Elijah will indeed come.

Two and a half weeks into the new year!   Many of us have spend time with extended family.   These gatherings, as joy filled as they can be, can also cause some tension.   Maybe your brother’s marriage is on the rocks and you’re not sure how he and his wife will interact with each other.   Or maybe your niece has moved in with her boyfriend and stopped going to church.

Take heart!   Just as God sent “Elijah” to prepare the way for Christ, you can be sure he will do the same in your family.

Think about the preparations you make when you’re getting ready for a loved one’s visit.   You make a special effort to clean, cook, and create a welcoming space.   How much more will the Lord do what’s necessary to prepare your loved ones to receive Jesus?   Consider what he has already done:

God sent an Elijah in the time of Jesus.   Before Jesus began his public ministry, John the Baptist prepared the way.   He preached repentance and reform.   He baptized the people who came to him, and many of them turned back to God.   Not all of them received his message, but remember that many of Jesus’ first disciples started out as disciples of John the Baptist.

God sent an Elijah in your life.   You have probably known people whose example had an impact on you.   You wanted to have faith like they had.   You wanted to know the Scriptures as well as they did.   You wanted the same peace and joy they had.   So you spent time with them and listened to what they had to say.   They were your Elijah!   Their influence opened your eyes and softened your heart to receive the Lord more deeply.

God will send an Elijah in the lives of your loved ones.   Count on it: God wants the path to be prepared so that he can work in the lives of your family and friends.   You can pray with confidence for God to send someone to the person you are most concerned about.   It might be your child or grandchild, neighbor or coworker.   God wants his life to grow in each one of them.

That’s good news!   So be encouraged.   Elijah will come!

word among us