The Path to a Miracle Goes Through Uncomfortable Territory
By Rick Warren
“Then the Lordspoke his word to Elijah, ‘Go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I have commanded a widow there to take care of you.’ So Elijah went to Zarephath” (1 Kings 17:8-10a NCV).
When you’re scared to death and vulnerable, you don’t know where you’re going, you don’t know how long it’s going to take, and you don’t know what’s going to happen when you get there, what do you do?
You remember that the path to a miracle often goes through uncomfortable territory.
The Bible gives an illustration in 1 Kings 17:8-10: “Then the Lordspoke his word to Elijah, ‘Go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I have commanded a widow there to take care of you.’ So Elijah went to Zarephath” (NCV).
God told Elijah to walk more than 100 miles during a drought through dangerous territory, where everyone knew who he was and that King Ahab had a price on his head. When Elijah finally made it to Zarephath, he met a poor widow who was going to feed him. But how could she help defend or protect him from a pagan town full of people who wouldn’t hesitate to kill him?
Miracles don’t happen when things are comfortable. Miracles happen when things are uncomfortable. Elijah didn’t say, “God, there are three things wrong with this plan. One, you’re sending me in the wrong direction. Two, you’re sending me to the wrong location. And three, you’re sending me to the wrong protection.”
Elijah just obeyed.
God’s path to a miracle often takes us through uncomfortable territory because it forces us to depend on him.
For instance:
- When Moses led the Israelites out of slavery to the Promised Land, they had to go through the Red Sea first.
- Before David could slay Goliath, he had to walk onto the battlefield.
- God told Jehoshaphat to put the choir before the army, and he’d win the victory. How much faith do you think that took?
Miracles never happen in your comfort zone, when everything’s great and convenient. You don’t need a miracle when everything is settled in your life. You only need a miracle when you’re on the edge, when you’re scared to death, when you’re insecure, when you can get hit at any angle.
Are you at a place right now in your life where things are a little uncomfortable — financially, emotionally, relationally, or physically? You’re a little nervous, a little on the edge, a little insecure. Congratulations. You’re on the path to a miracle!
Just like Elijah, God wants you to obey so you can see his miracle at the end of the road.
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Talk It Over
- What is God asking you to do that makes you uncomfortable?
- What do you want God to do in your life? How have you expressed your anticipation of his miracle in your life?
- Who are the people who can encourage you on the uncomfortable road of faith you may be walking right now?
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This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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