Daily Dose of the Word of God - 1 Kings 18:41-46

Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor
Music from "Renee" by Jerry Douglas, written by Mike Seal

Transcript

Hey, good morning friends, and welcome to Elmhurst CRC's daily dose of the Word of God. This is Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor at the church. And it's Thursday, November 7.

We are in Hearts Ablaze campaign season, a time in which, by God's grace, new sparks are being ignited in us for the things of God. Today's reading is from I Kings 18: 41 - 46.

God's word says now "Elijah, the prophet, said to King Ahab of Israel, go and eat and drink, for there's the sound of a heavy rain. So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, bent down on the ground and put his face between his knees, go and look out toward the sea. He told the servant, and he went out and looked, there is nothing there. He said. Seven times Elijah prayed and said, Go back. The seventh time, the servant reported a cloud as small as a man's hand is rising up from the sea. So Elijah said, "Go and tell King 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."

The back story of I Kings 18 is that the kingdom of Israel had just experienced three long years of drought. Now, this drought coincided with this period of spiritual dryness as well; God's people had turned away from him and were putting their trust in false gods. But on Mount Carmel, the fire of God fell miraculously and powerfully, and the people of Israel remembered and cried out the Lord, He is God. Yahweh. He is God. And in the aftermath of that dramatic sign from heaven, Elijah sensed that both the spiritual drought and the physical drought were over, God was also going to send the heavenly gift of rain to this dry and weary land. So Elijah prays, and did you catch what the Bible said about his posture? Elijah, the prophet, is there on the ground, his face between his knees, a posture of weakness, of dependency on God. But when we are leaning on God, there is strength, unlike the dramatic fire that fell on the altar all at once, the rain clouds gather slowly, but gather they do, and the rain comes. God is not only the god of fire, but also the God of Rain, and it turns out, God of Everything, including you and me.

Let's pray. Dear God, today, at least in spirit, we kneel before you, head between knees, to acknowledge our weakness and creatureliness and your divine majesty and strength. Won't you work out your will these days, too? In our times, we worship you through Jesus. Amen.