"Elijah lived with God. He thought about
the nation's sin like God; he grieved over sin
like God; he spoke against sin like God. He
was all passion in his prayers and passionate
in his denunciation of evil in the land." Leonard
Ravenhill
We
know that as you proceed on your journey preparing
to go overseas, or even as you adjust to life
overseas, you are encountering some times of testing.
Please realize that the circumstances of end-time
living require a new level of end-time preparation
and dedication. We encourage you that hardship,
difficulty and even wondering if you will ever
be ready to do what God has laid on your heart
does have its fulfillment in God's timing. God
is testing your faith. He is making you passionate.
God is doing a work in you that only He could
do, and it is personally tailored to your life.
He knows what it will take, and He wants to live
with you in such a way and to such an extent that
no opposition will be able to alter your steadfastness,
your single-mindedness and your fearlessness.
Believe it or not, there will be a time when you
will thank Him exceedingly for every moment that
you have had to wait and persevere. Your muscles
are becoming strong, and you may not even know
it at the moment.
Elijah
lived with God. We have noted that Elijah
was a man who was absolutely dedicated to God
in every way. His prayers were passionate. He
felt the way God felt about sin. He knew the power
of God, and he saw God's power demonstrated in
the days in which he lived. He had qualities
that we must seek in our lives as we move forward
in God's calling.
- He
lived by faith and experienced the power of
God in his life - Elijah's simple trust
brought God's provision when none seemed to
be possible. The challenges to provision on
the mission field can be met only with this
kind of faith (I
Kings 17:1-10). When Elijah spoke the Word
of God, it was backed by the manifest presence
and power of God. Increasingly, missionaries
must see signs and wonders in their ministry.
That will bring the conviction of the Word of
God (I
Kings 18). God is preparing you for the
miraculous. It is through your intimacy, hourly
walking with God, and living by faith in an
increasing measure, that will enable you, also,
to see the miraculous in your ministry. This
attracts the world and will bring in the harvest.
In
what way is God testing your faith today?
Where is He bringing a personal enlargement
in your life by testing you beyond your human
limits? Think about it. God is personally
devoted to your growth. How does faith grow?
Look at Elijah, who lived outside his own
personal comfort zone and in the miraculous
presence of God.
"At
the time of the sacrifice, the prophet Elijah
stepped forward and prayed: 'O Lord, God of
Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known
today that you are God in Israel and that
I am your servant and have done all these
things at your command. Answer me, O Lord,
answer me, so these people will know that
you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning
their hearts back again.' Then the fire of
the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice,
the wood, the stones and the soil, and also
licked up the water in the trench. When all
the people saw this, they fell prostrate and
cried, 'The Lord - he is God! The Lord - he
is God." (I Kings 18:36-39)
- Elijah
was totally devoted to God.
In this fearless dedication, he obeyed the promptings
of the Holy Spirit - His unhesitating devotion
made Elijah a bold spokesman for what is right
(I
Kings 17:1, II
Kings 1:3-4). Instructions about where to
go and what to do came from his relationship
with God (I
Kings 17:2-6, 19:9-18).
God knew the best plan for Elijah's life, how
He could best use him and what would bring the
fulfillment of Elijah's destiny. In the same
way, God knows the plans He has for you. He
knows what you will need and how to get you
there. He is devoted to you. He wants you to
walk in simple, childlike trust, obeying His
promptings. Entrust yourself afresh to His perfect
design, and He will bring you to the place that
is purposed just for you. You won't miss it
if you walk in obedience and stay wholly dedicated
to Him.
In
what area do you sense the promptings to obedience
from the Holy Spirit? How can you personally
go further in your dedication to Him? Meditate;
think about it. Let God speak to you. Elijah
obeyed the promptings of the Holy Spirit even
when it was beyond human understanding. And
God came through for him on every occasion.
"Now
Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead,
said to Ahab, 'As the Lord the God of Israel,
lives, whom I serve, there will be neither
dew nor rain in the next few years except
at my word'… Some time later the brook dried
up because there had been no rain in the land."
(I Kings 17:1, 7)
Pray
that God will bring each one of us deeper in dedication,
more fearless in faith and steadfast in obedience.
May we be those set apart, marked out as different,
and geared to the circumstances of the hour. Our
prayer for you is that God will guide you specifically
in your future in missions. Walking forward in
the missionary call is a big step and a constant
challenge. We have the assurance that as you obey
the leading of the Holy Spirit, God will provide
the strength, wisdom and resources you need to
complete what He has begun in you.
"To
the question, 'Where is the Lord God of Elijah?'
we answer, 'Where are the Elijahs of God?' We
know Elijah was 'a man of like passions as we
are, but alas! We are not men of like prayer
as he was! One praying man stands as a majority
with God! Today God is bypassing men - not because
they are too ignorant, but because they are
too self-sufficient." Leonard Ravenhill
For
additional training on mentoring in the example
of Elijah; the spirit and power of Elijah and
the life of Elijah, read the book called Go
Forth in Power by Norman and Debbie Przybylski.
Training
in World Missions
To
learn more about the Elijah Company please read:
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