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??Intro：Johnny sat in his class with 25 other boys and girls his age. Although he was surrounded by people, he felt so alone and sad. Some of the boys had been making jokes about him on the playground, only because Johnny believed in Jesus and told them so.
??Even his teacher had laughed when Johnny said that he believed God created the world.
??If you have believed on the Lord Jesus, maybe there have been times when you've felt like that too. Maybe you even wondered if God really cared that you were standing for Him. Even bold Elijah once felt that way!
??Do you remember how God sent fire down upon Mount Carmel and proved that He was the true and living God？The people had declared, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" No doubt Elijah was so glad that Israel was turning back to the only true God.
??Gospel：Have you realized that the God Who created the world, the God of the Bible, is the only true and living God？Did you know you were created to know and worship Him, and to enjoy His fellowship forever？God knows every detail of your life, and loved you even before you were born! He says in Jeremiah 31：3, "I have loved you with an everlasting love." Because God is holy and truth, He must tell us about our condition, and our condition is that we have broken His laws. Breaking His laws is sin, and the punishment for that sin is to be away from God forever. Aren't you glad that the Bible also says, "God is love." God loves you with such a tremendous love that He provided Someone to take your punishment for sin. Romans 8：32 says, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us alla？|" God gave up His beloved Son to come down to earth to pay for your sins by dying on the cross. Because Jesus is God, He could love you with that same tremendous, generous love God has for you, that love that caused Him to freely give His life for you. Jesus was nailed to a cross, suffered a terrible death, then three days later He came to life again. Now Jesus is in Heaven with His Father, the only true God and Savior.
??Elijah knew that only true God, and was so glad to see Israel turn from their idol worship to serve the true God of Israel. But Elijah's joy was soon forgotten. Perhaps as he was resting, a messenger came to him from wicked Queen Jezebel. "By tomorrow about this time, I will make sure you are dead." Elijah knew Queen Jezebel had killed many of God's prophets, and she surely hated Elijah enough to try to kill him too.
??Fear and dismay filled Elijah's mind. He was filled with so much fear, til his faith in God was weakened. Had God stopped caring for him？??MT：If you know the Lord Jesus, there may be times when you feel the same way. You feel alone as a believer, you have no friends who stand with you, and you wonder if God has stopped caring for you. Satan, the old devil is God's enemy and your enemy. He wants you to feel discouraged and depressed, and to think God doesn't care for you.
??If you feel defeated, then you won't serve the Lord, and you won't be a good witness for Jesus. Our Bible verse today says, "Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46：10. That means "Stop and consider that I am God and I see everything that's happening to you. I'm caring for you and working things for your good when you don't even realize I am there!"
??God was caring for Elijah too, but Elijah couldn't see that, and the fear of Jezebel made Elijah start running away. He and a servant traveled about 90 miles to Beersheba. Leaving his servant there, Elijah continued on alone another 15 miles into the desert. Panting and exhausted, Elijah sat down under a juniper tree and prayed that God would just go ahead and take his life. Then Elijah laid down and slept. Someone woke him. Do you think it was one of Jezebel's soldiers？No, it was one of God's ministering angels.
??God saw Elijah running, was with him all those miles, and saw when he collapsed. God even had His angel protecting Elijah as he slept. The angel gently touched Elijah and said, "Get up and eat." Elijah looked, and right beside him was another miracle. There was freshly baked bread waiting on hot coals, and a jug of water close by. Oh how Elijah must've enjoyed that delicious bread. His belly full and his thirst satisfied, Elijah lay down again and slept. Again the angel came and touched Elijah. "Get up and eat, for the journey is too great for you." Elijah ate and the Bible tells us in II Kings 19：8 that Elijah went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights, all the way to Mount Horeb.
??There Elijah found shelter in a cave. Boys and girls, do you think God had lost touch with Elijah？No, He knew exactly where Elijah was. The Bible says, "and the word of the LORD came to Elijah, 'What are you doing here, Elijah？'" Elijah answered, "I have been very jealous for the LORD God, for the people of Israel have forsaken your commandments, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left; and now they are looking for my life to kill me too."
??God said to Elijah, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD." Elijah did, and God's Word says, "And the LORD passed by." Then there came a great and strong wind across the mountain, so strong it broke the rocks in pieces. But I Kings 19：11 says, "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. It was then that Elijah wrapped himself in his mantle and went to the entrance of the cave. There he heard a voice, "What are you doing here, Elijah？" Elijah repeated his sad story about being the only prophet of the Lord left alive. It seemed as if the Lord were ignoring Elijah's problems when He said to Elijah, "Go back and anoint a new king over Syria, and a new king over Israel, and also go to Elisha the son of Shaphat and anoint him to be prophet in your place." And then the Lord let Elijah in on a wonderful secret："I have left 7, 000 in Israel who have not bowed their knee to Baal nor kissed him." What a surprise! Elijah had thought surely he was the only true believer left in Israel!
??MT：If you have believed on the Lord Jesus as your Savior, you may feel that you are the only Christian in your school, or in your family. You may feel lonely and depressed as Elijah when others make trouble for you or turn against you. Can you do 3 things？Can you say Psalm 46：10 to yourself and remember that God knows all about what is happening to you and HE IS IN CONTROL! Then third, pray and ask the Lord to help you trust Him to care for you and to keep working in your life.
??Elijah realized God was going to keep working in his life, so he came down from his hiding place and got busy with all his new assignments. He anointed that new king over Syria, and then the new king over Israel. As Elijah continued walking, he saw Elisha the son of Shaphat plowing with some oxen. Elijah passed by him, and threw his own mantle on Elisha's shoulders. The same Holy Spirit that caused Elijah to know who Elisha was also caused Elisha to understand why Elijah had cast his mantle upon him. Elisha followed Elijah and became like a son and a servant to Elijah. Elisha must've brought much encouragement to old Elijah. Can you see that God was still caring for Elijah？
??If you are God's child, remember this week that God is caring for you! No matter what problem you are facing, can you say Psalm 46：10 to yourself, and remember that God is the One Who sees all, controls all, and cares for you! Then pray asking Him to help you trust Him more!
??The reason that God's children can "Be still" is because the Lord Jesus lives in them, and His Holy Spirit can encourage and remind them that God is in control.
??If you have never become God's child, you can do that today by going to "How to Be a Child of God."
