KEEP YOUR HEAD HIGH.

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*

*KEEP YOUR HEAD HIGH!*

*Scripture Treasure.*

1 Kgs 19: 9-18.

*And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?*

*And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for 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.*

*And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:*

*And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.*

*And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?*

*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.*

*Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.*

*Insight and Highlight.*

Mountaintop victory may be followed by a low valley experience. Do not bow to pressure or adversity. Refuse to accept disappointments. Keep your head high.

*Scripture Commentaries.*

Whichever way we want to explain Elijah's action following his exploits on Mount Carmel after the pronouncement of Jezebel to cut off his head, his fleeing was not God's plan for him.

*"....Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah,....."* and his eventual dwelling in the wilderness, 1 Kgs 19:3-4, were not God's choices for him.

A fearless and once victorious prophet became a fearful and victimized prophet.

A hot-flamed Elijah suddenly waxed cold.

Elijah's action teaches us that victory is often followed by a time of loneliness.

Good times can be followed by difficult times.

It also teaches that there are times when times will present difficulties, hardship, pains, and desertion, yet these times do not come about because of sin.

People go through difficult times though they live righteously with God, Job 1.

David explained these difficult times as

the *"......valley of the shadow of death......"* Ps 23:4. This, David explained as such because these times highlight the fear and darkness that can accompany such difficult times.

In the wilderness, Elijah felt lonely, believing there was nobody to console

or comfort him. Ironically, he left where he could find people, to go to the wilderness where he could find no one.

David, however, completes Ps 23:4 saying *".....for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."*

No one was with Elijah in the wilderness, but his travail teaches us of God's presence and comfort in the wilderness he fled.

His wilderness experience teaches us how often we reject ourselves, as much as how people reject us.

Fleeing to the wilderness should not be our solution. Elijah's comment to God that he was the only one remaining teaches us how people often draw the curtains of their lives or kill themselves.

It is always a false sense to think you are self-sufficient and no one else is with you.

A unique lesson here for everyone going through a wilderness experience is seeing such experience as a time they are faced with trials, and the solution is to trust in God's provision and restoration. 

Furthermore, Elijah's story teaches us that wilderness experiences can be a matter of personal choice. We often create hardship for ourselves. No one sent him to the wilderness!

It is a life's lesson that often highlights how we are often in the wilderness because we follow other people's advice or do what other people are doing, and we find ourselves in a mess.

Lastly, though God did not send Elijah to the wilderness, we need to know that God's leading for a specific purpose can involve a wilderness experience.

Moses told God that since He sent him to Pharaoh, Pharaoh had increased the hardship of the Israelites, Exd 5:23.

Jesus on a mission to save His people was rejected John 1:11, and deserted, John 6:66.

A unique lesson is that whether you are in the wilderness because of God's leading to do something or you find yourself in the wilderness because of your wrong choice, the Bible teaches us that the presence of our wilderness experience is not proof of God's absence, Ps 46:1, 1 Kgs 19:5-8.

No matter what the threat or pressure of life may be, do not panic to the extent of forgeting to call on God.

If God could show up for Elijah where He did not send him how much more He would show up where He sends us!

*Remorse corner.*

A mountaintop experience may be followed by a valley below experience.

Prepare for it.

*Call to Word action.*

Your comfort may be followed by a wilderness experience, yet you may not be in sin.

*The Christian clarion duty.*

Do not throw yourself into the wilderness.

Beware of wrong choices borne out of fear or self-importance. There are many things we do not know!

Call on God for solutions.

*Prayer.*

Lord, help me to seek You in my difficult times, in Jesus name.

Good morning all, and have a blessed day.

God bless you.