Why Is This Happening To Me?

What happens when we get a case of the “why me’s?”. Been there? You know what we’re talking about… Life’s battering ram feels like it’s coming at you from all sides. You’re worn down, worn out, and feeling attacked. And it’s completely unjustified. So maybe you just give up? Maybe you give in to a little pity party? Hmmm…. You may have given up Hope but God never does.

In this Can’t Cancel Hope series we are looking at different seasons in our lives when we need to be tethered and connected to HOPE. Like an anchor. During this series we will explore characters in the Bible that have found themselves in caves, caverns and dark places.

Follow along with Pastor Matt here:

1 Kings 19:8-13a

“So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 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?” 10 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.” 11 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. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”

Elijah essentially asks God – Why is this happening to me?

Have you ever been there?

I’m doing the right things. I’m saying the right things. I read my Bible. I worshipped.

Why is this happening to me?

Elijah had hope when things were good, but lost hope when things were bad.

You can try to cancel your hope, to quit your faith, to give up.

When it comes to Hope. you gotta remember these 4 things:

1 – You can’t cancel hope

2 – Jesus is Hope

3 – Hope chases you

4 – Hope knows your name

1 Kings 19:13-14

“13 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?”

14 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.”

God asks Elijah what are you doing here?

Elijah asks again… why is this happening to me?

Elijah is all of us.

When we take on the spirit of “why is this happening to me?”, we have allowed something to try and take the place of God.

1 Kings 19:15a

The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came…

God will test us until we pass – unlimited retakes.

If you find yourself in the same situation over and over and over – it might be a test you need to pass.

You will fail your own test when you act like Elijah by doing these 3 things.

1 – See your situation.

2 – Know your situation.

3 – Defeated by your situation.

1 Kings 19:15-17

15 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. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 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.

How to find hope when you have a case of the “why is this happening to me?”

• Anointing means to place in unquestionable authority.

• Wouldn’t it be crazy if the 3 people God called Elijah to anoint, had a unique name meaning; and they were applicable to us today.

• Hazael – One who sees God

• • You need to see Jesus. Your situation is not the center, Jesus is.
  • Your first task when you retake the same test again… see Jesus.

• Jehu – Jehovah is He – or – one who knows God

• • We need to move from seeing Jesus to knowing Jesus.
  • When the storms and emotions come who do you go to first…friends, isolation, emotions, or vices?
  • Or do you know Jesus and go to Him first.

• Elisha – God is Salvation – or – one who is saved by God

• • If you run from your situation, how can God save you in the situation?

We Need To:

• see Jesus
• know it’s Jesus
• and be saved by Jesus

Pass your test.