Have you ever lost your way? Have you ever lost your hold on God or felt that God had most certainly let go of you? Have you ever prayed, and it seemed like your prayers were hitting a wall and bouncing right back to you? Have you ever been so desperate to feel the reassurance of God’s presence directing your life?
Elijah did. In 1 Kings 19, we read about him running from the wrath of Jezebel. God had just proven Himself against Baal on Mt. Carmel, and all the false prophets of Baal had been killed. One would think that, on the heels of this remarkable event, Elijah would have feared nothing, but he ran in terror.
After being fed by an angel, he retreated deep into the wilderness and rested at Mt. Horeb, considered by Bible scholars to be the same mountain as Mt. Sinai. This means that Elijah retreated to the place where God’s presence had once come the closest to humanity. It is the same mountain where Moses received the precious law of God written by His own hand and where Moses asked God if he could see Him (see Exodus 33).
In this beautiful story, God placed Moses “in the cleft of the rock” as He passed His glory before His chosen leader (verse 22). In my sanctified imagination, I wonder if Elijah found himself in that very same cleft as he tried to gain his spiritual footing. No one knows. What we can know, however, is that as Elijah retreated to this physical marker of God’s communion with man, he was spiritually restored.
In another biblical account of spiritual unrest, trouble seemed to follow Jacob wherever he went. A good deal of his trouble was of his own doing. His name, Jacob, was indicative of his natural character — a cheater and a liar.
In Genesis 35, we read about God’s invitation to Jacob to return to Bethel and build Him an altar there. Jacob had just recently been through a distressing incident with his daughter, his sons, and the men of a local town. Jacob’s sons had stepped in to avenge an injustice, and they ended up doing much more harm than good. At this time of acute distress, God invited Jacob to “go up to Bethel” (Genesis 35:1).
Jacob had been to Bethel previously. The first time he was there, he was running away because of a lie he had told to his brother Esau. Jacob’s deception was for his own gain. This second time, as he fell into a troubled sleep in the open wilderness, God gave him a dream with the most wonderful reassurance of His presence and care. Jacob was so moved that he named that place “Bethel,” which means “house of God.” Jacob said in Genesis 28:17: “…How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
Call to Action
Today, in the depths of your fears, confusion, or desperation, Jesus invites you to go back to Bethel. Retreat from your busyness, and your distractions, and withdraw to that quiet place where you know God has intervened for you in the past. Jesus’ love for you knows no bounds, and He yearns to heal the brokenness in your life! Retrace your steps to Bethel. In the quiet of His love and promises, let Him make you whole!
All scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
