44 The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”
So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”—The words from 1 Kings 18:44
The Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post comes from a most fascinating story concerning Elijah the prophet of God. To say that Elijah lived in troubling times would not be an overstatement. Elijah lived in very, very troubling times. In verse 22 of this chapter, Elijah declares, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left...”
In each scene throughout this passage, Elijah consistently obeys God. This determined obedience marks Elijah. Even when he faces 450 prophets of Baal, he remains obedient.
In obedience to God, Elijah sets up a test. He tells the prophets of Baal to select a bull and he selects a bull. He tells them to build an altar and he builds an altar. He tells them to call on their god, Baal, and he will call on his God. The one who answers with fire will be the true and only God.
You may know this story well from your days in Sunday School. The prophets of Baal call out to him, but he does not answer. Elijah suggests that perhaps Baal is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling, or sleeping. So the prophets of Baal cry out until evening. Still no response.
So, Elijah builds his altar and has them douse his altar with water three times. Then Elijah prays.
36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!”
After having established his credentials as a prophet of God in a most dramatic manner, Elijah now turns his attention to the draught that has plagued the land for three-and-a-half years. After telling Ahab to “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain,” Elijah goes up to the top of Mt. Carmel. He sends his servant to look toward the sea. The seventh time the servant looks, he gives the report contained in the verse at the beginning of this blog post. The servant reports to Elijah that he sees a cloud the size of a man’s hand. This is the sign that Elijah has waited to see. Rain’s coming.
Elijah tells the servant to go to Ahab and tell him to “Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.”
After three-and-a-half years of draught, the rain’s coming. The rain’s coming. THE RAIN’S COMING!
How long have you waited for a sign from God that things are about to change for the better? Have you waited three weeks, three months, three-and-a-half years, or even longer?
I once prayed for three years that God would bring a truly godly man into my life. Day after day, week after week, I prayed and prayed and prayed. Finally, in October of 1978, God answered my prayer. He brought a genuinely godly man into my life in a way so unexpected that it caught me completely by surprise. That godly man became my spiritual mentor. Our relationship has continued over the course of the intervening years. And his prayerful teaching and guidance have changed my life profoundly for the better.
At this present time, I have been waiting for God to answer my prayer for justice in the cause of Christ for a bit over three years. I know God will answer my prayer.
God always answers the prayers of those He loves. And, He loves you. He loves me. Because He loves us, He will always answer our prayers. All we have to do is wait on Him.
Felix Mendelssohn composed a magnificent work, “Elijah.” That work contains an equisite soprano/mezzo-soprano duet that expresses what it means to wait on the Lord. I invite you to listen very carefully to the words of this piece all the way through to the end. Please click here to watch this video.
So, dear friends, hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you. Because as surely as I sit typing on this keyboard, the rain’s coming!
Will you pray with me?
Thank You, God, for loving us. Thank You for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us.
Precious Father, we acknowledge that it is not always easy to wait for You. Sometimes, in the midst of our trials, we become so discouraged that we begin to doubt whether or not You hear our persistent prayers. That’s why we thank You for the example of Elijah. Even though he felt all alone, he remained obedient to You. He waited on You and You answered him with great power and an overwhelming display of Your glory.
Thank You, dear Father, for Your faithfulness and steadfastness that gives us confidence to put all our faith and trust in You. Thank You for the prayers You have already answered. Thank You for the prayers You are going to answer. Thank You for the cup You have given us that overflows with Your mercy and grace. And, thank You for hearing our prayer in and through the precious Name of Your Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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