There are times that God gives us a word about the future--a message about breakthrough, about restoration, about rain after long season of drought and famine. But the word comes before the breakthrough. I love this verse from 1 Kings. There has been a 3 year drought in the land when Elijah hears the rain that God is sending. He is so confident in God's rain, that he tells the King to "Eat and drink--celebrate! Rain is on the way..." He tells the King to feast before the rain even comes.
1 Kings 18:41
The Message (MSG)
41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Up on your feet! Eat and drink—celebrate! Rain is on the way; I hear it coming.”
In this case, the feast is an act of faith in God. To feast during a famine is a demonstration of belief that God's plans for restoration are unstoppable, that the goodness of God is coming, that the smell of rain is in the air. My husband, son, and I have begun to try to live this out in a practical way. Every now and then we say "Let's have a feast!" We plan a special homemade dinner, kind of like a Thanksgiving meal together. We make the special things we don't have the time to make every day. One time, my son and I actually drew out a table runner showing the story of Elijah praying in the rain and running down the mountain so he wouldn't get soaked.
We act out the feast as a practical, tangible way of living out our faith that good is coming, even during seasons of grief and struggle, even when things appear stuck and with no progress. We may not feel we have anything in the natural to celebrate...but, we celebrate God's goodness (even when we can't see it with our human eyes), we celebrate God's faithfulness (even when we feel abandoned), and we celebrate God's restoration heart (even when we see only ruins in front of us). The feast is an act of faith for the future and a demonstration of belief in God's heart and good plans.
Have you planned a feast lately?
In this case, the feast is an act of faith in God. To feast during a famine is a demonstration of belief that God's plans for restoration are unstoppable, that the goodness of God is coming, that the smell of rain is in the air. My husband, son, and I have begun to try to live this out in a practical way. Every now and then we say "Let's have a feast!" We plan a special homemade dinner, kind of like a Thanksgiving meal together. We make the special things we don't have the time to make every day. One time, my son and I actually drew out a table runner showing the story of Elijah praying in the rain and running down the mountain so he wouldn't get soaked.
We act out the feast as a practical, tangible way of living out our faith that good is coming, even during seasons of grief and struggle, even when things appear stuck and with no progress. We may not feel we have anything in the natural to celebrate...but, we celebrate God's goodness (even when we can't see it with our human eyes), we celebrate God's faithfulness (even when we feel abandoned), and we celebrate God's restoration heart (even when we see only ruins in front of us). The feast is an act of faith for the future and a demonstration of belief in God's heart and good plans.
Have you planned a feast lately?
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