1 Kings 19:13 Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 

What are you doing here?  I’ve read those words many times and when I have, I always assumed the Lord’s tone was sort of sad.  You know, like “Aw shucks, how did you end up here, Elijah?”  And who knows, maybe it was like that - but I’m not convinced.

I’m not convinced because recently I found myself in a situation where the Lord asked me that very same question.  When He did, His tone was quite different from what I had always assumed it was with Elijah.  Like Elijah, I was discouraged and confused.  But when the Lord said “What are you doing here?” there wasn’t the slightest trace of rebuke or sadness in His voice.  Instead it was more like a gentle reminder - a necessary nudge to help me remember why I was in the situation I was in.

Elijah was where he was basically because he had been zealous for God and zealous for Israel.  I was where I was for the exact same reason and I got the distinct impression that in God’s eyes that was not exactly a bad thing.  God’s word to Elijah was “Go back the way you came.”  And that was basically His word to me, too… “Go back and keep doing what you’re doing, because you’re not finished yet.” 

 Elijah had been faithful to God under some pretty extreme circumstances.  Yet despite Elijah’s faithfulness, people and circumstances hadn’t lined up the way Elijah expected them to and it threw him off for a moment.  That happens a lot in life - to all of us.  But when it happened to Elijah, God brought him into His presence and then built him back up and sent him back out to do the next thing.  I think that’s what He’s doing for me too.

I have been very zealous for the Lord my God.  That’s what I’m doing here.  And that’s also why I’ll go back the way I came and do the next thing…until I know I’ve finished all the work He’s given me to do.

So…what are you doing here?