41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up
to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put
his face between his knees,
43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said,
Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand.
And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. 45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven
was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab
rode, and went to Jezreel.
46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
It doesn’t take long, without rain, for the ground to dry and the grass to
die. Can you imagine going without rain for three years? Because of Ahab’s
reign he reintroduced Israel
to the gods of Baal. No rain was the chastisement of God to his people. Elijah
was quick to tell Ahab that he and Jezebel were not in control. They had no power over the elements. We have no
power today. God is the Holder of rain. We have no choice in the matter. It is
God’s and his alone. Israel
could have enjoyed all the rain they wanted if they had not forsaken the Lord.
It was the same old Baal worship that it had always been.
The devil may make it appear different, but it’s the same old same old
damnation. The children of Israel
enjoyed their worship of Baal and still claimed to be God’s people. There was
no rain; the blessings were withheld until they repented.
If we are not obedient and cease to let him be Lord—if we
give something else our devotion—if we live for other people and other things—then
God will withhold the blessings. God didn’t have to do anything drastic. There
was no big earthquake; the ground didn’t open up and swallow them. He just
withheld the rain.
Water is very precious in a hot country; it’s what keeps Israel
flourishing today. We’ve been in drought for a few years; without the rain this
past spring we would be hurting this summer. We should not take for granted the
blessings. We must remember HE is the Holder of it all. We should know better,
but America
is suffering today because God withholds his blessings from those who forsake
him. We all need the blessing of God.
There was no rain for three years, yet the people of Israel still
served Baal. In the famine and suffering due to the drought, they still didn’t
turn back to God. Elijah stood up to
Ahab and Jezebel as well as the 450 prophets of Baal. God protected him. When
we serve the Lord and keep him where we should, he will take care of us.
On Mount Carmel one can see
down through the valley of what is one day will be known as Armageddon. He called the
prophets to the mountain and challenged them. He told them whoever's God came to the
mountain would be the true God. The devil’s promise is an illusion. He dresses
up his lies. Baal didn’t show up because there is no Baal. The children of Israel had
missed three years of rain for nothing. He built an altar and filled the area
with water. After three years of no rain, Elijah gave God the first drink of
water. The fire of the Lord came down and drank it all up. GOD PROVED HE IS
GOD.
In these times of drought, when the illusions of Baal and
the temptation that comes with it surround us, Lord helps us to realize the God
of heaven. Jesus is the real Savior. The blessings are with God. Elijah told Ahab he heard the sound of rain.
He had slain the 450 prophets. Before our rain comes we have to purge our
hearts. When the prophets of Baal come against you, call on God. Turn your back on Baal. Baal may produce lots of sound, but he cannot produce any substance. God will send the
fire in the midst of all our Baal’s. God’s water tank is full. His storehouse is full. There is plenty with
God. We’ll hear the sound and the substance will come.
Elijah prayed and sent his servant to look. He saw nothing.
Elijah heard the sound; the seventh time Elijah sent the servant he saw a cloud
the size of a man’s hand. The substance did come. Tune out the devil and listen
close. You can hear the sound of the abundance of rain. Like Elijah’s servant,
you may not see it right away. It may be small at first. Never underestimate
God. Never underestimate what he sends no matter how small. God’s ready. He’s on his way to bless. Hang
in there. Trust him. Soon you’ll be drenched. The sound is always followed by
substance. Call on the Lord.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 