A LITTLE CLOUD

 

Monday, February 27, 2023

 

A LITTLE CLOUD

 

1 Kings 18:41-45

41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

44 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.

45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. KJV

 

          Elijah had predicted three years before that there would be no rain unless he said there would be. Now Elijah predicts that rain, heavy rain, was coming soon. Then he prayed. This is the reverse of common logic which would be to pray first and then give your prophecy.

 

          Elijah’s servants ran to the sea and noticed a small cloud the size of a man’s hand, but this cloud was the beginning of a rain that would flood the fords and make travel difficult. These rains would be as troublesome to Ahab as was the drought. Often the nature of God’s actions is misunderstood.

 

          Because God doesn’t punish sin immediately, the sinner may think that he has God’s permission and approval. Perhaps a “prophet” may warn of the consequences of sin, but the sinner sees it as a small and negligible thing, so he ignores the warning and continues on his way only to be trapped by the rains of a little cloud.

 

Eccl 8:11

11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. KJV

 

Dear Lord, give me the good sense to see your warnings and the better sense to repent of evil. AMEN