Sermon: “I’m Alone God”

1 Kings 19:9-18

Jacob Anderson

April 19, 2026

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According to a recent gallop pole, nearly 30% of all adults in the world have been diagnosed with depression at some point in their life.

And nearly 18% of all adults are currently suffering from some form of depression.

 

One of the leading causes of depression is loneliness, the feeling of being isolated from peers their own age.

 

Loneliness is one of the most universal experiences.

 

We have become so attached to social media, we think it is an adequate avenue for social interaction, and it isn’t.

 

One of the most valuable aspects of social interaction, is physical touch, whether it is a hand shake, a hug, or just a squeeze on the shoulder. Without physical touch we are left feeling alone, and that is when depression sets in.

 

When touch is absent, the human body experiences increased stress, leading to higher levels of cortisol. Chronic cortisol elevation causes high blood pressure and increased heart rate, which can lead to anxiety and depression.

 

Studies show that babies who were not hugged or touched did not produce enough growth hormone, leading to physical and cognitive delays, and in some cases death.

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Today, we are going to look at a man who suffered from isolation and loneliness, he truly thought he was all alone in the world.

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That man is Elijah, turn with me to I Kings 19:9 – 18 “There he went into a cave and spent the night. The Lord Appears to Elijah, and the word of the Lord came to him: ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.’ The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.’”

 

What can we learn about Elijah, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty.”

 

Elijah was a righteous man, a holy prophet, a man who loved God.

 

We will never be free of trouble, we live in a broken world, a world dominated by the power of the enemy, and we stand against the enemy, which makes us targets.

 

How often do we face tragedies in our lives, and we feel like we are in the wilderness, alone, and isolated from anyone who cares.

 

Elijah felt so alone, because he declares, “The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

 

He declares before God, I am holy, but no one else is, I am alone in all of this, they have abandoned You to worship false gods.

 

I am the only one left

 

He was at the point of giving up, he couldn’t go on any longer, the loneliness was too much for him to handle. He no longer wanted to live.

 

I Kings 19:4 “I have had enough, Lord, take my life.”

 

Elijah’s depression, his loneliness, his isolation, had overcome him, and the tragedy that was his life, was all he could see.

 

These feelings are so rampant in our country right now; you probably know someone who is depressed and alone at this very moment.

 

Elijah asked God to take his life, he no longer saw life as precious and valuable.

 

But what Elijah had forgotten, was that God had not abandoned him; The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

 

When your life is in chaos, and you feel alone, and abandoned, that is when God wants to reveal Himself to you.

 

We read, “Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

 

When we have a crisis in our life, we tend to look for God in the chaos, but God isn’t hiding in the chaos, he is waiting in the quiet moments of peace.

 

When we are alone, and we are facing tragedy in our life, we have to calm our minds and still our thoughts, then and only then, can we hear the voice of God speak.

 

What does God say to Elijah? “What are you doing here Elijah?”

 

He had become so fixated on the crisis in his life, that he lost focus on God, and he forgot one simple truth.

 

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

 

The world may abandon you; your friends may abandon you; your family may abandon you; but you can be absolutely certain, God will never abandon you.

 

Genesis 28:15 “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.”

 

Loneliness is caused by the enemy blinding us to the truth, a simple truth, we are never alone.

 

Elijah felt abandoned by his people, but God declares, you are not alone, there are 7,000 holy people still in the nation of Israel.

 

And you aren’t alone either, when you feel abandoned, isolated, and alone, just remember what Jesus said in Matthew 28:20 “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

 

You also have brothers and sisters in Christ, who are ready and willing to walk with you, to help you in your struggle, and pray you through your crisis.

 

You are not alone, don’t let the enemy convince you that no one cares, because it is a bold-faced lie, you are loved, and you matter to God and you matter to your church family.

 

Joshua 1:9 “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”