So he (Elijah) got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”- 1 Kings 19: 8-9
Anne Graham Lotz begins Chapter 13 (“The Turning Point: That Was Then, This Is Now”) of Wounded by God’s People by noting that when we experience a wound in our spiritual journey, eventually we have to come to a turning point where we want to be healed more than we want to be wounded. Otherwise we will seek counterfeit comfort because, as Anne observes, “sometimes it feels good to hurt so bad.” We may take a perverse pleasure in reaffirming our own innocence or lack of culpability, thus perpetuating our personal pity party.
An attitude of entitlement can keep us wandering in a spiritual wilderness, running away from God. Sooner or later, however, we come to that turning point where we either live in terror or trust God with our future. When we’re sick and tired of our misery and ready to change, the Lord patiently is standing by.
Anne adds that one way to overcome emotional pain is to reach out to others who are suffering, especially with a tender touch:
“Sometimes enough has been said, and we just need to reach out and touch that person. . . . The Lord understands that sometimes even a miracle isn’t enough; people need to be touched.”
Today’s question: What key steps have led you to your turning point? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Valley vision”
