02/12/2015
GO AGAIN!
Hebrews 11:30 (KJV) By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
2 Kings 5:10 (KJV) And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
1 Kings 18:41-44 (KJV) And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
There are some things that just won't come or won't go easily. In most cases it's not lack of faith. It's just that more is actually needed. Jesus described such saying "this kind will not go - except..." more is needed.
Indeed, sometimes faith is demonstrated by spontaneous energetic decrees and declarations. We like this much even secretly believe that it's the only show of true faith. Indeed a casual read of James 5:18 about Elijah's prayers may create a false impression about faith. The more complete account is in the book of 1 Kings. In reality those one time bursts of spiritual energy are pretty rare or are culminations of longterm intercession. Far more often faith is proven by repeated unrelenting endurance and patient determination. Nothing proves faith like going again. We give up too soon, while God esteems passion and zeal highly. "The effectual FERVENT prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16b).
Is your Jericho shut up and walled up to heaven? Don't fret, go around again and again with fervor, until the sevens (completeness) are done. You will eventually witness the power and majesty of our God.
Or has the leprosy of hidden personal struggle refused to go? Humbly accept to plunge into the Jordan until the sevens are complete. Nothing will be unyielding to a yielded child of God!
Or perhaps you once heard the "sound of abundance of rain" but it has now been reported that "There is nothing". Elijah says, "Go again seven times". Soon enough a seemingly insignificant sign will confirm that the heavens have shifted and torrents will soon be flooding you with abundance.
Now... Go again!
