Your Thermostat Setting

T

he gentle rumbling overhead tells me the air conditioner has just kicked in.  This is an especially good feeling since the temperatures have been in the nineties for the past few days.  As the cool air circulates through my home, I find myself more and more thankful for the little box attached to the wall that keeps the air conditioner in check. Whenever the temperature rises above a certain level or whenever it dips below a predetermined limit, the air conditioner either roars to life or shuts down.

We know the little box as a thermostat, designed to regulate the temperature of a home, preventing it from growing too hot or too cold.  What I love most about the thermostat is the fact I don’t have to keep checking it.  Once I set it, it automatically regulates the temperature and provides me with cool air when I need it.  It is so accurate and so reliable that I never give the climate in my house a second thought.  As long as the thermostat remains in proper condition, the comfort level of my home remains constant.

The basic principle behind the thermostat is quite simple.  I simply select a temperature that reflects my comfort level.  When the number of degrees in the house falls below that setting, the thermostat alerts the air conditioner to turn on and send cool air into the house. When the desired temperature is reached, the air conditioner shuts off until it is needed to replenish the cool air in my home.  The thermostat stands constant watch over my house, whether I am there or not, making sure I have what I need when I need it.

The concept of the thermostat is not new; and in fact, goes all the way back to Old Testament times.  We can see it best in the life of the prophet Elijah.  1 Kings 17:7-9 gives us an enlightening glimpse of Elijah’s life and how his needs were met.  In this passage of scripture, we read, “Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.  Then the word of the LORD came to him:  "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food."

Elijah has just come from telling King Ahab there will be no rain in the land for a period of a few years.  This was not a popular message and as soon as he leaves the king’s presence, God instructs him to flee and hide himself in the Kerith Ravine.  It is here that we find Elijah, sitting by the brook called Cherith, drinking from its waters and receiving his bread from the ravens who fed him daily.  Already, God has been working, providing Elijah with rest, with food, and with water.

But notice what our passage for today says, “Some time later the brook dried up…then the word of the LORD came to him.”  Do you see the thermostat at work?  Can you pinpoint Elijah’s level of need?  Do you see how God came to his rescue at just the right moment?  Let’s look at these three ideas for just a moment.

The brook provided Elijah with water in order to maintain his life.  It is impossible to go for long periods of time without water, especially in the wilderness.  But the brook began to dry up!  This didn’t happen overnight!  I imagine Elijah noticed it over a period of days or weeks.  Remember, he, himself, had told Ahab there would be no rain which meant that all the brooks would eventually dry up. 

Don’t you just know Elijah wondered what God was doing?  Don’t you just know he wondered if God had forgotten all about him?  But now we come to the words, “then the word of the LORD came to him.” Do you hear the rumble as the air conditioner in Elijah’s life kicks in?  God knew when to step in.  He knew that Elijah needed nourishment to survive and, just when it seemed all was lost, God stepped in and provided all that Elijah needed.  God sent him to a widow in Zarephath who would take care of him.  Notice that God had gone ahead of Elijah and commanded the widow to meet his needs.

Like the thermostat on my wall, God keeps constant vigil over our lives.  He knows what we need and when we need it, even when we are oblivious to this.  He has predetermined the levels of need for each of us and he has promised we would never do without.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that God watches over us, that he cares for us, and that he provides for us on a daily basis, working out the difficult areas of our life even before we get there.  What the thermostat is to a house, God is to the hearts, souls, and lives of his children.  He always knows the condition of our lives, he is always aware of our circumstances, and he is always ready, willing, and able to provide for us when we need it.  Not before, not after, but right on time.  Is your spiritual thermostat set properly today?