Faith

In Zimbabwe we could smell the rain before it arrived and we would say to each other, “𝘐𝘵 𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯!” Hope and excitement would arise, especially after a long, dry season. In Canada we lived near the train tracks, and we would always hear the train before it got there. As soon as the sound of that train horn was heard my little 4-year-old would run to the living room, jump on the couch, excited to catch a small glimpse of that train as it whistled by!

In Hebrews 11:1 we see a much-quoted verse, “𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒏.” There is an absolute conviction that we will see the miracle we are hoping for. We may not yet see it or hear it, but we know it is coming! Why? Because our hope is in the LORD, in His Word, in the absolute reality that He keeps His promises.

Just as we could smell the rain before it came or hear that train before we saw it – so is faith the ‘𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲’ we use that enables us to believe for the unseen, the concrete confirmation of that which we pray for. Elijah declared to Ahab when there wasn’t a cloud in the sky; “𝑮𝒐 𝒖𝒑, 𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒌; 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒃𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏.” 1Kings 18:41. The Great I Am had given Elijah a Word and by faith Elijah declared the end of the drought. Incredible faith! Faith allowed Elijah to see the rain long before it came.

I know that some of you have been in a long, hard season. You are believing for an end to the drought in your lives. I pray that the LORD would give you a word, that He would strengthen your faith. That you would find that word in the Bible, a promise that you can hold on to, knowing that you can trust the Promise Keeper, our glorious Savior – Jesus Christ.