1 Kings 19:4 — When a Man of God Feels Like Giving Up
You might say, “George, what has ‘throwing in the towel’ got to do with Elijah?”
Everything.
Here was a mighty prophet of God, yet his cry was:
“Lord, take my life; I am no better than my fathers.”
Elijah had done all that was humanly possible to bring God’s people back to Him.
He had stood alone against false prophets.
He had rebuilt the altar of the Lord.
He had called upon God—and fire fell from heaven.
Not only did the fire consume the sacrifice,
it licked up the water in the trenches—
water that had been poured not once, but three times.
What a victory!
Yet, in the very next chapter of his life,
a message comes from Jezebel: a death threat.
And suddenly, the man who stood fearless before many
now runs for his life.
Why?
Because sometimes the greatest battles
come after the greatest victories.
Elijah looked around and felt like a failure.
The people in leadership were still not living right.
The nation was still drifting.
And in his heart he cried:
“Lord, I am the only one left.” (1 Kings 19:10)
But God said:
“I have seven thousand in Israel who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Elijah was not alone—
he only felt alone.
A Word for Today
Discouragement can come to the best of us.
Even those who have seen God move in power
can find themselves under a juniper tree,
ready to give up.
Sometimes it is not failure—
it is isolation that breaks us.
Elijah missed something vital:
the fellowship of others who loved and served the Lord.
God’s Question Still Speaks
God asked Elijah:
“What are you doing here?” (1 Kings 19:13)
In other words:
“Why have you stepped out of the place I called you to be?”
Stay where God has placed you.
Do not be deceived—the grass is not greener on the other side.
Hear the Right Voice
God was not in the wind.
He was not in the earthquake.
He was not in the fire.
He came in a still small voice.
Get alone with God until you hear it again.
A Challenge
Do you have the spirit of Elijah—
a zeal for the Lord God of Hosts?
Are you burdened because the love of many has grown cold?
Then do not give up.
God still has a remnant.
God still has a plan.
And God is not finished.
Final Word
“Be still, and know that I am God:
I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
— Psalm 46:10
GOD IS A GOOD GOD
GOD KNOWS GOD LOVES GOD CARES
WRITTEN FOR GEORGES WEB MINISTRIES
25thMarch 2025