1Ki 19:14 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. 1Ki 19:18 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.
It may be quite naive of me to think to compare myself with Elijah, but nonetheless I many times find myself meditating on these verses and thinking of the similarities we see today. I realize it petty to lament on my personal issues of fellowship when I know past, present, and I am ensured future have and will endure much more than I could image and withstand to be able to worship. That said I constantly find myself jealous for the Lord and agonizing over where I am. In America with the freedoms we have with religion and the culture, especially in the Mid-West, every small town is filled with churches of every denomination and theology (I Cr 14:26). Sorrowfully I must drive by these churches and many small towns to find one church that we can attend (Rom 16:17). With most likely 100 churches in my county alone, my family and I travel over an hour one-way through 3 counties every Sunday (I Tim 1:4-7). It is not that I do not desire a local church, for I do with all my heart. I fervently seek fellowship in many of these buildings, but without hope (Hbr 3:13). All I find is feel good messages that promote man and diminishes the sovereignty of God. These social organizations promote a family and knowing or unknowingly place man under the bondage of the law. For this I weep for them. As many try to shelter themselves from what they believe are worldly influences they hide in the resting place of the devil. Giving a false since of eternal security to those laboring in the flesh (1 Tim 4:1-3). But there are still 7000 of His elect out there that I have not met. And for that I am thankful that a remnant of His church will always remain (Rom 11:5). That there are those among the goats that are His sheep and have yet to hear the voice of their master’s call. Those that I may one day break bread with and exhort. Thankful also that I do have a place to go to study His word, to hear Christ alone, based on scripture alone, through grace alone (1 Tim 1:11).
