A Case of Limited Perception

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.  So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "My the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them."  Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.  When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness.  He came to a broom brush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die."I have had enough, Lord," he said.  "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."  I Kings 19:1-5(NIV)

Elijah felt alone. Jezebel was after him and vowed to have his life by the very next day.  Elijah escaped to the wilderness in despair.  He even asked God to take his life.   In his mind, he was alone and life seemed hopeless at that point.  His perception told him that he was the only faithful servant left as so many other Israelites had forsaken the ways of God.  Here is how Elijah explained to God his predicament,

"I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty.  The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too”   (v. 10).

   God replied that there were still 7000 who had not bowed down to Baal.  Here Elijah is living in despair due to his circumstances when all along, God had things under control. At this point, Elijah must have realized that what he initially thought was reality was really just a case of limited perception.   He was not alone after all.

      Many times, we find ourselves in a similar situation. While we are focusing on our negative circumstances, we fail to see God working in our lives. While we are focusing on the negativity and what God is not doing, we fail to see what God IS doing.  When we think we are alone, we are not.  We allow our perception to dictate our faith.  If we would allow ourselves to move past our perception  and "feelings" and allow God to open our spiritual eyes, we would find that God's plan is being carried out whether we see it or not.   I'm not sure what you might be experiencing today, but somehow find the strength to call on the name of Jesus and ask him to open your eyes of faith to see that He is working in your life.  You'd be surprised that while you think God has been slumbering, instead, He has been working and the full picture will eventually be unveiled to reveal a life that was worked on 24-7 by a faithful God.