“‘Go and look toward the sea,’ he told his servant. And he went up and looked. ‘There is nothing there,’ he said. Seven times Elijah said, ‘Go back.’ 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.”‘ Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.” — 1 Kings 18:43-46
There Is A Cloud
Some of us are entering our fifth month of working from home and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Elijah’s servant was probably thinking the same thing when his master initially asked him to go and look for a rain cloud during a drought.
In the middle of March, the coronavirus started to impact the U.S., leading to a nationwide shutdown. About 60 days later, some states started to open in phases to begin getting back to “normal.” However, after re-opening the country, positive test results and death rates started to increase, especially in states such as California, Florida, New York and Texas. This led to states reverting back to original rules and regulations that included, but were not limited to, the closing of bars, dine-in restaurants and gyms.
The country took three steps forward just to take two steps back, and now most of the country feels restless and defeated. Though many might feel the progress has regressed, let us not forget that it took seven trips for Elijah to finally see a tiny clue that rain was on the horizon.
It is during trials, tests and obstacles that we have the chance to let our faith in God develop the perseverance needed to wait. It was after a long drought that Elijah finally saw God deliver a miracle on Mount Carmel in the Old Testament.
Ask God today for the patience to keep waiting, trusting and believing that God will answer your prayers and deliver an end to your drought.
— Tamara Brown
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