The seventh time (Elijah’s servant) said,
“Look, a little cloud no bigger than a person’s hand is rising out of the sea.”
1 Kings 18: 41-44
I thank God for the stories of my childhood.
In the 1930’s and 40’s my grandmother as well as the church community shared this story about a faith experience that our elders lived by and was impacted by. During these years all the farmers livelihood was based on their crops and for several months there had been a drought and the farmers’ crops were dying. The farmers (elders) of the community sent out a request to have a prayer gathering at 12:00 noon at Prospect UMC Church to pray for rain. A number of folks from the community arrived on their horse/mule and wagons and some in cars and they began to pray. In their desperation and crisis moment they sought the Lord and for a few hours of fervent prayer they emerged from the church and witnessed a small cloud in the distance.
You guessed it by nightfall they had their prayers answered with storm clouds and life giving rain.
Our elders keep that story before us that when our backs are against the wall and the droughts of our life are pressing we should take it to the Lord as this biblical lesson reminds us. We are witnessing a great historical drought out West today. I would to God, that folks would once again gather in faith and seek the face of God for this crisis. I believe the LORD will hear once again as He did in days of old, as He did in Prospect UMC, and bring the much needed rain to the drought starved Western States.
May God have mercy and grace for our brothers and sisters who are suffering and may we continue to pray.
Rev. Dr. Kenneth Locklear
If you would like to view past editions of Devotions with DS. Kenneth Locklear, follow this link: https://gatewaydistrictnc.org/category/from-the-ds/