your only if
I prayed for dryandbarren.com during my walk at Rockland Lake State Park on July 2, 2020. Maybe a celebration BBQ during Summer of 2022? Let’s face it guys, social distancing is not going anywhere.
What occurs to reach that “now i know…” moment?
Let’s examine what event occurred in the widow of Zarapheth’s life that brought her to her “now I know…” moment in the text:
Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”
“Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!”
The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”
Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth” (New International Version, emphasis added).
After the widow’s son dies and is miraculously brought back to life, the widow believes. Sound familiar? The widow’s son is her central and primary hope for happiness. She depends on the son as the only thing that can make her happy, secure and fulfilled. The son is her only if.
As a widow in that time, her economic security is completely vulnerable. She hopes for security because her son will grow up into adulthood (or at least adolescence), get a job, earn money and provide for them both. So even though the miracle of daily sustenance occurs everyday for 3 and a half years, she did not know that the word of the Lord was true. Her hope in what she thinks is the real answer blocks the way. The widow distorts her son’s place in her life. He is occupying the number one priority. All the while, something more important and more essential to her livelihood is sustaining her. Even though she neither acknowledges it or is grateful for it.
What is the only if in your life? My marriage needs healing. But it won’t really make me happy. My daughter is the love of my life. The thought of anything happening to her - I can’t even breathe. But my self-worth is not tied up in her happiness. I’m one of the few people in the world that truly love my day job. I’m right where I want to be. It can’t satisfy. I have fought addiction, depression, poor physical and emotional health. I love participating in this ministry and being witness to God’s heartbeat for the nations. I’ve surrendered them all to keep God Himself as my true only if.
My friends and family have all longed to find that boyfriend or girlfriend, get into that college, get married, get pregnant, find that job, get that respect at work. They have all longed to be free from making the same mistakes and gain freedom from the negative tapes in their heads. Only if I can have healing, then…
When those dreams die and I have nothing left, I turn to the Lord. I ask.
I ask: “WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST ME?!?!??!?!?”
The Lord replies, “give me your only if.” He takes it from my arms. He brings it to his upper chamber and lays it on the bed. He grieves with me and cries out to the Father with me. He cries out for me because I’m too weak. He lays himself over my dreams. In the picture of Elijah stretching himself over the boy, I see the Lord stretching himself out on the cross for me and my deepest hurts. Jesus cries out: “Take me instead! Let this boy live!”
Do you remember the last time your only if of the hour died? Did it come back to life? Maybe in a different form? Remember. You found your “now I know…” moment before… and you will get to “now I know…” again.
Observation - Which words in the post are the most interesting to you?
Understanding - What is it about those words?
Application - Identify your “only if” and lay it down before the Lord.
