Waiting For The Rain

A lesson from Elijah…

I teach a ladies’ small group at church, and I’ve spoken at women’s conferences and retreats. When I talk to the women, many admit that prayer is an area they struggle with. While their belief is big, they have difficulty trusting God when waiting on His answer to their prayers. I must confess, waiting on God isn’t always my strong point either.

Then I remember a lesson from Elijah.

Elijah was a prophet sent by God to confront the evil of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel and to announce God’s judgment that “there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” 1 Kings 17:1

Years. Not days or months, but years. Years of parched fields, withered grass, waterless brooks, and dried-up cracked riverbeds. Years of listening to the cries of hungry people who experienced famine and loss. Years of hearing people beg God for rain and years of not hearing an affirmative answer from Him.

I know from experience that waiting for God’s answer can be challenging. His silence troubling. Waiting may cause us to doubt God’s goodness and His ability to provide, especially if we allow the enemy to enter the waiting room of our minds. We begin to fidget in our seats, toss and turn in our beds, watch the clock, and decide that God doesn’t hear our prayers. We may believe that God has forgotten us and, even worse, that He doesn’t care.

So, what is the lesson of Elijah? For three long years, Elijah waited. But pay attention! When God spoke with a word about the rain, Elijah heard Him.

“After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” 1 Kings 18:1

Those three long years waiting for God’s response didn’t keep Elijah from listening. He never closed his ears or stilled his hands to God’s voice to him. Instead, his ears were still pitched to God so that when God spoke, Elijah heard. And during those three years of waiting, Elijah continued in the mission God gave him. During Elijah’s time of waiting, God continued to work through Elijah, and Elijah was ready and willing.

The direction God sends us may not have anything to do with the requests we present to Him. His answers may not be what we thought we wanted to hear, and his timing is much longer than we expected.

But we can be confident that God’s plan continues even in our waiting.

We can be sure that He is still active and has a purpose beyond what our eyes can see.

As we wait, can we be like Elijah, ears open and feet ready to move? Can we ask God to grow our faith in the wait? Can we trust God to provide for our needs?

Even though we may be waiting for one answer, we can still ask for another. Elijah was waiting for rain, but in the meantime, he continued to cry out to and hear from the LORD. Elijah wasn’t so fixated on one answer that he closed his eyes to God’s movement in another. He continued to listen to God, follow His direction, trust in God’s provision, and rest in His care. And that’s what we can do.

First, seek God in prayer, then listen. He will answer in His timing. And while we wait, we tune our ears to God’s voice, follow His direction, trust Him to provide in the moment, and then rest.

What answer are you waiting for today? Can you apply the lesson of Elijah?

Prayer for the wait –

Lord, you invite me to come and present my requests to you. As I wait for your answer, help me continue to turn my ears to you and listen. I pray I continue to look to you, knowing you hear me and care about me. I pray to follow your guidance with obedience, trust your provision and rest in your sustaining care.