Quiet Outworkings

The prophet Elijah is about to be taken up to heaven to meet face to face with his God, and Elisha, his successor, is walking close beside him. Suddenly a chariot of fire and horses separate the two and Elijah is taken up in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11). In response to this, Elisha tears his clothes as an expression of grief. His spiritual father would walk alongside him no more. Picking up Elijah’s cloak Elisha strikes the Jordan River with it, as he’d seen Elijah do earlier. ‘Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah’, he cries out and God answers his question with a miraculous sign, parting the Jordon waters before him (2 Kings 2:14). God didn’t answer with mere words, but through actions. The same Spirit that was resting on the prophet Elijah was now resting on the shoulders of Elisha. Those around him could not deny that fact. The only difference was that Elisha had a double portion of the Spirit and would accomplish even greater things than his master (2 Kings 2:9-10).

As I was reading this narrative I was reminded of an episode that happened in my life many years ago, when working for another Christian charity. I came back from a walk and discovered Elisha’s words posted on the front door of the building that I both lived and worked in. In bold letters were written ‘Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ (2 Kings 2:14). I was very discouraged at the time and remember saying in my heart that I didn’t think He was there. How wrong I was! Just because we can’t perceive God’s working, doesn’t mean that he isn’t at work. Sometimes we’re looking for the spectacular, and fail to see what God’s doing. The truth of the matter is that God is always at work, quietly, behind the scenes, and is bringing His purposes to pass. Where is the God of Elijah? we muse to ourselves, and a small still voice within whispers “I’m here. Trust me”. Yes God is in the spectacular, but also in the seemingly mundane happenings as well.

Much of the miraculous in our lives is outworked through small steps of faith and obedience, and released to us in bite-sized pieces. Suddenly we realise that the sin we struggled with for so long is no longer a problem, that the mountain of financial lack has been moved – not all at once, but a shovel load of dirt at a time. Someone we’ve been consistently praying for announces they’ve become a Christian, or a difficult situation we’ve been dealing with is rectified. I thank God for the spectacular, but I also thank Him for His quiet outworkings in my life

Prayer: Thank You, Father God, that the ‘God of Elijah’ is also my God. I thank You for Your spectacular interventions in my life, but also for the quiet outworkings. You’re my God, and I love You. I trust You to bring about Your will and purposes for my life. Amen.