Here at Lifespring we are so blessed to be able to hear and listen from so many. People and families putting their ears to the Lord and leaning into Him. This Sunday we had a word from a new elder, Rodney Lau. Rodney alongside his wife Ada and children Zoey, Rylie, and Evynne have served faithfully at Lifespring for many years. We thank God for them.
As Rodney was speaking on Sunday, there were so many gems that could be drawn from – but I felt the Lord want to highlight the following:
Rodney was sharing that in 2022, life felt “off”. The things that would normally bring him great joy – children, work, creating new relationships – seemed to bring more stress than joy. Something was off… but what changed? There was nothing standing out that needed to be addressed, he was still in the word… everything was the same! Yet everything was different!
In April 2023, Rodney went to Turkiye simply in obedience to the guidance of the Lord. And everything changed again – but this time for the better.
1 Kings 18:41-45
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”…“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elisha said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”… the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling…
This passage from 1 Kings came at a time of severe drought over the land that had already lasted years.
As Rodney was sharing his journey, God reminded me of this passage. I felt the Lord highlight the servant. The servant was simply obedient to Elijah. 7 times he went to go look! 6 times there was nothing. Yet on the 7th time, there was something small… “a cloud as small as a man’s hand”… which led to “the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling”.
One of the most important lessons Lifespring has embarked upon is obedience. We say it often, “Listen well, obey quickly”. In our obedience to the Lord’s direction, sometimes we expect certain results… yet sometimes there seems to be nothing. Like the servant who looked and saw nothing. Yet the servant continued to be obedient, over and over again – even with no results. But as the servant continued to be obedient, eventually he saw the cloud – eventually he saw a breakthrough and eventually the heavens open wide.
I want to encourage Lifespring to be like the servant. Obedience does not guarantee result. Obedience guarantees that we are where God wants us to be. And if we are where God wants us to be, there is no better place.