Elijah Watched and Waited
Elijah's story teaches us the importance of watching and waiting for God, trusting in His plans and timing, and the power of patience in our relationship with Him.
Charles E. Cowman preaches about the unwavering faith of Elijah as he watched the brook dry up, refusing to let circumstances shake his trust in God. While unbelief sees God through circumstances, faith puts God between itself and circumstances, viewing them through Him. Despite the brook drying up and the wildlife disappearing, Elijah's patient spirit led him to receive a new direction from the Lord to go to Zarephath.
Text
"It came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land" (1 Kings 17:7).
Week after week, with unfaltering and steadfast spirit, Elijah watched that dwindling brook; often tempted to stagger through unbelief, but refusing to allow his circumstances to come between himself and God. Unbelief sees God through circumstances, as we sometimes see the sun shorn of his rays through smoky air; but faith puts God between itself and circumstances, and looks at them through Him. And so the dwindling brook became a silver thread; and the silver thread stood presently in pools at the foot of the largest boulders; and the pools shrank. The birds fled; the wild creatures of field and forest came no more to drink; the brook was dry. Only then to his patient and unwavering spirit, "the word of the Lord came, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath."
Most of us would have gotten anxious and worn with planning long before that. We should have ceased our songs as soon as the streamlet caroled less musically over its rocky bed; and with harps swinging on the willows, we should have paced to and fro upon the withering grass, lost in pensive thought. And probably, long ere the brook was dry, we should have devised some plan, and asking God's blessing on it, would have started off elsewhere.
God often does extricate us, because His mercy endureth forever; but if we had only waited first to see the unfolding of His plans, we should never have found ourselves landed in such an inextricable labyrinth; and we should never have been compelled to retrace our steps with so many tears of shame. Wait, patiently wait! --F. B. Meyer
Sermon Outline
- Elijah's Faith in Action
- Watching and Waiting
- Faith vs. Unbelief
- The Power of Patience
Key Quotes
“Unbelief sees God through circumstances, as we sometimes see the sun shorn of his rays through smoky air; but faith puts God between itself and circumstances, and looks at them through Him.” — Charles E. Cowman
“Wait, patiently wait!” — Charles E. Cowman
“Faith sees God through circumstances, while unbelief sees circumstances through God.” — Charles E. Cowman
Application Points
- We should trust in God's plans and timing, even when circumstances seem to be dwindling.
- Patience allows us to see the unfolding of God's plans and avoid getting anxious or worn out with planning.
- We should avoid taking matters into our own hands and instead wait for God to extricate us from difficult situations.