Don’t Doubt Him

“Don’t doubt in the dark what God showed you in the light” - Unknown

The bible tells the story of Elijah who prayed for rain in 1 Kings 18:41 - 19:8. The land had been going through a drought and Elijah told the king it was going to rain. He then goes to pray on his knees and sends his servant to check the clouds for rain. Each time his servant checked he returned with a ‘no’. Seven times he told him to do this. It wasn’t until the seventh time that he finally reported that he saw a tiny cloud. It took faith to wait that long for his prayer to be answered. I picture announcing it’s going to rain and not one cloud in the sky, I would have been discouraged. I might have even given up after the fifth time and just got up and gone to get lunch feeling like it’s all over. But Elijah kept at it and kept at it until he got his answer. He didn’t doubt God for one second because he knew his prayer would be answered. When he got that tiny speck of a cloud the size of a man’s fist he took it and claimed victory with it. By verse 45 a terrific rainstorm hit. What an answer. It not only rained, it poured heavily.

We go through discouragement after discouragement and it sure beats us down. We have had prayers that are not answered or seem to just keep going in the opposite direction. We need the faith of Elijah in these moments. With every ‘no’ we keep receiving, let's keep staying on our knees and praying.

Let’s keep believing that God is still planning an amazing rainstorm.

Let’s keep trusting that each ‘no’ is for our benefit. The perfect time might not have arrived yet. Everything may not be lined up perfectly for it all to go through. It might be so wrong for us and not a great fit. Let’s accept that ‘no’ and do it with a thankful heart in the meantime.

I know. Sounds crazy. Thanks for rejecting me. Have an awesome day. But I do mean it. We don’t know the full plan or the reasoning. But all things are for our good. So if we complain, we are saying our manager doesn’t know what he is doing up there. We most definitely don’t want to be like the Israelites who wandered through the desert for 40 years because of their complaining. No thanks. Instead, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6) We will keep praying and thanking Him until our rainstorm comes down on us. 

Elijah saw that tiny cloud and jumped up. He didn’t wait for a dark sky or a raindrop. Just one small fist sized cloud was enough for him to claim it. If you get a sliver of a promise, claim your blessing. Grasp it and thank God. Because that small sign of hope is not an accident, nor is it a tease. It is your prayer coming true. Take it and run. Claim it everyday and bless Him until it comes to fruition. Don’t doubt Him. Because He is God. No matter the situation or circumstance, He can do it. No matter how long it has been or how bad it looks He can do it. No matter what needs to be done or where it needs to go, He can do it. Because He is God.