God's Servants MUST Learn To Take One Step At A Time.

This is an elementary lesson; but it is hard to learn.

No doubt Elijah found it so.

Before he left Thisbe for Samaria, to deliver the message that burdened his soul, he would naturally inquire what he should do when he had delivered it.
 
How would he be received?

What would be the outcome?

Whither should he go to escape the vengeance of Jezebel, who had not shrunk from slaying with the sword prophets less dauntless than himself?

If he had asked those questions of God, and waited for a reply before he left his highland home, he would never have gone at all.

Our Father never treats His children so.

He only shows us one step at a time...

And that, the next; He bids us take it in faith.

We look up into His face and say: "But if I take this step, which is certain to involve me in difficulty, what shall I do next?"

The heavens will be dumb, save with the one repeated message, Take it, and trust Me.

But directly God's servant took the step to which he was led, and delivered the message...

Then "the word of the Lord came to him, saying: Get thee hence, hide thyself by the brook Cherith."

So it was afterwards; it was only when the brook had dried up...

And the stream had dwindled to pools...
 
And the pools to drops...

And the drops had died away in the sand...

Only then did the word of the Lord come to him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath.

I like that phrase, "the word of the Lord came to him."

He did not need to go to search for it; it came to him.

And so it will come to you.

It may come through the Word of God...

Or through a distinct impression made on your heart by the Holy Ghost...

Or through circumstances...

But it will find you out, and tell you what you are to do.

Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?

And the Lord said unto him...

Arise and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do"

It may be that for long you have had upon your mind some strong impression of duty...

But you have held back, because you could not see what the next step would be.

Hesitate no longer.

Step out upon what seems to be the impalpable mist:

You will find a slab of adamant beneath your feet;

And every time you put your foot forward, you will find that God has prepared a stepping-stone...

And the next, and the next...each as you come to it.

The bread is by the day.

The manna is every morning.

The strength is according to the moment's need.

God does not give all the directions at once, lest we should get confused;

He tells us just as much as we can remember and do.

Then we must look to Him for more;

And so we learn, by easy stages, the sublime habits of obedience and trust.
 
~F. B. Meyer~