A Downpour of Blessings

Yael Eckstein  |  December 29, 2022

And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” —1 Kings 18:41

One of the founding principles of The Fellowship is God’s eternal promise He made to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you.” This is one of 12 devotions exploring the concept of blessing, barak, which is so important to both Christians and Jews.

One major difference between living in Israel as opposed to the United States, where I was raised, has to do with rain. Growing up in Chicago, I never remember anyone being especially upbeat because it was raining outside. People even use “rainy day” as an expression, implying a day that is not so happy.

But in Israel, it’s the total opposite! Here in the Middle East, if the rain doesn’t come in the winter months, it won’t fall at all. And without large natural freshwater resources, Israel relies on rain to survive.

 So when it rains, it actually puts everyone in a great mood. The flipside is that when the winter months pass by with very little rain, everyone gets worried. Special prayers are recited daily when this happens.

A Downpour of Blessings

In 1 Kings, we learn that God had sent a drought because of the idolatry and immorality that Ahab, the king of Israel, had spread throughout the land. Finally, in the third year of the drought, God said enough was enough. He told the prophet Elijah to announce that the rain was on its way.

As instructed, Elijah conveyed the news to Ahab and told him, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” Now, it wasn’t raining yet. There was not a cloud in the sky. Ahab must have been thinking: “That rain won’t come! It’s a dry sunny day!”

Elijah sent out his servant six times to check for signs of rain. Nothing. Then, finally on the seventh time, the servant reported that he saw a tiny cloud, about the size of a man’s hand, in the far distance. Elijah told Ahab, “Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you” (v. 44).

Again, I can imagine Ahab laughing at the thought of rain with just a whisper of a cloud in the sky. However, not long after, “the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling” (v. 45) and Ahab rode home in the pouring rain.

Friends, we need to remember this story when we are in a dry season of our own lives. Sometimes it may seem like the drought will go on forever. Don’t get depressed about how things may look right now; remember that God can create a downpour of blessings in our lives in a single instant.

Your Turn:

Take a few minutes of prayer time today to tell God that you trust Him, that His blessings and plan for your life are exactly what you need. Trust that, regardless of what you can see, the next blessings are on the way!