Question: “What are you doing here?”

Elijah had just won a contest on Mount Carmel against the prophets of Baal. That made King Ahab and Queen Jezebel very angry. They decided to arrest Elijah and kill him, so he ran deep into the desert. When he thought he was safe, he sat down and began to pout. What good was it for him to be part of that great miracle only to be chased and killed a few days later? That’s when God came to Elijah and asked this question: “What are you doing here?” Discouraged, Elijah told the Lord, “I have worked hard for you. Your people have not listened to my preaching. . . Now they are trying to kill me.” But God assured Elijah that there were thousands of people in the land who still loved and obeyed his Word. There are times in our lives when we also feel discouraged and wonder if it is all worth it. We find comfort in Isaiah 41:13: “I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’” No matter how hopeless your situation seems, there is no need to hide or to feel sorry for yourself. The Lord keeps his promises!

 A verse to remember:

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you!”

Hebrews 13:5

Today my prayer includes . . .

          thanks for this special blessing:

          concern for this special person:

          petition for this special problem:

 A closing verse:

Jesus is mine, He never will forsake me;
Jesus is mine, no evil can o’ertake me;
I seek His kindly face, I trust Him for His grace;
O no, He never will forsake me.

Jesse P. Tompkins

(This devotion is from “Hope for Each New Day: 333 Quiet Moments with God” by Reynold R. Kremer)