The Fire, the Rain and the Wind – Pentecost 2014

1 Kings 18: 36-45 
³⁶ At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. ³⁷ Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
 
³⁸ Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

³⁹ When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!” ⁴⁰ Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.
 
⁴¹ And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” ⁴² So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

⁴³ “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.“There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

⁴⁴ The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”
So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

⁴⁵ Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. ⁴⁶ The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Reference: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+18&version=GNT

Prayer: Father thank you for this new day, and we give you praise as we celebrate the anniversary of the day that your Holy Spirit filled those assembled in the upper room. Thank you for another opportunity to reflect inwardly and to see if there is anything in us that is contrary to your divine will. We thank you for the fire that burns up everything in our lives that is not like you. We thank you for the cleansing rain which washes away all of the debris. And we thank you for the mighty wind which comes to reestablish your divine alignment and order. Father, you are welcome on this day to come into our lives and do an inside work that we may also be changed from head to toe. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Moving Forward

As I sat working on a project during the third watch of the night, I began to hear the rustling of the wind outside my window. As the wind picked up speed and lightening began to light up the sky, it was inevitable that a huge storm was about to pass through Memphis. After spending a few moments listening to see if I should just go on to bed and finish up what I was working on later today, I began to type faster as words began to flow up out of my spirit. Although a huge storm was moving throughout the city, I still had to remain focused and keep on working because God still had something to say despite what was going on around me.

During the course of the past few months Israel Houghton’s song “Moving Forward” has come up repeatedly in my spirit. I love this song not because Israel is one of my favorite minstrels, but because the words resonate with my spirit as a charge to move forward into the things that God has purposed for me to do and in the time that I have been allotted to do them in.

This morning during my quiet time as I listened intently to what the spirit of God was saying, I began to hear that there were some things in my life that needed to be closed out and completed before the end of this month. July which is the seventh month is also known as the month of completion. As details of the items that needed my immediate attention were revealed, I began to make mental notes so that I would not forget one single thing. God was truly showing forth His wisdom as He began to confirm to me details about the upcoming season and the things that were coming to a close in my life right now. Although my breakthrough stands within sight on the horizon, I am truly glad that I was up and working before the storm came, it has put my mind at rest knowing that this type of cleansing rain was good not only for the city but for my soul and spirit as well.

One of my favorite scriptures is Ecclesiastes 3, where in verse 1 Solomon writes; “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” With this thought in mind, as I move closer to my 44th year of life, I am learning so much more about myself as an individual as well as who I am as a child of God. Although during the course of 43 years, I have made numerous mistakes, and have by the grace and wisdom of God made many good decisions. Many of these decisions led me closer to God and many others took me away from His planned will for my life. Regardless of this fact, God had continued to shower His love upon and in me. My deepest desire and heart’s cry is to be a vessel unto honor and pleasing to God no matter the cost. After today, I have no plans of looking back; my face has now been set like flint so that I can move forward in God.

Although I have been directed to remove some people and things that have become distractions, I know that all things do work together for good in the end. Despite the many storms of this past season God has truly been merciful to me and my family. For without His mercy and grace I believe I would have fainted right smack in the middle of it all, but because I have a purpose and destiny to fulfill in God, He has come to strengthen me and to restore my soul. May this note offer some type of encouragement to you as you prepare to exit the month of completion and enter into your own month of new beginnings.

In God's love,

Arnita L. Fields