CAMPING OUT
Today's reading:  1 Kings 14-18

"So Elijah did as the Lord had told him and camped beside Kerith-Brook."  1 Kings 17:5 NLT

Elijah, the great man of God.  Elijah, the conduit through which miracle upon miracle were performed.  Elijah, the mouthpiece, legs and hands of God.

Elijah, the camper?

To sit and camp along the banks of a creek would be one of the last things I would want God to ask of me.

The mosquitoes.  The snakes.  The sleeping on the ground.  The entire 'roughing-it' philosphy is lost on me.  The twiddling of my thumbs as nature creeps by at its slow pace.  The limited number of things you can cook and eat on a campfire.

No, thanks.

But God does ask us to 'camp out' at times, doesn't He?  He asks us to sit still and wait as He prepares hearts, minds and events that will answer our prayers.  He asks us to slow down and enjoy the scenery as He guides us through new paths of our faith walks.  He asks us to trust in Him and not in ourselves.  He places us in desolate places that force us to watch for Him.  He quiets our environment at times so we can hear His voice.

Elijah camped out--and I can, too, if that's what God needs me to do.