Writing Ourselves Into Elijah’s Story

“What Are You Doing Here?”

The ministry of food and sleep is real in the life of a child of God. Sometimes all we need is a nourishing meal and a restorative night’s sleep. But other times, a change in direction needs to occur. Walking through the events of 1 Kings 18 and 19, you and I lock step with the prophet Elijah and see a mirror into our souls.

Exhilarating Faith on Mount Carmel

Atop Mount Carmel, God, Elijah, Ahab, and Jezebel draw us into the drama found in 1 Kings 18. Here, the prophet demonstrates audacious, heroic, victorious faith.

Exhausted Faith in the Desert

Yet, after receiving a vicious death threat from his enemies, Ahab and Jezebel, in trepidation, Elijah flees to the desert and prays that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord; take my life.” (I Kings 19:1-5) Giving in to paralyzing fear, his faith melts, and he falls asleep.

Extraordinary Grace from Heaven

Then the Angel of the Lord, right in the middle of the desert, touched Elijah and provided him with food and water. (19:5) At that point, the exhausted man once again fell back asleep. (19:6)

Extended Travel and More Travails

Strengthened by more sleep and additional food and encountering a second visit from the Angel of the Lord (19:7), Elijah journeyed forty days farther away from his enemies, Jezebel and Ahab. This time, he held up in a cave to spend the night.

And there in that cave that the Word of the Lord came to him as a pivotal question (19:9):

What are you doing here, Elijah?

I wonder if it was: What are you doing here, Elijah? Or What are you doing here, Elijah? Or What are you doing here, Elijah?

Nonetheless, Elijah is not where God wants him to be. Furthermore, God makes His instruction clear: “Go back the way you came.” (19:15)

Now we witness the power of obedience. Obeying the Voice of God, Elijah went from there. As a result, he met Elisha. (I Kings 19:19) And, the miraculous partnership made its way into the canon of Scripture.

Bring this forward to our own lives.

Could it be that within each of us resides an Elijah? If honest, we must admit that, yes, we do see ourselves in the story.

• Fear and fatigue contaminate our perspective of our situation.

• Fear and fatigue drive us to places we should not go.

• Fear and fatigue alter our perspective of God.

And yet, Elijah’s God is our God. Filled with grace, He tenderly meets us wherever we are. In a desert of discouragement and despair, or a cave of fear, chaos, and confusion, God makes His Presence known. “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7)

But the game changer is our response.

The choice to stay where we are or obey the Voice of God and go back rests within us. Acknowledging that I am not where God wants me to be—in a relationship, a friendship, a pastime, a purchase, a perspective, a financial decision, or even a habit—God allows me to choose to return to the center of His will, and to be under His protection and be the recipient of His blessing.

Elijah had to answer God's direct question with intentional action. So do we.

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

When did you find yourself in a place where you did not need to be?

How did you answer God's Question: “What are you doing here?”

What was the outcome?

Writing Ourselves Into Elijah's Story

God asks Elijah a question: What Are You Doing Here?  Pushing past the centuries you and I ask, "Do we see ourselves in the story?"

Exhilarating Faith

God, Elijah, Ahab, and Jezebel draw us into this drama in I Kings 18 and 19. 19:10-22. After a supernatural occurrence in chapter 18, where Elijah demonstrates heroic, victorious faith on Mount Carmel, he flees in fear to the desert and prays that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord…Take my life.” Gripped with fear, his faith melts, and he falls asleep. 

Extraordinary Grace

Within the narrative, we see the tender grace of God displayed as He supernaturally provides food and water in the midst of the desert to meet Elijah's physical needs. (The ministry of food and sleep are real in the life of a child of God. Sometimes all we need is a nourishing meal and a restorative night’s sleep.)

Moving on…

From the Desert to the Cave

With more sleep and the second helping, so to speak, Elijah journeys forty days—forty days farther away from his enemies Jezebel and Ahab—and into a cave where he spends the night.

Then comes the question: What are you doing here, Elijah? God pursues His servant and poses the inquiry because Elijah is not where God wants him to be.

Bring this forward to our own lives…

If honest, you and I must admit that, yes, we do see ourselves in the story. I suggest that within each of us resides an Elijah:

Fear and fatigue contaminate our perspective of our situation.

Fear and fatigue drive us to places we should not go.

Fear and fatigue alter our perspective of God.

And yet, Elijah’s God is our God as well, and He meets us wherever we are. In a desert of discouragement and despair, or in a cave of fear, chaos and confusion, God joins us.

But the game changer is our response.

We are given the choice to stay where we are or to listen to the Voice of God and go back. When I acknowledge that I am not where God wants me to be—in a relationship, a pastime, a purchase, a perspective, a financial decision, or even a habit—I need to choose to go back to the center of God’s will, and under the protection of His Wings. 

Elijah had to answer God's direct question with intentional action. So do we.

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

Questions we find in Scripture arrest my attention.

• When did you find yourself in a place where you did not need to be?

• How did you answer God's Question: What are you doing here?

• What was the outcome?

Summer Competition: Relief vs. Rest

Rolling waves, sandy beaches, chirping crickets, and outdoor picnics are synonyms for summer. The months mean lazy days at the pool, snow cones at the park, and fireflies in the backyard.

The seasonal longing for a pause tugs at us; we ache for rest with a capital R to be a part of the bargain. However, if we are not careful, the fulfillment will elude us like the fireflies themselves, and autumn will arrive with a refueled exhaustion as its companion.

Does one have to go on a treasure hunt to discover summer’s secret to rest? No.

God has taught me that a distinct difference exists between relief and rest. To uncover the gift of this much-needed rest, we must take a long look at its competitor, relief. Care and discernment must be exercised to avoid confusing the two.

Relief is a release from pressure. We find relief when we engage in exercise, talk to a friend, read a book, bake a batch of cookies, or work in the flowerbed. We recognize relief when a problem is solved, a relationship is restored, and circumstances improve.

—However—

Rest is a supernatural quality of life that comes from Jesus alone. You and I discover true and genuine rest when we turn to Jesus to fill the wellspring of our souls. And Jesus offers a quality of life here that can transform — not just our summers — but our entire sojourn on earth.

3 Characteristics of Rest

1.    Rest is found when we allow our souls to be nourished in the Presence of Jesus and in the life-giving Words from His Scriptures.                                                            (If you will, when we sit and soak.)

2.    Rest accompanies a prayer that prays, “Not my will, but Thine be done,” in every area of our lives. (If you will, when we submit.)

3.    Rest becomes ours when we exchange places and allow Him to take His rightful position on the throne of our hearts. (If you will, when we release ourselves to become 1000% His.)

May this Summer 2025 bring you the deep, abiding, nourishing rest which your soul so desperately desires. May you drink in the Words of David in Psalm 62:

"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him." (a statement)

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him." (a command)

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

What are the differences between relief and rest?

What is my go-to for relief?

Where do I pursue relief when what I truly need is rest?

Where does my soul find rest?

For further soul nourishment, consider Matthew 18:28-29.