Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“At the seventh time he said, ‘Look, a little cloud no bigger than a person’s hand is rising out of the sea.’ Then he said, ‘Go say to Ahab, “Harness your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.”’ In a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind; there was a heavy rain.”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, November 8, 2023
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Sometimes it’s hard to see the signs. The drought had been going on for years. A tiny cloud would hardly have been cause for hope. But God tells Elijah that it doesn’t just mean rain is coming, but an absolute torrent, so large as to stop transportation.
There have been times of spiritual drought in my life that have seemed to drag on for long periods. Times when I couldn’t see how God was present and active. Times when it felt as though I would never find my way to where I was supposed to go. In the end, each time something happened to shift my circumstances—some awareness, some opportunity, some insight. In almost every case, when I looked back, I saw that there had been subtle signs I had failed to see. I’m so good at rationalizing things, at attempting to apply logic where faith is required. I could have spared myself hours, weeks, even years of difficulty if I had only been able to recognize the potential for drought-ending torrents in “little clouds no bigger than a person’s hand.” Sometimes, of course, I had to endure long-term difficulties in order to change in some vital way for the better, so I have no regrets for my obtuseness. Especially as I can share these things with others as a witness to the transformative power of God in my life—like in these devotions! Still, this is my pitch for trust that even the slightest indications of change can potentially turn everything on its head in the best possible ways.
When have I looked back and only then seen the obvious signs of God’s action in my life?
