Click here to read I Kings 18:41-46
There had been no rain in the land for three and half years. The Word of the Lord comes to Elijah saying, “Go, and present yourself to Ahab. I will send rain on the earth” (1 Kings 18:1) Elijah thus becomes an heir of a promise – a promise of rain; a Word from the Lord. Most of us have a Word from the Lord - you may call it your vision, or a prophecy over you, or your dream, or your destiny. However, it takes a process for that Word to become flesh i.e. for that Word to manifest itself physically. If you are a recipient of a spoken Word from God and in the process of waiting for that Word to be manifest physically, then please take into consideration the principles listed below:
1. Spoken word – never needs a “battery change”
It eventually rained after three and a half years. Regarding this incident, James writes in Chapter 5, verse 17 “…the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest” Notice two keywords in this verse .i.e. “gave” and “its.” Both these words indicate a sense of personal belonging. Heaven gave rain – which means heaven had rain within itself to give. The earth yielded its harvest – which means the earth had harvest within itself to yield. Both the earth and the heaven had it in them to prove the spoken word of God to be true. Hebrews 1:3 says “The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word…” In other words, there isn’t a single thing that God has created, for which He does not have the power to sustain. Appliances manufactured by the spoken Word, do not need a battery change. If God has spoken a Word into your life, He will not only do it, He will sustain what He does too.
2. Sound or light – which travels faster?
On a stormy day, one may get to witness both thunder and lightning. I am told that because light travels faster than sound, I will see the lightning before I hear the thunder. It reaches the eye before it reaches the ear. However, I see the opposite principle operate with respect to the spoken Word. Elijah said to Ahab that there is a “sound of rushing rain.” (I Kings 18: 41) However, Elijah did not see the rain until much later. It reached his ear, before it reached his eye. Since the spoken Word operates this way, it is often difficult to convince people around us, about what God has spoken to us, because you are trying to get them to “see” what you have “heard.” The people around us will continue to confess “there is nothing,” just like Elijah’s servant did all those six times he went up to look toward the sea, until they “see” what you have “heard.” If you have “heard” God’s spoken Word in your spirit, rest assured that it will soon be manifest in flesh, both for you and for those around you to “see.”
3. Party and prayer – a paradox
“Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of rushing rain.’ So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; there he bowed himself down upon the earth and put his face between this knees.” (I Kings 18: 41, 42) When God opens up the heavens and sends down rain, both Elijah and Ahab are beneficiaries. Both of them had lived through the drought. However, this spoken Word about the impending rain sends Ahab to party and Elijah to prayer. Since a child of God is involved in His universal purposes, the spoken Word over his/her life will have other beneficiaries too. Although it is reason enough for the beneficiaries to party, it will cost you time on your knees in prayer. Be aggressive in prayer over God’s spoken word.
4. Sea or sky – where will you look?
Elijah tells his servant to go look “toward the sea.” Why would anyone who is expecting rain look toward the sea? It would make sense if he looked toward the sky! But why look toward the sea?? His servant eventually tells Elijah that he sees “a little cloud no bigger than a person’s hand” rising out of the sea. They tell me that the source of rain is the water evaporated from the sea, which eventually form clouds. In other words, Elijah’s focus was on the “source” (sea) and not on the “means” (clouds). It is one thing to “look toward” God when in poor health, but it is totally another to still keep looking toward God when the doctor says “you’ll be fine as soon as you pop this pill.” It is one thing to “look toward” God when in lack of resources, but it is totally another to still keep looking toward God when someone comes along and offers help with the resources. Even though Elijah had the “offer” through a “means” his eyes were still on the “source” If God has spoken a Word into your life and you are eagerly expecting its manifestation, continue to keep your eyes on Him, Who is the source (sea) of all blessing and not on the means (clouds) through which He may provide (rain).
5. Hope and pray – inseparable
Elijah is on his knees - this represents prayer. His servant shuttles between “looking” and “reporting” and “looking” – this represents hope. When a report comes back saying “there is nothing,” Elijah does not quit his position on the knees. Neither does he quit sending the servant back to “look.” Often Christians lose hope after the first report which in turn causes prayer to lax. A lax in prayer will cause a lax in hope. If you have received a spoken Word from God, continue praying in hope and hoping in prayer.
6. Lagging behind – a common worry
One of the common causes of concern for the Christian is the feeling of “lagging behind” due to delayed answers to prayer. You feel others are better equipped and far ahead of you in the journey of life. Ahab had the chariots of the palace to transport him – Elijah had his legs. Theoretically, Ahab is supposed to finish the race first. Some may trust in horses, some may trust in chariots, but we will trust in the name of our Lord. Elijah had what Ahab didn’t - the hand of the Lord upon Him. What was supposed to be a lag was turned to a lead when hand of the Lord came upon Elijah. I fondly remember a statement Dr George* once made during my college years in one of his teaching sessions – “The Bible says ‘our times are in His hands.’ How dare then, we say ‘it is too late’?” God’s word will be fulfilled in God’s time.
7. Take heart - you are not alone
I hope an understanding of the above six principles helps in throwing more light into what James really means by saying “Elijah was a man just like us” He went through every possible emotion you and I go through. “No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; He'll never let you be pushed past your limit; He'll always be there to help you come through it.” (I Corinthians 10:13, The Message)
“In a little while, the heavens grew black with clouds and wind; there was a heavy rain…” I Kings 18:45. It is only a “little while” before the Word becomes flesh. The God of Elijah is also your God and my God.
*Dr George is a Professor of Mathematics at the college where I studied. He spent time teaching us the Word almost every Tuesday evening.
