I don’t very often title these messages I give on Sunday mornings. There’s nowhere to put the title, really, and there is no need.

But I wrote a title for these words when I wrote them a few years back, because it seemed like the thing to do.

Here’s the title: Three things to remember when it feels like it must be the worst day of your life.

We know that feeling. And we know in our heads that for all the times we feel it, it’s only true once.

I mean, you can’t have a hundred worst days. There can only be one. And so most of the times that we feel that this must be the worst, we are wrong.

And on that one worst day, I’m not going to be reminding you of anything. If I’m with you, I’m going to be sitting with you, saying I’m sorry, and being more present than preachy.

So this isn’t for that day. This is for all the other days we think feel like the worst day.

The first one is this. You aren’t as alone as you feel. 

We read about Elijah a little bit ago. God asked him how he was doing. His answer sounds like we feel sometimes.

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies, but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are looking for me to take my life.”

It’s not a spontaneous speech, for all its feeling.

For the previous 39 mornings, Elijah has awakened in the wilderness. He was on a cross-country hike to this place, this mountain. He’s been preparing this speech for that whole trip, planning exactly what he was going to say to God, to complain to God.

The morning before that, Elijah was on another mountain, praying for rain.

The rains came. And Jezabel threatened to kill Elijah. And Elijah started running for his life toward God.

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Elijah felt alone but God assures him that he isn’t. God also provided breakfast before this 40 day journey. God provided a safe place to sleep.

We’re never alone. We always have God. And often, as God told Elijah, there are faithful people that we can’t see. But God can.

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I’ll tell you more about Elijah and the other things to remember on what feels like the worst day of your life this week. But for now, I’d like you to go read that story for yourself. 1 Kings 19:9-18