Water for Your Thirstಮಾದರಿ

Waiting for the Rain

The prophet Elijah's ministry was both interesting and very dramatic. So dramatic, in fact, that his time on earth ended when a chariot of fire came down from heaven to take him. He was a great man of God who always had a word from the Lord for the people. God always supported him, despite his flaws and weaknesses. James confirms this when he says in James 5:17 (NIV), "Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years."

The story of that drought is found in 1 Kings 17 and 18, but I want us to focus on the moment when Elijah predicted it was going to rain. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, not a hint of a breeze, but Elijah told King Ahab to go home "for there is the sound of a heavy rain."

Then began a period of waiting where Elijah's servant had to go and look toward the sea seven times, searching for any sign of rain in the sky, while the prophet waited on his knees. Six times the servant went and came back saying, "There is nothing."

Sometimes, this happens to us. We pray and pray and see nothing. We look for a sign, a hint that our answer is on its way, but we come back with the message that there's nothing there. Not a single cloud to announce the arrival of our answer. What should we do? Imagine Elijah getting up in anger because nothing was happening. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. The seventh time, the servant returned saying, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea."

Visualize that cloud, so tiny and insignificant, yet it was the beginning of a "heavy rain." Elijah didn't tell his servant, "Let's wait and see what happens; let's not get our hopes up, it might just be that tiny little cloud." No, on the contrary, Elijah stood up and immediately sent a message to the king to prepare for the great rain that was coming.

This story of faith helps us keep believing, keep waiting, and keep praying. The psalmist said in Psalm 40:1 (NIV), "I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry." At some point, our little cloud will appear to let us know that God is at work. In the meantime, let's not let our faith fail. Let's keep trusting our God, because whether we see that cloud or not, the truth is, as the song says, "Even when I can't see it, you're working," and rain from heaven will come to satisfy us.