REBOOT
When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “what are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:13
Reboot! We all know about rebooting our computers, phones, internet, and lots of other things. If there is a problem with something, just try restarting it. Even automobiles now, if something is not working right try resetting it. As I read this verse, I realized that God was the originator of reboot!
We all need a reboot from time to time. When we were children, we were probably told to start over if we were trying to tell a story but could not gather all our thoughts. If we messed up a paper or a project we had to start over. We all have a list of do overs that we can’t really do. We have all had to just carry on!
Here we see Elijah, hiding in a cave. He won a tremendous victory over the prophets of Baal and should have been riding high, but instead he was worn out and hiding. The first time God asked him what he was doing there, he told God he was the only one left who was true to Him and he just wanted to quit.
God told him to go out and stand before Him on the mountain and wind, fire, and an earthquake shook the mountain, followed by a gentle whisper. Elijah emerged and the Lord asked the same question again. Elijah again told the Lord that he had been faithful, but the people had not and now they were trying to kill him. God never missed a beat. He gave him a couple of assignments and prepared him to retire with fire!
We are all in the reboot season. If we love Jesus, we are happy to celebrate His birth and His resurrection. The combination is a wonderful realization. While we are at it, we remind ourselves and others that He will return. Even those who could care less about Jesus are planning for a new year. Nothing could be better in a new year than a new relationship with Jesus.
After all, we are being renewed daily. Everyone needs that reboot and refreshing that comes only from our Lord Jesus Christ. Until we know Him, it is difficult to relate to what all the fuss is about. But if we do know Him, we know that He is worth the fuss. Still, we all can use a reminder!
So, I was reminded by God’s words to Elijah to consider, “What am I doing here?” Am I hiding in a cave? I don’t think so. Am I worn out and ready to quit? No! Not at all. Am I doing and being what God wants me to do and be? There is the question that only God can answer.
Reboot came to me in the night. My thought was that I want to be a rebooter. I want my life to be a light, to be refreshing, to be a restorer and a rebuilder of the breaches that surround us. The only thing I can do is give myself repeatedly completely to Jesus. Calling on God to save us is one thing, but giving ourselves to Him, heart, soul, mind, and strength, that is a refreshing reboot we all need. Lord forgive me for the times I fail to shine your light. Help me get it right.