Expect His Movement

The first three times the answer was still the same but his master sent him again.

Four, five and six.  He ran out to the overlook and yet the same thing…nothing was happening.

You wonder if the servant thought his master had gotten it wrong.  It had not rained in years and the sky was void of clouds but now his master had said he heard the sound of abundance of rain.  Once again for the seventh time, Elijah told his servant to go look toward the sea. 

This time something was different. There was a cloud as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea. (1 Kings 18:41-46)

Seven times he sent his servant out to seek God’s movement. Six times the answer was no but on that seventh trip things changed. 

We can learn so much from Elijah about expecting God and His movement. Elijah prayed for the fulfillment of his request earnestly.  He didn't give up the first few times that the servant returned with a negative answer.  He remained diligent.   Elijah believed that his prayer was answered before the answer came.  WOW!  What faith!

Friend, have you given up on an answer from God?  

What if the servant said he wouldn't go out to look after the third time?  Would he have missed the miracle of seeing God’s movement?

The same goes for many others that are documented in God’s Word. 

What if the Israelites didn't leave Egypt? Would they have missed the parting of the Red Sea?  

What if they only marched around the city of Jericho five times? Would they have missed the walls come tumbling down? 

What if the Apostles refused to return to Jerusalem after Jesus ascended into Heaven? Would they have missed the movement of the Holy Spirit?

 James 5: 16-18 states: “…The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.”

One of my favorite parts about this story of Elijah is when the servant reported the cloud he girded up his clothes and took off running.  He knew what was about to happen….the rains were coming and come they did.

If you are waiting for a movement of God, I implore you to not give up.  Take on a posture of prayer, seek and expect God to move.  Start looking for that one small cloud.  It is coming my friend, it you don’t lose heart.

 

Expect God’s movements.  Pray!  Look! And the DO!

Father, retrain our eyes to look for even the smallest signs of your movement.  Help us to be so diligent in our prayers that we have the confidence in your power before you even move.