I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.

Parallel verse:
Proverbs‬ ‭18:24‬
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Do you ever feel alone in this life, or have you? Does it seem as if those in your circle don’t understand you or have no interest in following God or living a righteous life? Elijah had this very problem, as well. He did not have any God-fearing friends. And he cried out to God: All of your people have tried to kill me — judge them! Sometimes, it feels like the goals which we strive for are so far away from happening, that we should just throw in the towel. Elijah loved his people, the Jews, and he gave his life up to serve them as a prophet and wanted to see them follow God. But he could not see his work paying off. And so he cried out.

There are times in life when the best laid plans we have designed just don’t seem to work out. We “work as unto the Lord”, but instead of being recognized or rewarded; we are persecuted, cut down, or may even have our lives threatened. But God sees our effort, he sees our commitment to him, and he also has a “bigger than us” plan.

A couple of takeaways I pull from this passage:
1) Though I may not see or experience them, God has a remnant of The Faithful on standby. HE HAS HIS PEOPLE! We need to search for and find that “friend who sticks closer than a brother”. Maybe I just need to reach out and meet some new friends, in new places, at new times? 2) When those we have worked so hard to bring into the Kingdom of God reject him, we can cry out to God, he will understand. And he will be faithful to comfort us and share enough of his plan to help us see a new way.

So, in trying times, we must be a resilient people. This means we must go to God more often and place our trust in Him. And we must be open to change.

Lord, I confess I have doubted your plans in the past. But I commit to trust you today! Teach me to rely on you and continue to seek out your Remnant of The Faithful!