“And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.” (1st Kings 18:44)
Not too much of God, but not too little of Him either, that seems to be the desire of many who call themselves by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ today. Rain, His blessings when we need them, when we call upon Him to ease our pain and suffering, to remove the inconveniences, to cancel our fears, remove the evil from our lives and sight, to make the circumstances once again as they were, expectantly content with no worries or complaints.
The drought, that dry and thirsty land where it seems the Almighty has withdrawn His grace and mercy towards us is not where what I will name the “average Christian” today will spend every effort seeking for the one small, hand shaped cloud.
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” (Psalm 42:5)
No, instead many complain, and sadly much louder than when the fruitful days were upon them, and they should have been offering praise to His name.
Faith, our faith in the mercy and love of the Most High toward those whom He has called to Himself is tested in both the raging storm and the barren heat of that dry and thirsty land, and both places are used as well to reveal to many that they have only been professing Him with their lips all this time.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)
Rest in the fire, rest in the storm, rest when death is assured, when pain is a constant companion, when all you try to reach for His glory mock you and forsake you.
True contentment, and the assurance of His never-ending love for us my friends is found in our soul, external conditions cannot modify this truth, the current status of our flesh does not change this truth.
“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:3)
Men and women of God have been tortured and killed, and are today experiencing this, because those of the world hate these truths, they hate that we have a peace that passes all understanding, they hate that we are the same in every circumstance, fire, flood, drought or bright sunny warm days, we do not change. They want us to fear, they want us to be afraid of an uncertain future, but rarely will they desire what we have been blessed to receive.
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)
Wars and rumors of wars, a world-wide economic crash, nation rising against nation, small clouds on the horizon, impending doom.
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matt. 6:34)
They fear, we trust.
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;” (Romans 5:3)
They want what we have, but they will not submit to the only One who can give it to them, and so they will do all they can to cause us to fear, to despair of the days that they can find no peace in. And not only them, not only our adversary who attempts to assail us at every turn, but our own flesh that knows full well that it also has an end, that the old man within us, our sinful nature, will be removed forever from us one day.
The storm clouds are approaching, and we will be removed from this planet before the levee breaks, but that is not to be our main concern, nor is the path to that day to be foremost in our minds. We have been sent as ambassadors of the eternal truths of the Word of God, not that there is a means to escape the coming darkness, and that darkness that now is, but that there is an escape from the fear.
Not only that there is a place of eternal beauty and rest, of peace incomprehensible awaiting all who trust in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will abide in forever, but that they also can be hid in Christ today.
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)
