After the success on Mt Carmel and his journey to Horeb Elijah fled from Queen  Jezebel. There have been counselors who make a big deal over what they call his subsequent depression. When you listen to his words, however, you don’t get the impression that he was depressed—Disappointed? Yes. Angry? Certainly. Afraid? Probably. But depressed???

Listen to his words:

I have been very zealous for the Lord God of  Hosts, but the Israelites have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets . . . I alone am left, and they are looking for me to take my life.                          (1 Kings 19:10)

He had expected the people to turn back to Jehovah.  It didn’t happen. “I did it all for nothing,” was his attitude. Then, God showed him that although He blessed the dramatic event on Mt Carmel, He doesn’t always work that way—sometimes he does things silently; even by a still small voice.  But he didn’t get the message.

Clearly, God had “let him down.” That was the problem as he saw it.

When things don’t always go the way we expect, and want, that doesn’t mean that God has done so.  It simply means that He has another (better) plan. Elijah had misjudged things—“I alone . . . ” are his sulking words.  He was wrong—there were 7000 others who hadn’t bowed the knee to Baal!

We need to take heed, and learn the lesson of Horeb—one that Elijah, it seems, never did!