Earlier this week we talked about how when it mattered most, Elijah showed up and his faith was on fire. He stood against over 850 false prophets by himself. Deeply believing in faith that revival would happen in his nation. He diligently sought God, and he believed that God would send fire to the Earth and prove His presence. He also believed that God would respond to the people's spiritual alignment by sending a physical reward of restoration and renewal to the land. Through Elijah's strong faith, faith on fire, God ended the drought and famine. He brought rain and healing to their nation!
We can glean a great deal from Elijah when it comes to having stable faith; a faith that is not double-minded. Here are four takeaways from his experience on Mount Carmel that help us learn how to stabilize our faith:
1. YOU MUST BE WILLING TO SAY WHAT YOU HEAR
Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” -1 Kings 18:41 (NKJV)
2. REALIZE OTHERS MAY NOT SEE WHAT YOU HEAR (Elijah) said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” -1 Kings 18:43 (NKJV)
3. NEVER FORGET, MIRACLES USUALLY START SMALL
Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” - 1 Kings 18:44 (NKJV) 4. FAITH LOOKS AGAIN
(Elijah) said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times, he said, “GO AGAIN.”
-1 Kings 18:43-44 (NKJV)
Maybe you’ve thought things like, I know God would do it for him… but I don’t think He would do it for me. Or I know that God would do that for that family, but I don’t think He’d do it for mine. We begin to think we heard God wrong, or maybe we missed something. Our faith begins to become double-minded and unstable, and before we realize it we are making God sick. Our faith should not waiver! Our faith needs to be stable and be a look again type of faith.
Here are two things you can do right away to activate stable faith in YOUR LIFE NOW:
1. Create a culture that looks AGAIN
Set the example. Elijah required those around him to look again, even though they continued to see nothing each time they went to look for a visual that correlated with what he said he was hearing. When you have a promise from God’s word, don’t be afraid to look again or challenge the people in your circle of influence to look again. Don’t miss your miracle by walking away right about the time it is getting ready to be revealed on the horizon.
2. Speak the word AGAIN and AGAIN
And Elijah came to all the people and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. -1 Kings 18:21 (NKJV)
We learn from this passage that a sign of backslidden faith was silence. The people couldn’t even state which God they served. Meanwhile, Elijah was stating over and over, that he heard God’s rain on the horizon, so someone should go look again!
When you stop decreeing the Word in faith, it might be an indication that you are backsliding in your faith and the enemy is choking your voice. He wants to squeeze the life out of your voice so you will NOT speak the word of God over your life. After all, even Jesus stated in Mark 4, “The cares of this world choke the word and make it unfruitful.”
I challenge you to look again! We need to have faith like Elijah that is on fire to see revival in our nation and stable enough to see it through. And, if we listen closely, like Elijah, we will also hear the sound of an abundance of rain:
“Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, and he will cause the rain to come down for you- The former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, my great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people shall never be put to shame. Then you shall know that I am… the Lord your God and there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame. And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, you old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on my servants...I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” (Joel 23-29NKJV)
We will all walk through what feels like seasons of drought and famine in our lives, but we must press on, pursue God, and stay focused on God in great faith. Keep seeking God with a diligent heart. Don’t stop looking again!
Something good is about to happen! https://youtu.be/vjLKClOF-Is
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