It may sound like a strange title but it is a "now" word from God: In I Kings Chapter 17, the Bible records that there was a famine and God told Elijah to hide by the Brook Cherith. God said that He had commanded a raven to feed him "there." While he was "there" the raven brought him bread and flesh to eat. When He went "there" where God wanted him to go, he was well taken care of! In I Kings 19, Elijah is now running away from Jezebel and he was hiding in a cave. In v. 13, God asks him "what are you doing "here"? In v. 11, the word says that there was an earthquake, wind and fire around the cave where Elijah was hiding. It is dangerous to be"here" where you want to be. It is so much better to be "there", where God wants you to be. It could be a difference of life or death. Whenever you are "there", there is complete protection by God! Whenever you are "here" you could be out there by yourself. If you keep giving into fear and other fleshly things, you will find yourself "here." It was dangerous for Elijah to be "here", hiding in a cave, with the earthquake, wind and fire outside. God sent him back to where he was supposed to be - "there." He sent him back to where Jezebel was, which is where he didn’t want to be (v. 15). Isn’t that just like God, to do that? How many times has He sent you where you didn’t want to go? You tried your best to avoid going somewhere where you flesh didn’t want to go, but you wound up "there" anyway. God always has His way! Remember Jonah? He did his best to avoid going to Nineveh to tell the people to repent, which they did. God prepared a whale which swallowed him up and delivered him to Nineveh. Don’t be concerned, God will get you "there" and even pay the way!
Back in 1 Kings 17; Elijah stayed by the brook until it dried up. Maybe you are staying in a situation whether it be a church or some other situation too long! Are you going to wait for that church to dry up and take you along to or are you going to go "there" where God wants you to be. Are you going to continue to stay in that High School or are you going to graduate to that College. Are you going to go someplace where God can use you? This is the season of Raising up the Saints! Are you going to be one of them? You learned so many "bad" things in that church i.e. how not to Pastor a church properly, how to take advantage of every saint that comes in the door, etc. You need to escape! Go "there!" wherever "there" may be. Get in position for you to learn, grow and be used!
Prior to what we read about Elijah in 1 Kings 17, there is no mention of Elijah, until he went "there." In 1 Kings 17 v. 9, after the brook dried up, God sent him to Zarephath. God said that He had commanded a widow woman "there" to sustain him. Because Elijah went "there" God used him to save the widow lady’s whole house, including himself, from starvation. God used a miracle by not letting the meal in a barrel and the oil in a cruse run out for the duration of the famine! You see! What if he had not gone "there"? He would have died! God used him to raise up the widow lady’s son from the dead while he was"there." Going from the brook, which dried up, to the widow lady’s house was a promotion! God wanted to raise him up to a new level of "use" i.e. to be used by God for such great miracles, but it only happened because he went "there." It probably made no sense to Elijah to go to Zarephath and it especially made no sense when he met the widow lady. She only had enough food for her and her boy for one day. God had told him that a widow lady would sustain him "there." He didn’t doubt and stayed where God sent him! By obeying God and going "there" he drew closer to God by being an instrument of His power and seeing His awesome power at work! Look what could be waiting for you if you show up "there."
In 1 Sam. 14, we have another situation of somebody not staying in a comfort zone or where his flesh wanted to be("here") but going "there" or where God wanted him to be. The Philistines had all of Israel’s swords but two. Jonathan took a sword and advanced against the enemy. His armourbearer decided to go with him. Jonathan could have stayed with everyone else, but He knew God and he knew if God was for him, who could be against him! (v. 10). Because God was with Jonathan and his armourbearer and they advanced against the enemy, there was a "trembling" in the camp of the enemy. The enemy killed each other, as fear came on them. There was a great victory because two people stepped out in faith and went where God wanted them to go! Remember, in 2 Kings 7, as Samaria was surrounded by the enemy and there was a famine, four lepers took a step of faith. They said to themselves that it was better to go towards the enemy and become slaves than die of hunger in Samaria (v. 4). When they got to the camp of the enemy, who was surrounding Samaria, nobody was "there." God had made the lepers feet sound like an army and the enemy ran in fear (v.5, 6). The famine was surely over! No telling what will become of your enemies when you go where God wants you to go! You may go all by yourself but you are definitely not alone! The God of Israel, your God, will be your protection as you go "there."
Remember Jehoshaphat in 2 Chron. 20, as the enemy had surrounded him and his troops; His enemies had joined together. Maybe that’s how you feel? God told him to show up the next day early in the morning (v.16, 17). You need to go towards your enemies and just show up! Do you think God is going to tell you to show up and not be there ahead of you? God said that the battle was His!(v.15).Jehoshaphat showed up, sent his praise warriors ahead of him and the enemy killed each other! (v. 22, 23). All Jehoshaphat had to do was pick up the spoils (v. 25). He didn’t have to fight. Again, there is no telling what God has waiting for you when you show up "there" or the place that He wants you to go! Don’t stay where your flesh wants to feel comfortable. Advance like Jehoshaphat, Jonathan, Elijah and the four lepers. Be like David as he went against Goliath. Know that if God did it for you once that He will do it again! David was trained by God to go "there." Just as David and the others we mentioned were prepared to go "there" so are you.
Your victory, blessings and your treasure are waiting for you "there." "There" may be in the devil’s territory, as there are treasures of darkness that the enemy has, but God will give you the spoils, as you go. Again, don’t stay where it is too comfortable ("here") when God wants you to advance and claim your inheritance!