“Rainy Days”

 “ ⁴¹ And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” ⁴² So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. ⁴³ “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.  “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”  ⁴⁴ The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

 ⁴⁵ Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. ⁴⁶ The power of the LORD came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.” – 1 Kings 18:41-46

The opening text describes the coming of rain in Israel … not such a big deal, eh? Generally, people tend to hate “rainy days” and see them as an inconvenience…but what if I told you there had been NO rain for THREE & A HALF YEARS? Well, my friend, that’s EXACTLY what I’m telling you. Because of Israel’s wickedness and disobedience the prophet Elijah declared that it would not rain in the next few years until he said so (1 Kings 17:1, and was confirmed to be 3.5 years in James 5:17).

                     

The PRESENCE of rain doesn’t seem to matter as much until you read about the ABSENCE of rain… now read that again. How many things do we take for granted because we’re used to them being there?

Through searching the scriptures and revelation from the Holy Spirit, we are able to understand the symbolism of rain, how God provides and withholds it for His purposes and how it is tied to obedience. It is important to note that when God originally created the earth there was NO rain and that the ground was watered by streams (Gen 2:4-6) and that rain was NOT mentioned again until God decided to release the rain of The Great Flood (Gen 7:4)…which was after man committed sin.

In both the opening text and the reference to Genesis, rain was withheld by God to atone for the sins of His people because we have to remember that rain is/was essential to life in an agricultural society. No rain, No harvest. No harvest, No Food. No Food, You Die. So basically, No Rain = Death….Pretty Simple. (This is where we’re going to pause for a moment and Thank God for Jesus, who paid the debt of our sins for EACH and EVERY ONE of us!)

On the flip side, God uses rain to provide a harvest for His people in accordance with our obedience…

³ “‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, ⁴ I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. ⁵ Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.

⁹ “‘I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. ¹⁰ You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.¹¹ I will put my dwelling place^[a] among you, and I will not abhor you. ¹² I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. ¹³I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.” – Lev 26:3-5; 9-13

What all of the above says is that God is going to bless yo’ socks OFF by sending you rain….rain to nurture every seed that you’ve planted to ensure a PLENTIFUL harvest. In verse 10 God declares you’re going to have to MAKE room for the NEW blessing because you won’t be through with the OLD blessing yet!  And about those “seeds”….the seeds of faithfulness, love, patience, compassion, giving, encouragement, intercession, finances…they are ALL due for a harvest!

How do I know?!?!  Let me let you in on a little “secret”….Yesterday was….

                                               

… What does this have to do with anything huh? Let me share with you: 

“Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.” – Zech 10:1

In THIS season, one that is traditionally known for natural rain, ask God to send you SPIRITUAL RAIN! Ask for the rain while the rain is falling!!!! Begin to declare a bountiful harvest/return on EVERY seed you’ve sown because we’re standing in agreement (Mt 18:20) that we SHALL have what we say we will have (Mark 11:24) and we know that by faith we can declare and decree a thing and it WILL be established in the earth (Job 22:28). Life and death lie in the power of the tongue (Prov. 18:21) and it’s time to start confessing the blessing of the Lord over our lives, our families, homes, workplaces, churches, communities and EVERYTHING that we put our hands to!

Lastly, in verses 43-44 of the opening text after Elijah declared the rain, the servant didn’t see anything until a tiny cloud on the 7^th time…Don’t judge the magnitude of the rain based on the size (Zech 4:10, do not despise small beginnings!) Sometimes people WON’T see what you’ve professed right away … DON’T let what you (or they) SEE deter your declaration!!!!  

I love you and am praying for MANY “rainy days” ahead in your future!

Allison

(originally posted March 21, 2012)