In the world of competition, everyone wants to be the last man standing. After all, isn’t that the objective? Even the popular television show, “Survivor” is built upon the premise of “outwit, outplay, outlast.” Being the lone survivor is to be an honor and demonstrates your success. However, nobody wants to be the one left behind, abandoned, or forsaken. Deep down, we like to know that we aren’t really alone.

Well, the prophet Elijah found himself in the position of being the last man standing in a major contest between God and Baal on the mountain called Carmel. God had proved to all of Israel that He was really the God they should be serving. But when things started to settle down, Elijah looked around, and to him, it appeared as if he wasn’t just the last man standing but that he was really all alone against a world of wickedness. Everyone had turned their backs on God, and Elijah was celebrating by himself with his own pity party.

It is so typical how the times of greatest trial often follow the times of greatest victory. So too, with Elijah's tremendous victory, but now he is running from this Queen Jezebel. While he was not afraid to face up to the four hundred prophets and priests of Baal, but now facing one angry woman, he ran as fast as he could down to the area of Mount Sinai, and there he hid in a cave. And as he was standing at the entrance of the cave, the Lord said, "Elijah, what are you doing here?" He said, "I have been zealous for God, and they have all turned from You, and I am the only one You have left, and they are seeking my life. God, You are just about out of business; I am Your last one, and they have got a contract out on me."

God responded to Elijah, "I have 7,000 who have not bowed their knee to Baal." There was the remnant, the faithful remnant that was there, and God knew who they were, and God had them numbered. As Paul is going to point out, God has always had His faithful remnant--those believers among the Jewish people, those special persons, super special persons among the Jewish people who have recognized the true work of God and are walking with God in fellowship with Him. With God, there has always been a special number, a remnant, the faithful remnant.

I pray that in a world that perceives God as an illusory being, a figment of our imagination, a good story from ages past, that we will stand strong as a remnant of those who are faithful to God. Join me this Sunday as we discover that God has always had a remnant of faithful followers. We’re never alone!

John