You know the story: Israel is being ruled by a wicked king named Ahab, he has not only led Israel away from God into Idolatry but he has also married a witch named Jezebel.
Together they led the children of Israel into deep rebellion and false worship.
God raised up a prophet that would not be shaken, and would not compromise and God sent him to confront this spirit of wickedness and false religion.
Elijah confronted Ahab and the false prophets of Baal and called fire down from heaven.
Now the people have repented and the false prophets have all been destroyed.
In our text the Prophet, the man of God has prophesied the rain is coming.
The drought is over.
He tells Ahab don't worry be happy the rain is on its way. So Ahab goes up to eat and drink, But Elijah goes away by himself along with his servant and throws himself down to the earth and begins to pray.
He sends his servant out to look toward the sea to see if there is any evidence of a change coming, to see if there is any sign of the rain coming.
His servant comes back with a bad report, a empty report, a negative report, he comes back with nothing. He reports to the man of God, there is nothing.
Six times the servant leaves the man of God to wrestle with God while he scans the heavens for a sign, for any evidence that God has heard his prayer. 6 times the report comes back the same, there is nothing. There was no mistaking his words, they were clear, they were sharp, and they were to the point.
There is nothing.
No doubt these words had an effect on Elijah, but a true man of faith is not shaken by what they see or don't see.
Instead of being discouraged and giving up Elijah turns up the heat, he presses his request, he intensifies his prayer.
He takes the negative report as a challenge to the Word of God. God had told him to appear before Ahab and he would send the rain.
He stands on the Word of God (and the Bible says: he prayed fervently). Fervently means white hot.
Finally on the 7th time his servant returns with a side note.
There is still nothing: but I saw a little cloud the size of a man's hand rising up out of the sea.
The poor servant was ready to hear those familiar words go look again.
Instead Elijah jumps up off his knees and sends his servant a different direction with a new order a new instruction.
He says go tell Ahab to hitch up his chariot and get down off this mountain for there is the sound of the abundance of rain. There is the sound of a down pour, a deluge, an extremely heavy hard rain.
And this is the word God put in my spirit and told me to prophesy to you.
He said prophesy to my people. (In the place where they said there is nothing shall come forth and abundance.)
I don't know who I'm talking to, and I don't know what that means to you, but you do.
Somebody has heard those words (there is nothing) not once not twice not 3 times over and over again.
there is nothing.
there's no money.
there's no hope.
there's no way.
there's no love.
there's no chance.
there's no change.
there's nothing left.
there's nothing we can do.
Those words are meant to signify the end. In other words: you can quit praying now. Quit confessing. Quit believing. Quit hoping. Quit expecting. Quit dreaming. Quit looking. Quit praising. Quit marching.
But I came to tell you, don't quit, don't quit believing, don't quit confessing God's Word. Don't quit marching around the walls.
Because in the same place where they said there is nothing shall come forth and abundance.
They may mean your doctor, your banker, your lawyer, your husband, or your wife.
Or they may mean your prodigals, who have said to you I'm never going to serve God so quit wasting your time praying for me.
They may even be religious people around you, who are telling you to give up on your dream, they say there's nothing, it's never going to happen.
They may be your circumstances that stand in total absolute contradiction to your faith.
But I remind you it always gets the darkest just before the dawn. Warfare surrounds the birth of a miracle. A woman never comes closer to dying then when giving birth.
Just before your break through you will fight your greatest battle.
Let me say it like this:
Your abundance is just beyond nothing.
You say I cant see nothing, I don't feel nothing, I don’t have any evidence.
I may not have any evidence from a natural perspective, but I’ve got confidence, (Gods word is true)
You're in the perfect position for a miracle.
Peter fished all night and caught nothing ( but with one word from Jesus he went from nothing to abundance).
He went from nothing to overflow.
From nothing to too much.
He had to call his partners to bring their boat and both boats were overloaded and began to sink.
Someone needs to know today, it's closer than you think. Your miracle,
Your healing, your breakthrough, it's closer than you think.
You're on the brink of a breakthrough, why do you think hell has been fighting you so hard.
I know you can't see it, but God's been working in the dark. God works the night shift.
He does his best work in the night seasons of your life.
Even when you can't trace his hands you can trust his heart. And whether we can see it or not, all things work together for your good that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.
The good the bad and the ugly.
Isaac was dwelling in a land stricken with famine. That means no rain, severe drought, no crops. It was a desolate place, and horrible conditions.
He thought to go to another place, look for better conditions, better environment, better weather, better ground.
But God said no.
Stay here and sow your seed here where there is nothing.
No doubt Isaac was criticized and ridiculed, no doubt they called him a fool for wasting his seed sowing in a drought stricken land. But Isaac obeyed the Lord and sowed his seed in that land where there was nothing and there came forth and abundance. He reaped in the same year a hundred fold in the very same place.
I want to tell somebody who is looking for a better place, better environment, more favorable circumstances.
I want to tell you hold on, God is going to bless you right where you are. In the place where they said there is nothing, shall come forth an abundance.
I know it's hard to keep marching when there is no visible evidence of change.
I know it's hard to keep tithing and sowing your seed when you're in a financial famine.
I know it's hard to praise God for healing when your body is wrecked with pain.
I know it's hard to stay positive when everything you see is negative.
I know it's hard to believe for rain when you've been in a long drought season.
I know by the Spirit I'm talking to some people who have been in a long drought season.
Drought means scarcity, lack, deficiency, emptiness dryness, waters, shortage want, need.
It may be a spiritual drought, you haven't felt God in a long time, and your spirit is dry and empty.
It may be a drought in your finances.
It may be a drought in your marriage, you're running on empty, you may feel like all the love is gone, there's nothing left.
It may be a drought in your health, You've been in a long hard battle and you're exhausted and worn out and you don't feel like you can fight one more day, your empty.
I came to declare to you tonight by the word of the Lord. The drought is breaking.
There's a drought busting anointing in this place.
Somebody needs to lift your hands right now and thank God that the drought is breaking.
I hear the sound of the abundance of rain.
I've heard all the negative reports.
I've heard all the discouraging words.
I've heard all the dream killers and faith assassinators.
I've heard the dry bones talking about how to dry they are and how hopeless it is.
I've heard the weather report, no relief in sight. There's no rain in the forecast Elijah.
They say the drought continues Elijah.
But I'm like Elijah tonight I'm tuned in to a different frequency and I'm hearing heavens forecast and heavens forecast is predicting heavy amounts of rain. Heaven's forecast is predicting flash flooding, you are in the warned areas tonight.
Elijah standing in the place where he heard the words there is nothing, now turns around and says, (I hear the sound of the abundance of rain.)
In other words, it's already been released in the heavens, its on its way.
Let me pause here to tell somebody, its on its way.
It's closer than you think.
Heaven's radar has already located it. Its in your county. Its in your town. It's in your neighborhood. It's coming down your road. It’s coming to your house.
I don't know who I'm talking to tonight, but God told me to prophesy to you, (the drought is over.)
The anointing is changing your season right now. That yoke destroying burden removing anointing is in this house right now.
The servant comes back the 7th time, he says ( I don't know what this mean but I see a little cloud the size of a mans hand.)
Elijah knew what it meant, it meant my prayer has been heard, your prayer has been heard, the answer is on it’s way.
God told me to tell somebody tonight (your prayer has been heard, the answer is on its way.
Your prayers have not been in vain, your praise has not been in vain, your sowing has not been in vain. your tithing has not been in vain, your faithfulness, your obedience, has not been in vain.
God is getting ready to reward you.
Blessings are coming your way.
Abundance is coming your way.
Joy unspeakable and full of glory is coming your way.
Your tears of sorrow are getting ready to turn into tears of joy.
You may be standing in the middle of the desert and you may be staring at nothing but sand, or you may be standing in the middle of the valley of dry bones with nothing but death and desolation and emptiness and confusion all around you. But let me remind you that it was into Ezekials boneyard that the wind of God began to blow and put back together everything that had been stolen everything that had been broken and raised up a mighty army.
Let me say it one more time.
In the place where they said there is nothing, shall come forth an abundance.
Somebody in this house you've been in a drought, but the drought is breaking.
The rain is falling.
The wind is blowing.
The anointing is flowing.
Who am I talking to tonight?
How many will do something crazy tonight, And do like Elijah and start acting like it's already done. Start praising him like you believe heavens weather report.
