Why the Cocoon of Despair Leads to Your Destiny

Have you recently flipped on the news and found yourself overwhelmed by the staggering state of the world today? A generation of young people battling for their sanity as high-level anxiety, nervous breakdowns, and depression run rampant in the hearts and minds of the young. Additionally, records spotlight the largest number of fathers in history abandoning the family ship, ultimately leaving their families to brace the waves of life on their own..Let me be clear, this is not intended to ignite fear, but to birth a passion for the restoration of a generation. Before you lose all hope let's consider the state of the world when the prophet Malachi delivered this declaration that became a symbol of the generational restorative power of God’s nature: 

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” Malachi 4:5-6 ESV 

When Malachi made this profound declaration, Israel was in a state of deep darkness, enthroned with demonized dictators, and desperate for a direct demonstration of the Lord’s power. Israel was deep into the bowels of Baal worship, sacrificing their children on the altar, and burying themselves within the deep recesses of immorality and perversion. 

You can read the full story in 1 Kings 18, but to recap, just when it looked as though all hope was lost, an obscure prophet named Elijah emerged on the scene. Elijah commanded the clouds to cease raining and suddenly it was “game on” with the wicked dictators — there wasn’t a single drop of rain for three and a half years.

The story came to its pinnacle when the Israelites all gathered to watch the showdown between their 450 idol-worshiping prophets and the one prophet of God. Elijah watched as Baal’s prophets ranted and raved around their altar, trying to persuade their god to answer by fire. But, nothing happened . Then it was Elijah’s turn. He poured gallons of water on his altar, then prayed a simple 30-second prayer, and BAM! God sent a supernatural firestorm from Heaven to consume the altar, proving that He was the one true God. Long story short, the demonized dictators, Ahab and Jezebel, were soon overthrown, and Israel turned back to God!

( You can watch my latest youtube video to listen to the entire sermon here ) . 

The day after Elijah’s great conquest, Queen Jezebel became infuriated! All the deceitful work she had done to lead Israel into the bowels of Baal was suddenly lost once Israel witnessed the victory of Elijah before Baal’s prophets. Thus she vowed to kill Elijah (1 Kings 19:2). Her threats freaked Elijah out so much that he asked God to kill him! He ran and hid in a cave, shaking in his proverbial boots. Elijah was suddenly cowering in a cave of despair, and yet 24 hours earlier this powerful prophet had called fire down from Heaven with a short, two-line prayer in the sight of all of Israel (1 Kings 18:38). How did he so quickly forget the kind of God He served?

In the height of Elijah’s despair, the voice of the Lord came to him at the entrance of the cave and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah’s response was, “I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” Then God had a father-to-son talk at the opening of the cave, transforming the cavern into a cocoon, out of which Elijah emerged from his despair with a new perspective on his ministry. God clarified his mission and then gave him the instruction to seek out and anoint a spiritual son named Elisha to follow him. It’s important to emphasize here that God’s answer to Elijah’s irrational fear and suicidal state of mind was that he needed to get back to his ministry mandate of anointing kings and become a father to a spiritual son. 

I’d propose similarly, that society has entered into a cocoon of darkness, which can cause us to feel powerless, lonely, and depressed, but it is simply a tool of metamorphosis. The cocoon can cause you to feel isolated, alone, and panicked if you don’t realize it’s purpose. 

But, it is time to jump off the cruise ship and board the warship and fight for the restoration of our generation. I’d propose the profound declaration made by Malachi over 2,500 years ago has never been so precisely placed as it is in this generation. It is time for the prophets and prophetic people to emerge and become a voice in the midst of the storm; to become fathers and mothers to a generation lost and questioning their significance. 

Elijah emerged from the cocoon and returned to his ministry by becoming a father to a prophetic community of what was known as the sons of the prophets. Elijah went from feeling isolated and alone to building an entire prophetic movement that became his family. 

The prophet Elijah shows us that prophetic ministry is a call to disciple nations. It was never intended to be a light contained under a basket of religious protocols, carried out by domestic kitty cats. Rather it frees the captives, releases prisoners, and places people on the path of their divine purpose. 

Are you willing to step into the fullness of the prophetic calling on your life? To be the Elijah generation that restores hearts of fathers back to their sons and daughters? 

I want to encourage you to ask the Lord for His vision for this generation and what role you play in the grand blueprint of restoration! We are the Elijah generation and you play a significant role.