Faith Like Elijah

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  His call starts with a challenge: 

"You need faith like Elijah".

Sickness has lingered in our household and with the winter freeze outside and siege of winter colds within, I guess I didn't realize that it might be a faith issue at base. 

As I ponder the testimony of Elijah's faith, I'm met with a visual of Elijah after bringing down fire from Heaven on Mt Carmel and slaying the priests of Baal who had led Israel astray to follow other gods.

Elijah's life story was filled with faith acts from beginning to end.  Elijah was a Prophet called by Adonai to turn the hearts of God's chosen people back to Him, and away from idolatry in the worship of other gods like the "Baals". 

Back in the history of the Children of Israel, God warned that if/when they turned after other gods, they would be subject to curses and the land would languish under drought.  (Deuteronomy 28:21).  Elijah, under Divine directive from Adonai, called for a 3-year drought to punish the sin of idolatry.  At the end of the 3 years of drought, Adonai again called Elijah to present himself to the king and the people whereby He, Adonai, would end the drought.

The hearts of the people had to be tested and a choice given them as condition of a lifting of the curse on the land.  Elijah called for a great contest between the God of Israel and the Baals.  In the great contest of Adonai's power over that of the false gods, Elijah called for the prophets and priests of Baal to set up an altar, out in the open, place a sacrifice upon it and call out for their god to ignite the altar with fire. Elijah would do the same.

After hours of calling out to Baal and ceremonial blood-letting nothing happened.  Elijah took center stage, rebuilt the broken-down Altar to Adonai, placed the sacrificial bull on it, and made petition to the One true God of Israel.  Additionally, Elijah had the altar and sacrifice flooded with water to make the altar impossible to ignite.  As He prayed for Adonai to let it be known that He, Adonai alone, is God of Israel and Elijah is His servant, fire fell from Heaven and it consumed everything: the sacrifice, the water even the stones of the altar. You can read all about it in I Kings 18

The people fell on their faces and cried out "Adonai is God, Adonai is God" as their hearts were turned back to the One True God. The priests and prophets of Baal were killed for having turned the hearts of the people away from Adonai, but the story does not end there.  The much-needed rain had to come to end the drought, but the sky was cloudless.

Elijah had faith that Adonai would fulfill His word; first in the drought, then in the supernatural event as manifestation of His power and authority by sending fire from Heaven.  But it's the following act of faith and trust that spoke to me today. While there are many instances that I might focus on when I consider this man of great faith and obedience, the one I find today is the hope and trust Elijah demonstrated for the ending of the drought and the coming of rain when looking into a cloudless sky.

When trials drag on like a 3-year drought, discouragement can run high.  God's promises of healing and restoration of health can seem very far off, kind of like looking into a cloudless sky.  Elijah knew that he knew that Adonai would send rain.  God's word was clear and there was no doubt in Elijah's mind:  Rain would come.

Elijah sent his servant to go and look out toward the sea. The servant came back and said, "there's nothing there".  Seven times Elijah sent his servant to look for rain and 6 times he returned with the same report "There's nothing there."  But on the seventh time, the servant said, "There's a cloud coming out of the sea no bigger than a man's fist."  Elijah went to the king with the good news of the coming rain just as promised. 

The point to me is this:  When Adonai has given a promise of rain (favor), we must keep looking for the manifestation until we see it in our sights.  A cloudless sky is never the last word. Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?