I remember the summer of 1986. It was the summer before I went to college and my dad wanted to go on a family vacation. So he took us to see Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. He wanted to make it adventurous so he took us in the back way through the Badlands of S.D. We ended up breaking down on this gravel road and my brother and I walked seven miles to the nearest town to get help. Walking through those badlands was hot, sweaty, and long. It was not hospitable.
Sometimes in life, you find yourself in a wilderness. It’s tough. It’s painful. You feel abandoned and alone. Sometimes it’s a season of spiritual dryness. But our deepest need becomes a gift when it drives you to depend on God.
That’s what happens to the prophet Elijah after he defeats the 850 prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel in 1 Kings 18-19. He literally has this epic mountain top experience with God but one person says something that sends him running. It’s like he forgot all of the experiences in his life that showed him God was with him. That God was real. That God would protect him. That God had a relationship with him.
And some of you are there right now. You’ve had enough. You can’t take anymore. You’re exhausted and overwhelmed. The truth is a nap will not cure how tired you are. The truth is you’re spiritually depleted. You need a real, intimate encounter with God. You need a revelation of hope and loving kindness from a living God. You’re asking God, like the Psalmist in Psalms 23, to restore your soul.
In Elijah’s story, he runs away from the threat on his life but God is with him. And in his wilderness, God asks him a question, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
God may be asking you the same question. “What are you doing here? You know better! You have full access to me. You’re a child of the King. You’re part of my family. Why are you running away?”
In Elijah’s story, God asks him to come to the edge of the mountain so that God can pass by in front of him. There is a multitude of things that happen: rock-busting strong wind, earthquake, fire…but God was not in any of those radical moments. God ultimately is in a quiet whisper. And why does God whisper?
Because he’s very close…he’s near to you. He’s right there with you in your wilderness. You can reach out and hold his hand. He’s that close to you. And what is he whispering to you? “I will never leave you or forsake you. I will hold you up with my strong right hand. I will stand by you. I won’t let you fall. I will be a light for you. I love you more than you can imagine.”
So know as we say goodbye to 2020, we embrace a new story and a new year. It’s a story where God is with you no matter what you are experiencing in life. He loves you and will never leave you. Blessings on your journey.