Life’s going to get you down. That’s a given. Even the most Godly among us experience the ups and downs of life. 

Some even experience hard times because they are righteous. Take Elijah as an example. Would he have experienced difficulty if he had gone along to get along? Or, did his difficulty come because he sought to serve and please God? 

The question is what you’re going to do when life gets you down.

Looking at the life of Elijah gives us some concrete ideas of how we should think when life gets us down.

First, remember God is in control. Even when it seemed that everything was falling apart in Israel, God was in control. It’s been that way throughout history. At times tyrants looked to be in control, but earthly kingdoms ultimately fall but God’s kingdom is forever.

Not only is God in control, He also has a plan. Even now, He is working for our good. “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Second, even when you feel alone, you are not alone. Elijah “felt” all alone, but that was feeling not facts. We will all feel alone from time to time, but we are never really alone. God is with us, and He is for us. “What then shall we say to this? If God is for us , who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him?” (Romans 8:31-32).

Elijah felt alone, but he wasn’t alone. There were seven thousand in Israel who loved and followed God. God stood with Elijah, and He stood with the seven thousand. In Hebrew both the number seven and the number one thousand are ideal or complete numbers. God may have been saying that He had just the right number of faithful followers.

Finally, God has a purpose for you. God had a work for Elijah to do. He would anoint new kings for Israel and Judah. Ahab and Jezebel would finally be gone. Elijah would anoint Elisha as God’s prophet.

Like Elijah, we need to remember that even in hard times, God has a purpose for our lives. He works through us to carry out His ultimate purpose.

May you and I learn like Elijah that God is bigger than all our troubles and pains.

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