Let begin by talking about one of the might holy prophets of God, Prophet Elijah the Tishbite.

He definitely did not wake up one morning and decide to go hide somewhere, and stopping doing God's business as usual—something happened that changed everything. This was the same man who called fire down from heaven and devoured everything in its path.

The same man who stood alone against 450 false prophets and did not blink. And for your information he literally killed them by a single command....

The same man who prayed, and the rain came back. And not only that, he did also more miracles before even our beloved Lord Jesus became popular in Galilee and all Israel. So this man of God is one of the best and you might have even heard in the church a sermon about him (do not lie you have).

Then as you know life happened, and this mighty prophet...well..uh, he just decided to run away despite all that power. And the shameful part is that 450-baal-prophet-slayer was running away from a single women (I know that even this women was a really bad girl), called Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab (of Israel, the northern kingdom part of all Israel in those days).

This ONE woman sent him a threat, and he LITERALLY RAN FOR HIS LIFE!

...may the Lord Have mercy on us!

It is really embarrassing and awkward, but that is how it went down! Most of us do not walk away from our assignment in one big dramatic moment. We simply get tired when time goes on...we get hurt, disappointed, discouraged, and more other bad things.

Somebody says something, something falls through, prayers seem to go unanswered (yep the do even when you have fasted), and little by little we move from the place God put us to a place where we feel safe.

Elijah went from the mountaintop to a cave!

Some of us have gone from the altar to the couch, from the dream to the daily grind, from "Lord, use me" to "Lord, just get me through this week." It might seems and sounds unfair but it is the truth—SOMETHING IN US IS DEAD AND WE KNOW IT!

And God does not stand outside the cave shouting. He walks in, sits down with us, and asks, "What are you doing here?" It is Not a Question of Anger. It is a Question of Love.

When we hear that question, we tend to hear a scolding. But listen to how God handles Prophet Elijah.

He does not lecture him. He lets him sleep. He sends an angel to bake him some bread.

Think about that for a moment. Before God says a single word about purpose, He takes care of the man. Sometimes the reason you have lost your way is not a lack of faith.

No...you are just simply just tired. And God knows the difference, after all He is our Heavenly Father and our Creator—He knows when we are just weary and tired.

Then He speaks. Not in the wind. Not in the earthquake (it is way hard to pay attention in it). Not in the fire...

But WHERE!? ..In a still, small voice. The sweet voice of the Holy Spirit, hallelujah!

Here is really something worth pausing on: the noise of life will drown out your purpose. Opinions, pressure, comparison, fear, busyness. It is hard to hear a whisper in the middle of a storm.

A lot of us are not lost because God stopped talking. We are lost because we stopped getting quiet enough to listen.

One of the major strategies of the Devil is isolate and conquer.

Yep, that is what he does to the victims of suicide—he gives them more than enough reason to see that they will be lonely and isolated for the rest of their lives. Ultimately they see that it is better to die than being all alone living in misery.

And the mighty Prophet of God was not caught in the Devils snare.

Listen to Elijah's answer. "I, even I only, am left."

That is exactly what a cave, or isolation or loneliness, does to you. It shrinks your world until you can only see yourself and your problem (by this time your problem a colossal one). You start believing everything Satan whispers to you; that you are all alone, you are finished, nobody understands, and it is all been for nothing....

But God Almighty is not the son of man, and neither are His thought ours: He, so gently, says, "Elijah, I have seven thousand who haven't bowed. You're not alone, and you're not done. Now get up. I have work for you."

Did you catch that? God did not fire him, because the one who fires is the Wicked and Evil One. He loves to use blame to take advantage of the weak and weary.

Our God did not retire him. He gave him a new assignment and even sent him to find Elisha, the one who would carry the mantle after him.

God was not finished with Elijah in the cave, and He is not finished with you where you are. No matter how deep it may be He is everywhere at the same time, that is what David realized as he wrote one of his psalms.

Now let me tell you why this matters so much.

And here is what I want you to hear:

Look around, and you will see it.

Good people, even saved people, who are busy every day but empty inside. They are working hard at things God never asked them to do. They are envying someone else's assignment while neglecting their own.

They are letting fear and opposition push them out of the place God put them. They are chasing applause instead of obedience, and the hard truth is that they do not even last long.

And when hard times come, THE WILL COME; and they always do, there Is nothing to hold onto.

No "why." No anchor.

But the person who knows what God called them to do? They can stand in the storm and say what Nehemiah said: "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down" (Nehemiah 6:3).

They can say no to distractions, because they know what they are here for; and that may sound brave but we have to make up our mind or we will drown in the sea of the enemy!

...By now you are still stuck in the Elijah life mistake, it is time that know you look at your life...

Let me ask you a few things, and be honest. Nobody is listening but you and God: forget about all the reasons why ended up there, and the excuses that justify yourself, no, stop it and face God the way you are!

It is time to "Come Out of the Cave!"

Let me be frank, there is nothing wrong with the cave, no. David went to the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1) and came out as the captain of might men of valour that lead to his reign as a king in all the borders of Israel. All thanks to the cave!

God told Elijah, "Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord."

COME OUT!

Come out of hiding. Come out of self-pity. Come out of the lie that you are alone, or finished, or too late; WHATEVER IT MAY BE—COME OUT!

Your assignment has not expired. Your calling has not been cancelled. BECAUSE IT IS NOT OVER UNTIL THE MIGHT ONE OF ISRAEL SAYS SO!

The same God who walked into that cave and found Elijah has found you, and that time is NOW!

...not to shame you, but to RESTORE you and SEND you back out.

So when He asks, "What are you doing here?", do not hide. do not make excuses. Just let the answer be the start of something new:

"Here am I, Lord. Send me!"

Amen, Lord Jesus is on His way speedily—come out and prepare, Amen and amen!