The Weight of a Promise

Some of you have assumed a posture of faith where you cannot see what is coming. You don’t need natural sight to confirm the approaching fulfillment of God’s promise. You only need faith.

Did you know that clouds are heavy? A small cloud can weigh about as much as a car. A large thunderstorm cloud can weigh as much as 500 million pounds. The average cumulus cloud weighs 1 million pounds. It is the water content that creates the weight of a cloud. When we look for a promise from God when it’s offered in what feels like an impossible situation, it can be hard to believe those yet-to-be-fulfilled promises carry immense spiritual weight.

After the historic showdown between the prophets of Baal and Elijah, where the fire of God fell and completely consumed Elijah’s sacrifice, the text tells us, “Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees” (I Kings 18:42). Elijah asked his servant to go out and look for an approaching cloud. He couldn’t see it for himself because of his physical posture of prayer.

Elijah had to ask his servant to go out repeatedly and look until a small cloud finally appeared.“The seventh time the servant reported, ‘A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea’” (vs.44). At that point, the sky filled with clouds, and heavy rain began to fall.

Some of you are living in a posture of faith that makes it hard to see what is coming from a natural perspective. You have held that posture and never gave up. All you need to see to confirm your act of faith is the smallest form of evidence, like a cloud the size of a man’s hand, that will confirm the promised work of God has begun.

A weighty downpour of fulfillment is coming for those who continue to believe. Like a small cloud that appears in a clear sky carrying the weight of hope, the response of the Lord to your faith will bring a great surprise when the payload of the promise is finally released in a deluge of blessings.

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Garris Elkins

Featured Image by José Ramos on Unsplash

About the Author

Garris Elkins is a Kingdom Winds Contributor. He and his wife, Jan, serve the global Church through writing, speaking, and mentoring. They live in southern Oregon, tucked away in the foothills of the Rogue Valley. Their shared desire is to have each person learn how to hear the heart of God and become a transforming voice in their culture.

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