When Nothing Has Changed

Bible Verse: I Kings 18:44-46 (NASB) - And when he returned the seventh time, he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a person’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And Elijah said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Harness your chariot horses and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’” Meanwhile the sky became dark with clouds and wind came up, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he belted his cloak around his waist and outran Ahab to Jezreel.

Waiting is often described as the hardest part. We hear it in songs, in poetry, and from people who want to encourage us; reminders that we are not alone in the wait. But for those who have felt the sting of disappointment while waiting, those words can begin to lose their sense of empathy. In this passage, Elijah tells his servant to go and look toward the sea. The servant returns with the report, “There is nothing.” Elijah tells him to go back; not once, not twice, but seven times. I don’t know about you, but after the second time I would not have wanted to go look again at the same view that had already proven to hold nothing of significance. Still, Elijah had already made the bold proclamation that there was the sound of a heavy shower, and yet each time the servant returned, he saw nothing.

What does that look like in your own life? How many times have you gone back to the same place, looking for any sign that what you believed God said is finally coming to pass, only to see nothing? Perhaps you felt in your heart that you received a promise from God, and now find yourself in the proverbial waiting room. The promise of a career, financial provision, a broken relationship restored, a loved one set free from drug or alcohol abuse, physical healing, finding the love of your life; the list can be endless. And yet you wait, day after day, month after month, and maybe even year after year. Some have waited decades. At some point, disappointment sets in. You start wondering if you really heard from God. Surely, if you had, the promise would have come to pass by now.

Throughout the Bible we see others who have gone before us in this waiting room of promise. Some, like Hannah, returned year after year to pray and still left without the child she longed for. Others, like Abraham, watched the years pass and still had no promised son, even attempting to “help” God fulfill His word. Joseph was sold into slavery at age 17 and spent years in captivity before stepping into his role in Egypt around the age of 30. Each of them lived in the space between promise and fulfillment, returning again and again to circumstances that showed no sign of change. Waiting on God and His timing is not something new with us in this lifetime.

Going back to the passage, put yourself in the place of the servant. Now imagine having to decide whether or not to go back again, all seven times. At what point would the walk no longer feel worth it? At what point would disappointment stop you like an object blocking the road? This is where hope comes in. This is where perseverance can rise up in your heart and you begin to wonder, “what if…” What if this is the time that will bring what I believed was promised? That small flicker of hope can be the very thing that keeps you going back again. Those moments are the ones that make all the difference.

In those moments, where small hope and possible disappointment co-exist, perhaps it is time for a shift in thinking. Perhaps it’s in those times that you can remind yourself that He is a God to be trusted, and that His very nature tells us He cannot lie. He is good, and because of that, we can trust that He is not working against us, even when the outcome is not yet clear. Sometimes it’s a matter of repeating over and over, God is good, God is faithful, God knows where I am, He will never leave me, nor forsake me. Reminding yourself that the same God who delivered Joseph from prison, who gave Abraham his promised child, or who gave Hannah the child she prayed for is still at work, even when you cannot yet see the evidence. It becomes a matter of what we choose to focus on.

Because one day, just like in this passage, you may begin to see something small; like the cloud described as being the size of a person’s hand rising up out of the sea. It can be really small, almost too small to notice. The servant stood on the shore, looking out toward the sea with expectation, searching for any sign that what was spoken was beginning to take shape. And one day, he saw it. In the same way, there may be moments when you begin to notice small evidence that God is still at work, even if the full outcome is not yet clear. Keep looking to the horizon, keep hoping and trusting that what God has spoken is not forgotten, even as you wait.

Father, give us eyes to see what you are doing. Keep us from taking things into our own hands and help us to wait on you with hope, expectation, and trust. You are a good God, and we proclaim today that Your will be done in our lives according to Your perfect timing and purpose. Draw near to us in the waiting and grant us the comfort and peace that only You can provide.