And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
(1 Kings 18:41 KJV)

After a long drought, there was proclaimed in the ear of the prophet of God that there was an abundance of rain. He couldn’t see it, but he could hear the proclamation that it was coming in abundance.

The Hebrew word for sound is proclamation or thundering declaration!

In this day and age, too many Christians want to see something before they will believe it. The Lord teaches us that we must believe it before we see it: “Therefore I say unto you, What things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24 KJV).

A Proper Order
First, we believe, and then we receive (have). In fact, we are taught by our Savior to say what we believe before we receive, because the Word spoken gives release to the things believed for.

For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
(Mark 11:23 KJV)

It is what is held as truth in the heart that will come out of our mouths and what is held in the heart will draw to itself for evil or good, curse or blessing:

…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
(Matt. 12:34 KJV)

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
(Luke 6:45 KJV)

In our lives, we bring forth and give birth to the treasure that is in our hearts and spoken with our mouths.

And it came to pass…Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And it came to pass…that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain….
(1 Kings 18:44-45 KJV)

The unseen must be looked for with the expectation of a man who has heard the proclamation of God, and although it may only begin as a small cloud the size of a man’s hand, the declaration of God must be held sure enough to act upon.

Don’t settle for a small cloud or a drizzle instead of a promised downpour. Things won’t always come the way you think they will.

And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, …Make this valley full of ditches. For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.
(2 Kings 3:14-17 KJV)

We must do what we would do if we were absolutely certain that what we heard proclaimed were speedily coming to pass. Action is the result of mature faith. “Make this valley full of ditches” was the requirement to have them filled with the provision of God.

The normal evidence of the provision (wind and rain, or whatever you or I might be looking for) will not always come the way we are used to, but He Who is the Provision will cause the provision to appear in the place, and at the time, promised.

Hebrews 10:23 (KJV) says: “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).”

We must ever remind ourselves that our faithful God watches over His Word until He brings it to pass. Jeremiah 1:12 says, “Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten [be alert, sleepless, on the lookout, ever watching] my word to perform it.”

Let our expectation and confession be: I have what God says I have whether I see it or not. God may not send it the way I’m expecting, but send it He will, just like He said…right on time!

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