I felt this morning that I needed to remind us all that 1 Kings 19 comes after 1 Kings 18. Now I am not just stating the patently obvious. I am trying to make us aware of something that I think is of real spiritual significance.

Here is what I mean, in 1 Kings 18 Elijah experiences a victory and has an all-time spiritual high but then comes 1 Kings 19 when he experienced an all-time spiritual low. The self same man who had seen God achieve a great victory through him, very shortly afterwards was saying things like:

– I FEEL I CAN’T COPE …. ‘I have had enough, Lord” v4

–  I FEEL ALL ALONE …. “I am the only one left,” V10

– I FEEL ANXIOUS ….  “Elijah was afraid” V 3

– I FEEL USELESS …. “I am no better than my ancestors.”

– I FEEL I WANT TO END IT ALL … “Take my life”

I cannot tell you how many times I have experienced that self same pattern in my own life, of going from a spiritual victory to feeling down and defeated. I have seen it in so many other people’s lives too. I would see God do something profound on Sunday and be really blessed and inspired then I would get a phone call, an email, have conversation or just get an inexplicable feeling and end up feeling utterly downhearted and despondent.

Why does this happen? I am sure part of it has to do with the fact that when we are content spiritually our enemy Satan doesn’t need to pay much attention to us but when we take a stand for the Lord, when we serve him effectively, we put ourselves firmly in Satan’s sights. Some of you stepped in the firing line last night and Satan will take some pot shots at you.

So don`t be surprised if you responded to the Spirit on Sunday and find yourself in the middle of a really difficult situation by Tuesday.

In the Awakened Life course some of us have been doing we were challenged to think about what Scripture we were “standing on” Well here is the Scripture I think we as a church need to stand on especially this week

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7