“And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.” (I Kings 17)
It was during this critical period of Judah and Israel’s history, Elijah the Prophet abruptly comes into view. During the sinister days of Ahab’s deviation from the one true God, Elijah became the sudden prevailing spiritual power in the land.
Even the name Elijah has dramatic significance for the time and events; it means, “Yahweh is my God.” When Ahab’s govern officially defended the worship of Baal and other false gods, the very name of this bold prophet of God declared the truth.
This was a critical time in Israel, as the worship of the one true God appears to be entirely done away with in the northern kingdom.
Standing in the presence of a powerful apostate king, Elijah boldly proclaimed: “There shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” This was an extraordinary expression against Baal, the pagan god, who was believed to be the god controlling weather. Elijah would show that Yahweh was mightier than Baal, through his prayers.
Elijah was not simply the prophet during the drought, because he prayed the will of God, he was the cause of the drought. He prayed and it happened—yet he added that it would never rain except at his word—prayer!
God often uses drought to correct, even punish His wayward people. However, after the appointed time, He will also end the drought to display His power and glory. But notice, someone in the circle of God’s will prayed that it would rain . . . boldly!
So beloved, be encouraged to come boldly to the Throne of Grace and seek relief from these dry years. Someone of importance recently spoke of this California drought as the worst since 1977!
Almighty God, Creator and Designer of all that is, God of Mercy and Grace, I come before You boldly trusting Your great Love, while trembling in fear of Your Justice. My wisdom and understanding is shallow in these evil days. California, and perhaps much of the western states, certainly deserves the mighty power of Your hand withholding much rain these several years. I am grateful that You have been a help to Your children, as You provided for Your mighty prophet who was also affected by the lack of rain. We are thankful for all of Your blessings.
Yet, my LORD, I seek Your gracious hand of relief in mercy for all. Would You please bring about Your supernatural weather pattern changes in these areas of suffering to display Your Power over all other powers, and draw millions to Your salvation as Your glory is revealed? These are the desires of my heart in this situation, and I’m certain others of Your children would be in agreement. Thank You for hearing, caring and answering as we entreat in Jesus’ Name, Amen!