1 Kings 19:9-18
“What Are You Doing Here, Elijah?”
 
After the spiritual high on Mt. Carmel, Elijah plunged into a crisis of faith. He had stood before the Lord and been zealous for Him, but the death threat from Jezebel led him to think his ministry was a failure. Disillusioned, he submitted his resignation as prophet and asked to die. He sounds downright peevish! But God didn’t give up on Elijah. He pursued him and persisted in asking him a gentle, but pointed, question. Have you ever acted like Elijah? Thank God that He doesn’t write off His children when we grieve Him. Thank Him for meeting us where we are, gently reorienting our perspective, and sending us back to work.
 
Elijah’s rant reveals what he thought was going on – an irreparably broken covenant, evil idolatry in Israel with no judgment in sight, no one faithful to Yahweh (except him, of course). Elijah’s view was narrow – centered on himself and confined to his “now.” He couldn’t see that God would eventually judge evil and would always preserve a remnant, and so he underestimated God. In this too we are like Elijah. Let’s humble ourselves and acknowledge that God is doing things in our small, personal sphere as well as in the larger world of which we are completely unaware. Just because we can’t see Him working doesn’t mean He’s not.
 
The question the Lord asked Elijah, twice, was, “What are you doing here?” He wanted Elijah to wrestle with that question, and Pastor Todd taught that He wants us to wrestle with it too. The question has a different flavor depending on the word you stress. “What are you doing HERE?” suggests, “Are you in a place (literal or metaphorical) you shouldn’t be, that dishonors God?” “WHAT are you doing here?” implies, “What are you doing for the Kingdom? What are you doing with the gifts and resources God has given you?” Or, the question can be recast as God asking, “Why did I bring you here, to this point in your life, these circumstances?” In other words, what is He trying to teach you? Wrestle with these questions: Take a stab at answering, then listen for the Holy Spirit’s response, which may lead you to change your answers and change your direction.
 
Calvary Family
 
Pray for the four individuals who were baptized on Sunday: Benny Thompson (8 yrs), Landon Rupard (14 yrs), Katherine Todd, and Matt Koppes. Pastor Dave noted that their public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ “ruffles the enemy’s feathers.” Ask the Lord to protect these four from attacks intended to cause discouragement or doubt.
 
Calvary’s TLC house is a residential program for men overcoming addiction by the power of Christ and in the context of our church community. Please pray for them faithfully! Pray also for the men who don’t last. They enter the house and remain sober for a time but then slide back into their addiction and leave the program. Ask the Lord to pursue them and to work in their lives, even if we at Calvary never see it.

In Christ,
Carol Gilbert
 
P.S. I’m taking a two-week break for Thanksgiving. Check your inbox on December 10 for the next edition of the prayer blog.

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