Creating Space for God – No Worries
“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.”
–Jeremiah 17:7
For the last few weeks, I’ve been studying the life of the prophet Elijah, who burst on the scene in the Old Testament during the reign of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel with the pronouncement: “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except by my word” (1 Kings 17:1). Quite a prophecy, don’t you think? In essence, Elijah was delivering a message that went beyond a simple weather forecast. The absence of rain signified the judgment of Yahweh upon Israel for their rebellion.
California, of course, is and has been suffering from extreme drought for years now. Water in reservoirs has declined significantly, forests have gone from green and lush to brown and parched, and some areas have been placed under a water shortage emergency. Along with a host of scientific reasons, could God be sending us a message?
Asking the Lord to send rain “on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt. 5:45) has certainly jumped to the top of my prayer list during this time of crisis. Water, according to what my daughter believes, will one day be the most valued and precious commodity we have, and the one that will cost the most. Whether she’s right or not remains to be seen, but it’s worth thinking and praying about, don’t you think? Without water, we die. Without the Living Water—Jesus—life is not worth living.
After years of drought, Elijah will again confront King Ahab, Jezebel, and the prophets of Baal on a place called Mount Carmel. In a most dramatic fashion, God will prove to all Israel that He is alive, active, and all-powerful. The drought will end, the rain will come, and Elijah will be afraid and run for his life. But that’s a story for another time, my friends. Until then, trust in God. And pray for rain!
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