1 I AM ELIJAH

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"Many are called but few are chosen."

Rowdy words were vehemently coursing around my head while resting my head over a ginormous, soft-surface stone under a darkened, serene cave. I carefully covered my wounded flesh, which I happened to acquire while escaping, with a yellowish piece of cloth to halt the bloodshed to ooze excessively.

The pain began to replete over my entire body as if it paralyzed me; even moving lightly was in a great struggle. I loomed furtively when I found a place to sleep in, leaving my doubts behind. I was profoundly thanking the Lord for saving me with those people who wanted to kill me.

As I lay down my head to regain my lost strength, I shuddered in coldness which made me feel the ease and relief from my injured right knee. I cried in pain a while back, but the tranquil breeze of wind soothes the agony away.

The cave was too dark, and the only thing that gave a life apart from my breath was the moon up above, along with the shimmering stars. I raised my head a bit to clearly see the fascinating view of the wonderful, midnight attraction. Then, afterwards, these rowdy words caught my attention.

I began contemplating about my life, about how blessed or either cursed my situation was. I knew that I promised God to fight for his nation but fighting alone led me the way to the valley of death.

"Look at me now! Look at me!" I uttered in the depth of disbelief.

I was wounded. I was miserable. I was dismayed with the fact that I left alone and even my companions set their foot forward to believe with another god. I was asking the same question all over again as if someone was there to provide an answer to all my queries. Needless to say, why they stopped adoring God after showing them who the real God was?

After years of great tutelage and desired upbringing, God's people had decided to follow the storm of god and to fully dispel out God as their genuine savior and Lord.

"How could they do that to him?" a question with a mixture of angst and disappointment.

I knew, notwithstanding, that my current situation didn't define how greatness my God was. Just because I was injured and alone didn't mean that he abandoned me and he had no power within me, that he could not turn this situation on my benefit. I knew when someone is broken; there you could feel that He is nearer.

My present quandary didn't give me the license to curse my God as I knew that his power was dominant and thoroughly omnipotent which could make all my enemies surrender, knelt down before him.

The pain of my knee numb as the cave got colder and the night got darker. The moon was still reigning in the sky, witnessing all the human activities performed at night. I could hear the crunching sound of the dried leaves being danced by the rhythm of the wind. I was trying to fall asleep but the fabric that covered my body wasn't enough to fully provide essential warmth to stop me from shivering.

"Many are called but few are chosen." I whispered those words which were running on my head from the moment I lay my head on the rock.

Then, I began asking myself if I was really the chosen one. Doubts and hesitation would try to ruin my faith, it's like a grotesque monsters who invaded the forest of my thoughts, a hellion who wanted to leave a footprints of negativity.

I shook my head constantly as if I was commanding those doubts to shoo away. That was not the perfect time to entertain those thoughts for I knew their capabilities to destroy my sanity and to question my deep-seated principles and impenetrable faith.

I knew Satan would ghastly using that moment to plant a seed of pessimism; he was smart but not as smarter than I do. After shooing him away and his ulterior scheme, I closed my eyes and let God control everything. Satan was smart, I am smarter but God was and is the smartest one. I didn't just believe in my own strength to let Satan out of my way but I was more a believer to my God.

"God doesn't exist!" a voice I heard from nowhere.

"My God does!" I shouted in conviction.

I caught myself breathing heavily when I woke up in the middle of the night. It was still dark. It was still cold. I didn't realize that I fell asleep and to my surprise Satan was boldly trying to enter my dream, even in dream he never get tired of maiming people and sending mischief. But, luckily, even in my dream, I never stop believing in my God.

I sat down, tried to look my wound as if it were gone already but to my surprise the pain ameliorated and I felt no pain at all. I peeked. I looked up above and sent my thanks unuttered.

I was not aware about the time but I was entirely cognizant about what will happen when the sun rises – the people of Baal would continue searching for me. If there was one thing they wished to do, apart from adoring their god, it was surely to see me killed, died and buried. And that was something my God would never allow to happen.

"I have to take a rest." A necessity.

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"Who is your God?" one bold soldier ridding on his horse loudly asked.

"Jehovah!" a man answered while he was stuttering and shivered because of fear and great terror.

A conniption started to rise when these people of Baal began to intrude the places where Israelites reside. They were forced to kill these people if they found that they are worshipping a god other than their god, Baal. They were summoned to different places to turn every nation a true, legit believer of Baal. If people refused, or either strongly believes to whoever their god is, death was the only destination.

Cries, woes, brawls, overt murders filled the entire place which wade everyone shuddered with aghast and utmost terror. People who were forced and chosen to worship Baal knelt down in groups with their both hands tied.

Continuous shouts and scream became a boisterous music to the ears of the soldiers, laughingly shouted with their victory against the people of Israelites. The situation was entirely nightmare. People were crying in desperation. The shout was an indication of triumphant invasion, a total surge of powerful dominion.

"No! No! No!" I shouted!

After a sinister phantasmagoria, I woke up with tears, terrifying as it may sound, my heart was pounding instantaneously. I placed my right hand to where my heart beating, catching my breath and exhaling a heavy sigh of disgust and scowl.

I sipped water from my jar just to make me feel better. I stood up and acquiesced in the life given before me. I was a prophet. I was a deacon of God. I was the leader of my people. I was ready to face them.

After few minutes, subsequently, the sun will rise again. The darkness will be swept away and the light will, for sure, guide my way. There were butterflies on my stomach and soon enough, they'll morph into eagles. My hands were shivering while I was making myself ready for this battle, a clash between a counterfeit god and the real God.

While gathering all my stuffs, seriously dwelling into my musings and checking my wound, I heard a very distinctive voice.

"Elijah!"

I stopped, wandered my eyes to the entire place just to locate where the voice was coming from. I looked from side to side, but failed to see any person. I recoiled when I heard it again, this time, the voice was louder and I believed the voice came inside due to its reverberating sound which resonates to me ears. It echoed! It gives me chills down to my spine.

For the third time, the voice called my name again. And this time, I dared to ask who was he?

"Who are you?" asking his name while wandering and checking his location.

"It's me the one who called you," the voice answered "the one who sent you in this world. I was, am, will always be with you wherever you go. Like I promised to those people before you, I will never leave you. Know, that I am always in your heart."

"Is that you God?" I sincerely asked.

I was waiting for him to verify if he was really God, but, unfortunately, silence interrupted our conversation. I never heard him anymore. But after that, without hearing his answers, his voice made me feel that I knew him, I knew who he was and who he will become.

"Thanks, God! I know it's you!" I whispered.

When the sun reigned in the sky, I knew I was ready to meet my waited destiny. No room for gibberish complains. No space for unwanted thoughts. No speck for harsh-empowering doubts. I was ready to save my people and I knew God was with me.

In front of the cave, there was waiting something for me. When I walked my way to see them, a wooden cross and a fabric cloth welcomed me on my way out. I simply grabbed them and placed them on my bag.

"Before you were born, you were already chosen by God to fulfill this duty. Before you were conceived by your mother, you were already destined to be God's messenger, to be God's deacon – to be his prophet."

I always remember that someone who said it before. She would always be in my heart. Now, I was called to be his prophet and there were so many people waiting to be rescued. God never called me for nothing, he called me to make everyone know about him.

"There is only God!" I whispered.

There is only God, the true, genuine God and that is my God, Jehovah. And I am on my way to tell them, to tell the world about him.

I am Elijah and this is my story!