After preaching about Noah this Sunday, I suddenly feel there might be a need for an ark in Gastonia.  But it will surely be dry again before long.  You see, God always keeps His promises.  We occasionally have times when we wonder about God’s purposes that are unfolding mysteriously around us, particularly when we have difficult moments.  We can feel abandoned or dissatisfied with where we are and blame God for it. 

Elijah, one of the great prophets of the Old Testament, had these feelings too.  Even after doing what God called him to do, he felt burned out and depressed; sometimes, we do too.  In these times, God still cares for us and supports us.  In 1 Kings 18-19, we see Elijah challenge the prophets of Baal to a “sacrifice-off “ where he called down fire from Heaven which God provided, and then he killed all the prophets of the false God Baal.  He won, but Queen Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah, and he ran away in fear.  Then he became depressed and wanted to sleep all the time.  God sent an angel to care for him and to get him to Mt. Horeb, where he stayed in a rustic Airbnb (cave) while God listened to his complaints about the people of Israel and his feelings of loneliness and rejection.  Then God sent a mighty wind.  But it was not in the wind.  Then God sent an Earthquake, and God was not in the Earthquake.  Then God sent fire, but God was not in the fire.  Then God came in the form of a still, small voice and spoke words of comfort to him and gave him a new mission to raise up a new King to replace Ahab, the husband of Jezebel.  And to train Elisha to take his place.  Also, God promised to prune the people of Israel down to those who were faithful to God.

Sometimes God calls us aside to ride the bench for a little while until we are ready to reenter the game.  He did it for Elijah, and he did it for the Church.  And sometimes, He prunes the Church until it is prepared and the season is right for growth. 

If you have felt laid aside for a time, if you think you are being pruned back, God is caring for you and preparing you.

If you see that the church has been pruned back and is in a time of preparation, then God is preparing the church for a new season of growth. 

In this way, God kept His promises to Elijah and Israel.  God will also keep His promises with us!

Peace,

Pastor Burt