Retracing Our Steps

1 Kings 19: 13b-15a

13 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.” 15a The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. 

Have you ever been in a place and asked yourself, “What am I doing here?”  Maybe you felt like you could be spending your time doing something more interesting or more productive.  Or, maybe you were in a place where you did not feel safe. 

 I have heard of people who become hypnotized as they are driving (highway hypnosis) and when they finally come out of it they are miles away from where they intended to drive.  I am sure they asked themselves this question.

In this scripture, God asks Elijah, “What are you doing here?”.   This is a question that we are required to answer each day.  And, sometimes, on the darkest days when we are lost and weary, we may have to go back to the beginning, retrace our steps, then go into the desert to find the answer.

What are we doing here?  Are we where God wants us to be?

May the love of Christ be with you

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)