Surrounded but not forsaken.
One day I was listening to a veteran tell me of his experience in Vietnam. At one point he found himself alone and surrounded. As the enemy advanced all he had left was his service pistol. He knew he was going to die. But he was determined he wasn't going to go easy. He opened fire as they came for him, but then he blacked out. He later woke up in a helicopter heading back to base. He had no idea how it got there or who saved him, but he survived. At the time all hope seemed lost. He felt alone and surrounded. But he truly wasn't alone. The prophet Elijah felt this way as well. He cried out to God because of the injustice that he was seeing. He felt like he was the only one left and that the whole nation had turned their backs on him and God. What he didn't know was that he was not alone. There were 7,000 others just like him in the land that had not bowed their knee's to baal. Did you catch that? When the nation was bowing their knee's to baal, there was 7,001 who had not and God knew exactly who they were and where they were. God knew Elijah wasn't alone. As a matter of fact God was even preparing a partner for Elijah named Elisha. Another brave and mighty man of God. Elijah pressed on and pushed forward with the calling that God had given him. He was an example for his younger partner. Even much so that when Elisha had found himself surrounded by the Syrian army, he knew he wasn't alone. When his servant was scared at the sight of the soldiers, Elisha prayed and said "God, open his eyes so that he can see what I see". Then God opened the spiritual eyes of the servant and he saw an angelic host and fiery chariots surrounding the Syrian army. They truly were not alone and God delivered them in a miraculous way.
I know right now things seem dark and hopeless. You're are seeing so much in the line of duty as well as across the nation. But I pray God open your spiritual eyes to the fact that you are not alone. That ultimately this is a spiritual battle and that Christ truly is your refuge and only source of strength and peace. As you pray, may you hear the voice of the Lord speak to where you are at. That you are not alone and not only are you in God's hands but there are millions of your countrymen who have not bowed the knee and who have your 6. Do not grow weary in well doing. Right now the cross you bear is heavy, but God sees you, we see, and you are not alone.
God bless,
Sam
Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
~1 Kings 19:18
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. ~Galatians 6:9
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
2 Corinthians 4:8-12