1 Kings 18

OK this chapter kicks butt from start to finish. First, that Obadiah knows God will make Elijah disappear speaks to how much has already happened in Elijah's role as head prophet. But the whole showdown on Mt. Carmel is easily one of the most intense scenes in the Bible. Elijah already slaps the Baal worshippers in the face by the nature of the challenge itself. Baal was the god of weather and was depicted with a lightning bolt in his hand, so the fire thing should have been a snap. But he also taunted them all day while they begged and pleaded for their non-existent god to do his thing. If you read it in some translations, he even jokes that maybe he can't hear them because he's in the john. But when it's Elijah's turn, he makes the biggest statement so far. He pours gallons and gallons of water on his altar. Keep in mind, it hasn't rained in years at this point and the whole country is wasting away from the drought. In the last chapter, King Ahab was trying to come up with a way to keep the last of his livestock from dying. Even Elijah is having to get food and water miraculously through widows and ravens.

All this and Elijah's pouring water all over his altar. Why? Because of verse two. God had already told Elijah that He was going to make it rain (Li'l Wayne reference intended). At the end of the showdown (and after Elijah mass executes the prophets of Baal), Elijah even announces he hears the sound of a heavy rain.

Now comes the part I like best (and that's saying something, because the Mt. Carmel thing's pretty sweet). He gets down on his face and starts praying for God to act. God has already spoken and told Elijah that the rain was coming. Elijah could even hear it somewhere deep inside. But no one else could see it. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. He still had to get on his face, put his reputation on the line, and pray it out. After six times of sending his servant to check the horizon, he keeps hearing, "There's nothing there." Finally, on trip number seven, he sees a cloud coming that's about the size of your fist. And that's it. Elijah gets up. He tucks his robe into his belt and outruns Ahab's chariot back into town.

How many times have you seen no sign of God's word to you coming to pass? How many times have you had to pray for God to bring about something He already told you He was going to do? How many times have you had to take action with nothing but a little cloud for confirmation that God was going to come through?

I'm looking at my little cloud now. It's still way out on the horizon. But now is the time to hike up my skirt and get going. God's about to make it rain. I can hear the rainstorm coming.