Going There

There are very few prophets that compare with Elijah in the bible; there are no records of his beginnings besides the fact that he "stood before God" (1 Kings 17:1). This window into his lifestyle is the foundational principle for his unparalleled exploits; he was upstanding before God ie he had a solid relationship with God. Many attempt to repeat the exploits of Elijah without his commitment to his relationship with God and thus fail at every attempt. We can not seek the fruits without investing in a real acquaintance with the seeds of his exploits - it was a relationship ("hidden") with God.

Elijah was no different from us in many regards (James 5:17) but perhaps in his confidence in God (rooted in relationship. Elijah commanded fire to come down from heaven based on his confidence on who he was to God; he said "if i be a man of God" let fire come down from heaven (2 Kings 1:10) and it was so. Such was his confidence in his relationship with God. In the time of King Ahab, Elijah instructed the clouds to withhold their water for years until he gave further instruction (1 Kings 17). Under this orchestrated famine, God commanded Elijah to go a a brook where he would be miraculously fed by ravens.

In this instruction, we find that God provided for Elijah not where he was but where he should go. God will very often provide for us as we obey his instruction to go there. There are many who are frustrated by waiting because they have not realized that the provision and miracle they desire has been assigned to the place they need to go. It requires faith to step out from 'here' to 'there' but the blessing is in the going. God never fails to provide for His people but His people often fail to receive His provisions because there aren't all there in their minds/thinking nor in their obedience to go there! It is important to reflect on the fact that if Elijah had waited for God's provisions he would have missed the miracle food by the ravens and perhaps the meal of the widow a few verses down. God commands a blessing in the place where we have obeyed His instruction to go - to go there!

Where is the 'there' in your life? Stop waiting around with laziness disguised as planning; step out into your there. There God has a blessing waiting for you. Never be too comfortable with here that you forget that there is a there that you must go. Even after the brook, there is a widow's house that you must go to Elijah because there also is a blessing - a miracle. Miracles do not come to the lazy but to those that are bold enough to go there.

Let's Go there!