Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 1 Kings 17:1-6 NIV
Elijah had the privilege of being God’s voice to King Ahab. The Bible tells us that Ahab was more evil and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord than any of the kings before him. He married Jezebel, whose family was steep in the worship of idols, and he built a temple to Baal in Samaria. Under his leadership, Israel very quickly turned to idol worship, especially the worship of Baal, who they believed was the god of rain and fertility. In His mercy, God did not reject His people but instead sent a drought. Yes, a drought is accompanied by suffering, but I can’t think of a better way to show His people that He alone was the source of everything they needed, including rain. One of the qualities I appreciate the most about God is His patience when we stray and the great lengths to which He goes to help us find our way back to Him. We don’t deserve such love and mercy, but He always gives it to us!
Elijah had not strayed, He had followed the Lord faithfully yet he too would have to live through the drought. That’s the way it is sometimes, we suffer hardship from no fault of our own. That’s just part of the human experience. Yet, just like God was committed to provide for Elijah throughout the drought, He too provides for all our needs. I find that very encouraging! Make no mistake, we all suffer times of drought, when we are in desperate need, even when we are following God faithfully. But you can be sure God is always aware of the needs you have and He is committed to help you through every difficult situation. Check out these encouraging verses:
I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Psalm 37:25 NIV
The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. Proverbs 10:3 NIV
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NASB
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:31-33 NLT
So what are the needs in your life that are worrying you today? If God sent the ravens to feed Elijah, surely He can provide what you need! But think about what that must have been like for Elijah. He ate whatever the ravens brought him, he had no choice as to what they brought, how much, or when they arrived. Sometimes our worry isn’t based in fear that we’ll go hungry, but rather fear that we won’t be able to maintain the level of comfort and control we’ve grown to love. Take a minute to let that sink in. When you find yourself worried about finances, I encourage you to examine your heart and determine exactly what it is that’s worrying you. If you find that your worry comes in not knowing the details of God’s provision, surrender control to Him and trust that whatever He provides will be enough.
I can picture the ravens sitting and waiting for the command to deliver food to Elijah. They flew in twice a day to bring him bread and meat. They carried just enough in the morning to last him until they returned in the evening. Elijah had to trust God to provide each meal, one at a time. Sometimes that’s the way God works. He gives us what we need but requires us to continue trusting Him to provide moment by moment. That so goes against our human nature, doesn’t it? We would much rather have a reserve in the bank than trust God to provide bill by bill. If we truly believe that God will provide for all of our needs, why does it take a surplus in the bank to sleep well at night? Nevertheless, I’m sure Elijah was comforted by the sight of the ravens as he spied them flying in on the horizon, and I imagine there were many times when he was watching for them.
If you’re in need today, seek God and express that need to Him. Take comfort in knowing that He loves you and is well aware of your circumstances. Trust Him to provide and remember that God’s resources are unlimited. Have faith and keep watching for the ravens!