SOUND OF ABUNDANT RAIN - Open Heavens Devotional for Wednesday 11th February, 2015

TOPIC: SOUND OF ABUNDANT RAIN - Wednesday 11th February, 2015

Memorise: Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. - Zechariah 10:1

Read: 1 Kings 18:41-45
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.


Message:
There is a point in the life of every child of God when the appointed time for the fulfilment of a divine promise arrives. We know as a matter of fact that the word of God is yea and amen. We believe that His word is settled in heaven. We are also certain that heaven and earth may pass away but a dot in His word will not pass away unfulfilled. Nevertheless, as the time of fulfilment of a major prophecy approaches, we may become overwhelmed with suspense and anxiety.

This seems to the case of Elijah in today's reading. Three years before,the prophet had authoritatively declared to king Ahab that there will be no dew nor rain in the land of Israel, except by his word (1 Kings 17:1). Within the three years following that event, God had answered his various requests, and the victory over the prophets of Baal was still fresh in his mind. Yet he knew that if God should send rain at his word, It would be a great accomplishment and the crowning point of his life. It was with this feeling that Elijah approached Mount Carmel for the manifestation of the power of God on the back of God's promise.

There are important lessons to be learnt from the way the prophet handled the situation. First, he exhibited his faith in the Word of God by confidently giving Ahab the assurance to go and start celebrating the coming of the rain. Next is the prophet's attitude to prayer. He decided to put his faith into action through fervent prayers. He was not tempted to leave God to fulfil His own promise.

Thirdly, the sound of abundant rain must have been a sign from God to the prophet, because others could not hear it. He received it with joy as a token that his prayer would be answered, and he announced it to the world by faith. The fourth lesson is that, even though his servant told him "there is nothing" six times, he did not allow discouragement to set in. He knew what God told him, and he held onto it tenaciously. Finally, Prophet Elijah persevered in the place of prayer. He said to his servant "go again", seven times. He continued to watch and pray and finally, there was a great rain. As you tarry in the place of prayer this year, the Lord will answer all your request by fire in Jesus' Name. Always remember this:

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." Habakkuk 2:3

Prayer Point: Father, please let every prophecy and divine promise for my life begin to find fulfilment now in the Name of Jesus.

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 43-44 and Acts 24:1-21

SOURCE: OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL, VOLUME 15, 2015.

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