The Upper Room devotional from yesterday was based on 1 Kings, when Elijah expects God to bring the rain and he is so confident even as things look grim. The writer suggested that sometimes we need to rejoice in the small acts of God, just as Elijah noticed the small puff of a cloud on the horizon.
The odds are stacked against Olivet Church - our location is less than ideal, there are lots of appealling, effective churches people can choose from in Lusby and just look at the financial market.. the future is grim for everyone, it seems... How can we have hope now?
And yet, I have never felt so sure and anchored in hope than I do right now, as your Pastor. Jesus promised to abide with us as we abide in Him, and to keep us nourished with his Living Presence, the Holy Spirit. We have all things in Christ, after all.
I can relate to Elijah - standing in dry times and getting excited about the signs of percipitation.
I wonder if Elijah jumped up and down when he saw that cloud?
When I see signs of God, I certainly do.
Before typing this blog, I got a voice mail from Doug Hood regarding some new equipment for our worship together that had me jumping up and down like a kid at a birthday party when they finally cut the cake. I could hardly hit re-dial. Then, on Monday, I was jumping up and down when Alma Rita told me there were over 100 persons counted on Sunday for worship! Last night, I was too tired to actually jump up and down, but I wanted to when Julie Blair and I found the most perfect graphic for the youth music video.
I can relate to Elijah - standing in dry times and getting excited about the signs of percipitation.
I wonder if Elijah jumped up and down when he saw that cloud?
When I see signs of God, I certainly do.
Before typing this blog, I got a voice mail from Doug Hood regarding some new equipment for our worship together that had me jumping up and down like a kid at a birthday party when they finally cut the cake. I could hardly hit re-dial. Then, on Monday, I was jumping up and down when Alma Rita told me there were over 100 persons counted on Sunday for worship! Last night, I was too tired to actually jump up and down, but I wanted to when Julie Blair and I found the most perfect graphic for the youth music video.
For Olivet, we just need to keep declaring that Jesus is the one for whom we live, and He will keep caring for us, providing for us. He is responsible for all these "small things," stuff that a skeptic would say were nothing..For me, these are Elijah's rain clouds.
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