Sometimes we may feel like we cannot do a lot of things for God but we shouldn’t believe that God is unable to use us just like God used others.
The Bible says, "Elijah the foreigner, who was an alien resident from Gilead, told Ahab, ‘As the Lord God of Israel lives, in whose presence I’m standing, there will be neither dew nor rain these next several years, except when I say so.’” 1 Kings 17:1. The Jewish teacher James says, "Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land." James 5:17. Elijah is simply a man of God not God, so we can have hope we can trust God like he did also.
We need to be willing to pray to God earnestly. Does that mean we will get everything we ask simply if we pray earnestly? Not necessarily, because there is some additional context. “Seek your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desire.” Psalm 37:4 Not only should we pray earnestly but we must follow God earnestly. When it is our will is to please the Lord our will is God’s will even if God’s will results in temporary discomfort for our long-term good. Elijah didn’t just pray for the drought in order to promote repentance, “just because” he felt like it. He was being submissive to God’s will.
Sometimes we may feel if we just have enough faith we will get what we want. But really if we had enough faith we would want whatever God wants, regardless of how that may impact our current circumstances or those we love. Because if we have true faith in God we will believe that God loves us and others more than we do and will do what is best for us in the long run even if it is not something we like right now. When we trust God to lead our lives and do as God says we can have security knowing that God is with us.
“‘Go out and stand before me on top of the mountain,’ the Lord said to him. Then the Lord passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks—but the Lord was not in the wind. The wind stopped blowing, and then there was an earthquake—but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire—but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the soft whisper of a voice.” 1 Kings 19:11-12
The reason Elijah was able to be certain that God wanted him on top of the mountain and differentiate the guidance of God from the elements or circumstances around him that seemed to suggest otherwise is because he spent to time to get to know God. When we make a habit of listening to God we get better at recognizing what God’s will is and not confusing it with anything else in our circumstances. It may seem hard at first but remember Elijah was a human like us, so we like him can have a close relationship with God. “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:13
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