The release of our calling can begin with a single act of obedience that requires courage to speak when others remain silent. It happened to Elijah. He did not remain silent but spoke what the Lord told him to say, even at his peril. We are living in a similar time when we must overcome our fear and speak the word of the Lord when others choose to remain silent. A single act of courage will be a test of our faithfulness to God. It will open the door for the Lord to continue speaking and acting through us to reveal His will to the world.
The first mention of Elijah took place when he was told by the Lord to deliver a difficult word to King Ahab. It took a great deal of courage for Elijah to speak to an evil king. That single courageous act would begin a journey that would reveal profound manifestations of God’s power through Elijah’s prophetic gift.
Ahab was an evil ruler who “Did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any kings before him” (I Kings 16: 31). He married Jezebel and set up idols of false gods in the nation and “Did more to provoke the anger of the Lord, than any of the other kings of Israel before him” (vs 33).
Elijah gave this word to Ahab, “There will be no dew or rain for the next few years until I give the word” (17:1). After speaking the word to Ahab, Elijah ran away. What would then follow in his retreat would be astounding miracles like raising a widow’s son from the dead and the contest on Mount Carmel where the false prophets of Ahab would be humiliated by a demonstration of God’s power. God needed a courageous prophet to speak, and He found that person in Elijah.
In some settings, speaking God’s truth or a prophetic word of correction will draw demeaning and mocking labels, even within the Church. Speaking the truth in love will create a reaction, not just a rebuke of the truth, but in some instances, it will cost us financially and even a risk to our lives.
The Lord is looking for courageous voices to speak His truth while realizing the personal peril those voices will suffer. This life is short in comparison to eternity. It is in eternity that the reward for our obedience will be honored by God.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”(John 16:33).
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Garris Elkins
Featured Image by Alberto Bigoni on Unsplash
