"The Only One"

"And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." 1 Kings 19:14

 

Have you ever felt like "you are the only one"? No one else knows what you are going through. No one else knows how it feels. What has happened to you hasn't happened to anyone else. We all go through that at some point. Our pain is so bad, our grief is so overwhelming, our problem so big, our situation so daunting that no one else could possible know or have ever experienced it. 

 

None of us are exempt from this feeling of "self-pity". (Which is what it actually is.) Even the prophets of old felt this way. Elijah was considered one of the greatest prophets to ever live, yet he experienced this feeling himself. He had had a tremendous victory in the Lord-- even calling fire down from heaven and destroying all the prophets of Baal. But within days he was running from an evil woman for fear of his life and sitting in a cave feeling sorry for himself and wanting to die. 

 

Elijah spoke this same statement twice. First to the people at Mt. Carmel when charging them to return to the Lord and stop serving Baal. "Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men." (1 Kings 18:22) Then to the Lord when He confronted him in the cave. The first time he said it, it was spoken out of pride. The second time he spoke it, it was out of self-pity. Pride always goes before a destruction. 

 

The fact remains that we aren't alone in what we go through. It is all "common" to man. Don't develop a prideful attitude about your troubles-- you are not the only one who has ever gone through it. You are not the only one to stand strong and overcome. It will lead to other attitudes that will pull you down. Don't allow self-pity to come in. Again, you are not the only one who has ever gone through it. You are not by yourself. Granted not everyone will understand what you are facing. Not all have yet walked that same path. But remember this when you are walking through anything. While those around you may not know what you are going through, Jesus does. He has been through it all. He knows. He understands. He is touched by the feelings of your infirmities because He was tempted in all points just like you are. So, you are not the only one. Guard your mind against that.

 

Have a great day. You are not the only one who has experienced what you are going through. Jesus has already gone through it. 

 

For further reading:

Proverbs 16:18

Romans 11:4

Hebrews 4:15

 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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