough to forgive my sins against him. But, praise God that He doesn’t let us stay in the valleys, but reaches down to us and picks us up and holds us close to Himself. We are beloved of the Lord.
Listen to Jonathan David Helser and Melissa Helser as they sing “I am Your Beloved.”
Published on MyBibleRoom.com 2/17/25, 6:00 am