Powerful Hand of the Lord
Now Playing: Do we have genuine confidence in God ?
Topic: God's Power
Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Elijah
Scripture: 1 Kings 18:45-46

The Powerful Hand of the Lord

1 Kings 18:45-46

"Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel."

The Powerful Hand of the Lord

For skiers, the problem is not swooshing downhill with the thrill of speed and precision. It's going back uphill again. That's why ski lifts were invented. But now a new ski innovation has been introduced to the world of downhill skiing. Known as ski sailing, it enables a skier with the aid of a sail, or parachute-type device, to ski uphill using the power of the wind. By virtue of the wind, the power behind you becomes greater than the hill above you.

Elijah also knew what it was like to experience a power beyond himself to accomplish what God required. As the rains descended, it became a race to see who would first arrive back at Jezreel to announce the news of Baal's defeat. It was not under his own power, but by "the hand of the Lord" that Elijah outdistanced Ahab, even though the king had a horse and chariot and Elijah was on foot.

When confronted with difficult tasks, we often hesitate because we fail to take into account the divine power we have behind us. When God's hand is upon us, no challenge is too great for us. Others may have advantages we don't possess. They may be more experienced, more knowledgeable or more talented, but all of that is irrelevant if God's hand is upon us. Human resources are no match for God's power.

If you are disadvantaged today, facing difficulties beyond your abilities, don't give up. Ask God to apply His powerful hand to your situation. With the power of God filling your sails, no slope is too steep. Others may appear to have the upper hand, but God has the more powerful hand.

If your life is an uphill slope, set your sails to catch God's power.

(from W. Kroll)