Matthew 16:26 What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

If I could have that amount in my bank account, then I could… If I owned that property, then I could…. If I had all that time off, then I could… I think we often come up with a plan that separates the perceived hardships of life from the actual difficulties. With grandiose plans, we imagine a new life, a new location, or a new way of working that will be peaceful and hassle-free. Then, like the effects of a sour lemon, we squinch our thoughts and face and say, “And then what? I have often said the reason we were not created with wings is that we would fly away from every problem we felt was too difficult to work out. Psalm 55:6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest. There seems to be a constant pressure to find a comfort zone that allows us to sit back and count our advantages, so we can find a loophole to get rid of every responsibility we have. Luke 12:18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods.

As the Lord points out when He says, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” In other words, once they own the whole world, then what? What does any accomplishment of life have to do with the eternal security and ownership of one’s soul? If I could have accomplished every imaginary thought I ever had, the reality of the moment would be, now that I have done all that is possible, now what? What do I do now that I have ownership and conquered the universe? I still need to answer to God and be judged for how I walked in the calling God created me for. 1Cor. 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

The Word says that Elijah was a man subject to the same feelings, ambitions, and realities as we are faced with. James 5:17a: Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are. Elijah had pulled off the all-time epic standoff challenge with the priests of Baal and agents of Jezebel. 1Kings 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. Not only did God show up in a spectacular display of might and power, but He also gave Elijah the strength to help destroy the four hundred priests of the false god Baal, and then run faster than a chariot because the rains were coming fast to end the long drought. After all that, Elijah receives a life-threatening oath from Jezebel that she is out to kill him. 1Kings 19:2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if I don’t make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow! ”

What does this powerful man of God do? Elijah ran for his life for miles and miles. 1Kings 19:3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. I can only speculate what Elijah might have been feeling. He may have been overwhelmed by the effects of the powerful faith and personal energy that all the events must have had on his psyche and body, which would have started taking their toll when the adrenaline wore off. Elijah ran from all the mayhem, only to be met by God along the way. Elijah runs all the way to Mount Horeb (also known as Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments). What was Elijah looking for? Some kind of nostalgic encounter with God, or have his own reenactment of the Ten Commandments, regiven. Why was Elijah going back to a place where God was once known to have manifested? Once he arrived at the place of historical importance, Elijah began explaining himself to God and rationalizing his reasons Elijah begins explaining himself to God and rationalizing his reasons for running. 1Kings 19:10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

Elijah is now on the mountain seeking an answer from God, and he experiences the noise and effects of a strong and violent wind, an earthquake, and a firestorm, but the Lord’s voice could not be heard in those big events. Then Elijah heard a still, small voice behind him. 1Kings 19:13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” What are you doing here, Elijah? Why have you run away to this place? What a poignant question the Lord asks of Elijah, and to a degree, of ourselves. What are you doing at the place you are in right now? We have all been through this type of “I just want to quit the whole thing” type of feeling. Even if Elijah had handed in his prophet’s credentials, the question would be, and then what? What do I do now? Do I go and sell life insurance like so many ministers who have shut down, or become a financial adviser until I figure things out? Now what do I do? Right there on Mount Horeb, Elijah is given a new stack of instructions to go and anoint kings, teach the prophets in the prophet school, train Elisha, and keep doing what God called him to do. For Elijah, – and then what? – becomes a reset adjustment from God, and he goes on to finish his life’s call.

So, we have done everything and acquired all the stuff. Now what? We all need a reset adjustment from the Holy Spirit and a clear understanding of what we are to move towards in our lives’ assignment. The question Jesus asks is relevant to how we react to His instructions for living and growing in His love. Matt. 16:26 What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? What profit is there in acquiring everything this known life has to offer, while leaving the creator of our beings out of our lives’ plans when He is holding the plans in His hands? When we read the final thoughts of Joshua, Samuel, and a defeated and restless Solomon, we come away with the wisdom that took them a lifetime to figure out. They make similar declarations of “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Solomon, who had the wisdom of the Holy, concluded that the duty of man was to fear God and keep His commandments because everything we do will be judged. Therefore, to answer the question, and then what? We say, “Keep close to God and keep walking the road He has set for our souls.”