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The Significance of a Cloud
By Janine Scott-Lowe, MD.
1 Kings 19:43-44:...and [Elijah] said to his servant, "Go and look out toward the sea." He did, but returned to Elijah and told him, "I didn't see anything." Then Elijah told him, "Go again, and again, and again, seven times!" Finally, the seventh time, his servant told him, "I saw a little cloud about the size of a man's hand rising from the sea."
Thank God for the clouds in our lives! What do you mean by that, you may ask? Why are clouds so significant? Well, as
a pastor of mine used to say, "I'm glad you asked."
In this scripture, Israel had been in a drought for three years. God had previously told Elijah that there wouldn't be any dew or rain for several years, until God said the word. Well, at this time, the word was said, and the rain was to return. Verse 41 says that Elijah "heard a mighty rainstorm was coming." He then got down on his knees, with his face between his knees (sounds like prayer to me) and told his servant what is written in today's scripture.
How do we apply this scripture to our lives today? What significance does it have for us?
Are you experiencing a drought in any area of your life? Does it seem like your circumstances are dry, and there is no rain in sight. My encouragement to you today is to open your spiritual eyes and "Go and see." You may not YET "see" anything in the PHYSICAL. You may actually have to keep looking several times, but be PERSISTENT...DON'T GIVE UP. When you least expect it, you WILL see something.
Reminds me of the story of Naaman, the important man, but he was a leper. When he went to the prophet to receive his healing, he was told to go dip in the Jordan River; not once, twice, or even three times, but SEVEN times. Seven, the number of perfection; seven, the number of wholeness; seven, the number of completion.
What if the servant or Naaman quit after only a few times? What if they decided not to PERSEVERE or STICK IT OUT? Maybe the cloud would never have been seen, and the rain may never have come, or the leprosy may never have
been healed.
Again, be encouraged. What God has promised you or what you have seen with your spiritual eyes WILL come to pass. But, it will take PERSISTENCE. Notice that both the servant and Naaman had something to do while waiting for their miracles. The servant had to "Go and see," and Naaman had to "Go and dip." In both cases, they weren't stagnant or passive. They had to "go." There was still a requirement of activity on THEIR part (remember, FAITH without WORKS is DEAD).
So, my word to you is to "go." PERSIST in what God has told you to do. Keep being OBEDIENT and keep being FAITHFUL. Eventually, at the time of completion, what you have seen in the SPIRIT will become manifest in the PHYSICAL. Your miracle SHALL COME!
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