EXPERIENCE THE EXTRAORDINARY GOD BY FAITH

There are times when God can seem distant, silent, or slow to answer. In those moments, it can be hard to hold on to faith, especially when our circumstances give us countless reasons to give in to fear and discouragement. Yet God calls us to anchor our faith in who He is, even when we cannot see what He is doing. Through the life of an ordinary man like Elijah, we see how we can experience the extraordinary ways God works in our lives through faith.

LISTEN

Despite how dangerous Elijah’s mission had become, he still listened to God’s instructions. The source of our faith comes from listening to God’s Word (Romans 10:17). Yet listening can be difficult when priorities, distractions, and desires compete for attention and hinder us from pursuing God’s will. God speaks to us through Scripture, the authorities He appoints in our lives, and intentional prayer. When we make time to quiet our hearts, listen to His Word, and seek His will, we become better able to recognize His guidance and follow where He leads.

OBEY

Faith doesn’t stop at listening; we must apply what God is telling us to do (James 1:22). Elijah obeyed God even when His instructions seemed strange or unlikely. He still obeyed drank from a brook, accepted meat and bread from unclean ravens, and asked for shelter and food from a widow who barely had enough for herself and her son. Even when the circumstances seemed impossible, Elijah chose to obey because he trusted God. In the same way, God’s plans for us may not always seem logical, but having faith means choosing to follow Him even when we cannot see how things will work out.

TRUST

Elijah obeyed because he trusted God’s promises, even when he could not see how God would provide. When Elijah asked the widow to make bread with what little she had, she obeyed, and they witnessed God’s faithfulness and provision. When we know who God is and seek to know His will for our lives, we learn to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). The more we know God and experience His faithfulness, the more we can trust Him even when we cannot see what lies ahead.

SUPPLICATE

Even after witnessing God’s power, Elijah still experienced fear when faced with Jezebel. He became so disheartened that he even wanted to die (1 Kings 19:3-4). Yet God did not abandon him in his lowest moment. Instead, He met Elijah in his weakness, providing for him and restoring his strength (1 Kings 19:5-7). In the same way, we too may experience moments when God seems distant or our prayers feel unanswered, but He is still present and at work. Our God understands our struggles and meets us in our weakness. As we depend on the Lord day by day, we can trust that God will sustain us and continue working in our lives.