From The Mountain Of Victory To The Valley Of Despair

FROM THE MOUNTAIN OF VICTORY TO THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR

“And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 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.” 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.” 1 Kings 19: 1-3.

The people of Israel were divided. Ahab and his wife Jezebel convinced them they could worship both God and Baal. And to please Mrs. Jezebel, Ahab had altars erected to Baal.

But there was a prophet in the nation! Confident of the power of God, Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the false god Asherah to a showdown on Mount Carmel. He also assembled the people on the mountain and accused them of spiritual prostitution. The prophets of Baal accepted the challenge, set up their altar and began crying to their god. But no fire falls. Then Elijah called on the Lord, and God's fire fell from heaven. The Most High proved to the people of Israel that Baal was a powerless creation of mankind.

Sadly, Elijah may have thought, “Finally, revival will take place in the land.”

But the moment Ahab arrived home and informed his wife of what Elijah did, she sends Elijah a message saying, “You have killed all of my prophets; by this time tomorrow I am going to kill you also.” So he ran! Elijah felt fear and despair. So he abandoned everything and fled into the desert. Instead of feeling victorious, Elijah felt hopeless, alone and afraid.

In one chapter, he is standing in total victory on top of Mount Carmel, but in the very next chapter, Elijah is hiding in a cave wishing to die. For a brief moment, he was at the peak of ministerial success, but in a short while, he is in the depths of despair. The same man, who once stood on the mountain top of victory, now lies in the valley of defeat. In one instance Elijah is joyful because of the victories on Mount Carmel, and the next he is sad and wishing for death. Elijah didn’t want to die. If he did, he should have stayed where Jezebel’s men could easily find him. He was merely discouraged, emotionally and physically spent. Indeed, life is full of peaks and valleys. But our faith in God must remain constant.

Despite the miracles God performed through him, Elijah was only human, like us. Have years of sustained conflict left you weary and discouraged? Maybe you are feeling like him now: afraid, alone, and hopeless. Perhaps years of hardship, rejection, and failure had taken their toll. Elijah was exhausted and, therefore, prone to doubt, discouragement and despair.

Sometimes we are physically worn out when we have engaged in a spiritual battle, and it is only natural that the weaknesses we feel result in despair. Perhaps Elijah suffered from despair because he was lonely. The Bible teaches us that we should be like the parts of a body. The enemy will push you into isolation in other to attack, so, don’t fall into the trap.

Another trick of the enemy to introduce despair is through failure.

"Do not rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me." Micah 7:8. Everyone faces the disappointing sting of failure in one way or another. Has your ministry work ever felt fruitless? Have you ever felt so defeated you just wanted to quit? It's not over. God has not finished with you. Failure is not final.

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.” Matthew 4:1-2.

At the end of Jesus's 40-day fasting and prayer, he was tempted by the devil.

The devil knows the right time to attack. Unless you’re careful, his attacks will be successful when you’re battle-weary. He will take advantage of your weaknesses. Satan tries to rob you of hope, joy and peace. He will attempt to put a message of fear in your heart to get you to flee: to get you away from your source of strength or place of assignment. The enemy will try to get you to stop pursuing your God-given assignment. Yet Jesus battled him with the Word and won. So can you.

“3 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—“