And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.” 1 Kings 19:15
Yesterday, I wrote about looking down at our lives and finding that we’ve gone somewhere terrible that we never intended to go. In that miserable place, God asks us the same question he asked the prophet Elijah who was hiding in a cave – What are you doing here? Today’s passage is about our response to God’s question and where he goes next with our predicament.
Often, when confronted by God about my sinful condition, I make excuses. This is how Elijah responded. When God asked why Elijah was hiding in a cave, he defended himself by telling God how faithful he had been and how it had changed nothing. He went on to point out that he was on the run for his life. This, to me, sounds like a pretty good excuse for hiding in a cave. I too, have my good excuses. I was hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. Those may be good excuses to me, but God isn’t as convinced.
God, I think, responds to me a lot like he responded to Elijah when he gave his excuses. And what was God’s response to the prophet? Get up. Get moving. Time to get back to following my way, not yours. God didn’t pity Elijah, and God didn’t argue with him. God didn’t even chastise Elijah. God simply told Elijah to return to the path of following his will. That’s all. Get up. Get moving. Follow me. We’ve got work to do.
That’s an everyday lesson. Daily, I must ask myself if I’m living as God intends. Or am I headed down the wrong road, following my own way, making excuses? When I find that I’m headed in the wrong direction, I must turn around immediately. This may be hard, and it may be painful. The longer I’ve been going down that road, the more agonizing it is to turn things around. I’m not guaranteed that all will be set right, but what choice do I have? To continue down my own road is madness. If I have any hope of enjoying the new life God intends for me, I must abandon my way to follow him. That is the only way. Get up. Get moving. Follow me.