Click here to read the Old Paths Journal.
Prerequisites for the Miraculous
1 Kings 17:13
"And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son."
When Elijah asked the widow woman to cook him some food, her response to him was, "I have not..." The only thing this poor widow woman had was enough food to cook one more meal for her and her son, and then they planned to starve to death. The fact is that this woman needed a miracle if she and her son were going to live. Yet, in the verse above, Elijah gave her three commands in order for her to see the miraculous. The same three commands that this lady had to do to see the miraculous in her life is the same thing you must do if you want to see the miraculous in your life.
First, Elijah told her to "Fear not." You will never accomplish the miraculous if you allow fear to hold you back. Though at times fear can motivate you to do more, most of the time fear will hold people back from doing something for God. Fear will keep the Christian from going soul winning. Fear will keep the young person from stepping out by faith into full-time service. Fear will keep the Christian from giving that extra offering. If you listen to it, fear will keep you from being able to see the miraculous. Whenever you face something great for God, it is natural to have fear, but you must not listen to the voice of fear, for it will keep you from seeing God work the miraculous through your life.
Second, Elijah told her to "go." When you decide not to listen to the voice of fear, then the next step is to step out and go. It is always the first step that will be the hardest step. Once you make the first step and go, then you will find the next steps will come naturally. However, you must be the one to make yourself go. The only way you will silence fear is by taking the first step. You may be fearful about God's will for your life, but you must take the first step to do it. When you do, fear will subside. You may be fearful about going soul winning, but you must take the first step and fear will step aside. It is always the first step that is the hardest step, but if you will take it you will find that fear will begin to slip away.
Last, Elijah told her to "do." Once you start going, then you must do what you are supposed to do. There are some who actually take the first step to go, but they end up getting side tracked with something else. Be careful about allowing other things to side track you from God's will. When Satan realizes that you won't listen to fear and that you have taken the first step to go, then his tactic is to side track you from what you stepped out to do. Don't let anything keep you from doing what God wants you to do. The miraculous is ahead if you will keep on going.
Moreover, don't let discouragement keep you from doing God's will. You may not see the miraculous immediately, but you must keep on doing if you are going to see it. Discouragement will set in, but you must keep on going in times of discouragement. Don't let discouragement keep you from seeing the miraculous.
Do you need a miracle in your life? Then don't listen to fear, and take the first step to go and do what God wants you to do. When you go, be sure to do what you set out to do with your first step. Don't let anything sidetrack you from doing God's will, and you will see God work the miraculous in your life.