Sunday’s message resounded in my spirit like drums against my ribs. The passage was I Kings 17 & 18, but one verse that really struck me was a comment Elijah made in 18:41. He remarked to King Ahab that there was the sound of heavy rain … yet there was not a cloud in the sky.  Elijah was experiencing the raining down of the Holy Spirit within him, stirring his faith and strengthening his resolve. So much so, that he went back up on the mountain to pray and wait for the rain that he trusted would come.

Several things went through my mind during this message. One was a reminder of the word that God impressed on me during the holidays – a sermon, you might say – that I jotted notes for but had tucked away in my journal, unsure of what to do with it. More on that in another post.

Another realization from the message was that I am powerless to change/repair my marriage – or anything else, for that matter – by my own willpower. Elijah was not responsible for Ahab’s reaction to his message; in fact, Elijah’s very life was in danger by even showing his face to the king who was already angry with him. His task was to follow God and speak His message. Likewise, in my own relationships, I have a responsibility to walk with God and obey Him, but I cannot make my spouse, my friends, my family or anyone else walk alongside me. They have to choose for themselves. However, Elijah’s faith brought forth fire and rain from heaven, which prompted people to turn from Baal and believe in the one true God. He even engaged his servant in the watching-and-waiting process.

I, too, need to focus on the Spirit raining inside of me before I can worry about the rain falling around me.