Step by Step

The word of the Lord "came" to the prophetA prophet is someone who receives a message from God and passes it on to a specific group in the Old Testament, very often Israel. Prophets are, therefore, in close... More Elijah seven times (1 Kings 17:2, 8; 18:1; 19:9, 13; 21:17, 28). Thus, he experiences perfect guidance from God. However, especially in the beginning, Elijah only receives instructions for the next step. First, he is instructed to go to Ahab and tell him of the drought. Then he is told to hide by the brook Cherith. When the brook dries up, God sends him to the widow in Zarephath. God leads him step by step.

We see two important principles here.

• First: God delights in revealing His will to those who delight in doing His will. He does not grant new light until we are willing to walk according to the light we have already received. Abraham is a powerful example. He was commissioned to go to the land that God would show him. But he got stuck halfway in Haran. It was only when he set out to obey God completely that the Lord appeared to him again and gave him new promises (Gen 11:31-12:7). In Elijah's case, too, each new direction from God seemed to be a reward for obeying the previous one.
• Second, it is not God's way to show us all the way from the beginning. For the fleshThe term "flesh" is used in different meanings in the Bible: a) as an expression of physicality or humanity, which is inextricably linked to our life on earth. Examples: “the... More, and especially for energetic characters, this is not easy to bear. But it is God's way of making us aware that our way is to be a way of faith. God wants us to keep our eyes on Him at all times and not act independently.

Elijah may have wondered what would happen after his courageous appearance before Ahab. But that should not be his concern; God will show him the next step in time. All he has to do is obey and leave the rest to God. The Lord also knows why it is better for us not to know the next step and the one after that. Imagine if Elijah had known that he only had to say that one sentence and then hide. Not a very attractive prospect for a man of such zeal. Would he have left Gilead at all?

Do we want to learn again not to find these step-by-step instructions tedious and annoying, but to recognize the wisdom of God behind them? And will we take the next step in faith and obedience, even when we don't know what comes next?