Elijah and his servant climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. Sometimes it’s fun to climb a mountain and stand up there on the top and look in every direction. As we look off into the distance, we wonder at the beautiful view, but all too soon we must come down again through the dark forest and over the sharp, gray rocks.
But I don’t think it was fun for Elijah up there on the mountaintop that day. He was probably a thin and very thirsty man. You see, more than three years earlier he had prayed earnestly to God that He would stop the rains. And it did not rain for three years, so the trees were all bare and the farms and gardens had no flowers or food.
Why did Elijah pray to have the rains stopped? Because God’s people, who should have known better, were worshipping false gods, and this is not only sin, but it brings other sins. God’s way for us is the only way that works. And God cares about us, because He loves us very much.
Elijah had already destroyed the evil prophets, and now he reached the mountaintop and sat down with his head between his knees. I think he was praying in this position, and it was a short prayer. It was simply, Send rain! And this is exactly what God was ready to do. But notice that the evil prophets were destroyed first.
Elijah said to his servant, Go and look toward the sea. This was the great Mediterranean Sea, and the sky above it was solid blue with no clouds, as it had been for more than three years.
There is nothing, reported the servant.
Go again, said Elijah, and he repeated this command six times. And every time the servant’s answer was the same. There is nothing.
Have you found it the same in your life too? Nothing you hope for comes true. You are ready to say that God doesn’t answer. Remember one thing - nobody can break God’s promises! If you come to Him, He has promised never, never to cast you out. Jesus has promised cleansing for your sins, peace for your conscience, and everlasting life now and in His home forever. Come to Him now and find yourself richer than all the gold in all the countries of the whole world combined. God gives His blessings freely and forever.
Elijah told his servant to go look toward the sea again - the seventh time -and there it was. . . a cloud the size of a man’s hand! That’s not very big in the great blue sky, but Elijah knew his God and what He could do with one small cloud.
Elijah said, Tell the king to get his chariot ready so the rain doesn’t stop him!
Then the sky was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And it rained, and it rained.
Elijah’s prayer was answered. Then he did a surprising thing. He tucked the skirts of his robe (which the men wore in those days) into his belt so he could run, and he ran ahead of King Ahab’s chariot all the way to Jezreel.
That was a fast run, and it must have surprised the king. But the queen was not at all pleased . . . no, not at all! She did not want God to interfere with her life.
Are you like that too? Do you say, “I can handle my own problems”? You know, the biggest problem is that you are a sinner. Maybe the queen knew that too, but she still didn’t want God or anybody who brought a message from God . . . not even a good message, and she threatened to kill Elijah. She didn’t care about answered prayer and the love of God.
Do you? “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). “In this was [shown] the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:99In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9)). That’s the best news anybody ever told. Do you stand with the wicked queen on that subject and say, “NO”? Then you will perish forever in hell. That’s where lost sinners will end up. Or will you receive God’s love and the gift of His Son and live?
Think About God’s Word!
1. Why did Elijah pray to have the rain stopped?
2. Does it ever seem to you that God doesn’t answer our prayer? What character did Elijah have to have in order to wait for God’s answer to his prayers?
Project: How many years did God wait to fulfill the promise He made to the serpent in Genesis 3?