I’m in a season of waiting. Of believing I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land I’ve been diligently planting seeds in, and cultivating, for the last five years. Maybe, you are too! While the rains have not yet come from the Lord to cause the ground to produce abundant fruit, God has given me the faith to believe that the time for harvesting what has been worked for is just around the bend. Whether coming around that bend means another five years, or five months, I don’t know. Only the Lord knows. However, whenever the time does come, I know that it will be perfect. So, like Elijah, who received a word from the Lord, after a long season of drought, that said, the rains were coming (1 Kings 18:1), let’s continue believing that the Lord will send the rain until believing is seeing.
“And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. And he 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. And at the seventh time he said, ‘Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.’ . . . And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain” (1 Kings 18:42-45).
What I love from this passage of scripture, is that Elijah never gave up on God’s Word. He kept believing for what God had promised him. He continued to look for it, again and again. Are you still believing for what God has laid on your heart, or have you become discouraged because your wait has been long, and you don’t yet see in hand all that the Lord has promised you? It’s easy to get discouraged when the wait is long, the road is difficult, and you don’t see any evidence of His promises being fulfilled in your life. However, if we know who God is, and we believe His Word to be true, we can be confident that what He has promised us will come to fruition. How do I know this? It says in Joshua 23:14, “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”
Therefore, I want to encourage you. Hang on to God’s promises, and you will see the goodness of the Lord here on earth. In the wait, continue to thank God and praise Him for all He has already done to bless you, and for what He has given you the faith to believe that He is yet to do. Will He not bless you, again? He, who has promised to give you the kingdom, will He not give you everything that you need for living a holy and righteous life? In the wait, continue to believe, and declare His promises. Like David did when he said, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13). Continue with your face bowed in prayer, like Elijah, until you see God’s promises come to pass. According to James 1:6-8, you must believe, and not doubt, or you should not expect to receive anything from His hand.
If at first you don’t see what you’re believing for, look again. Elijah went back to look seven times. In the Bible, the number seven, is the number for perfection; or completion. Just as it took seven days for God to create the whole earth, it could be that God is still working on your heart, and that is why you have not yet received what He has promised. If so, keep going back to the Lord in prayer, and in true humble submission to His plans and His will for your life, until you see the fulfillment of His promise to you. Is the arm of the Lord too short? Is anything too hard for Him?
“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:14). Do not be anxious, or afraid. Only believe—and you will see the outpouring of God’s love, faithfulness, and provision for you. Lord, send the rain!
