"Go and look toward the sea," [Elijah] said to his servant. And he went up and looked.
"There is nothing there," he said.
Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."
— 1 Kings 18:43
Sometimes we go to the cupboard looking for answered prayer, and there’s nothing there.
A pastor I knew was an air traffic controller in Korea during the Korean War. One night he was faced with a terrible dilemma. A North Korean bomber was flying around the hills trying to find their base and bomb it. Everything was blacked out, so the bomber was dropping bombs harmlessly in a deserted valley nearby. But an American plane was returning to base. The sophisticated navigational systems that we now take for granted were not available then. The only way the pilot could safely land was to see the runway. The only way to see the runway was to turn on the lights. But if he turned on the lights, the bomber would find the base and bomb it.
In the tower with the controller was a friend of the American pilot. He demanded that the controller turn on the lights. The controller refused, citing his orders to keep the base in a blackout while an enemy bomber was in the vicinity. Eventually, the American plane ran out of fuel and crashed into the side of a mountain, killing the pilot.
There was an investigation. Why did the young air traffic controller refuse to turn on the lights? His actions led to the death of an American pilot and the loss of an American plane. How could he explain himself?
The General conducting the investigation looked at the air traffic controller. But after hearing ten words, he dismissed the case against him.
"Sir," the air traffic controller said, "I was acting on the last orders I received."
Sometimes in life, we need to move forward on the last orders we received. God has given us an instruction, He hasn’t given us any updates or changes, so we move ahead on the instruction we have unless and until God chooses to change it.
God honored Elijah’s persistence, and the seventh time, He sent the promised rain.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
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Dwight Clough is the author of four Christian books and is an active member of Lake City Church in Madison. This devotional is also available via email and you may review the archives back to 2002. To contact Dwight or Kim, use their contact form. You may also support their ministry.