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. Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 1 Kings 17:2-7 NIV
In our previous post, Watch For The Ravens we looked at the circumstances that brought Elijah to this place and considered what it was like for Elijah to depend on God to send the ravens each morning and evening. He had to wait for the birds to bring him food, but he was able to drink from the brook when ever he was thirsty. The drought lasted for a few years, and eventually, we’re not told exactly how long, the brook began to dry up. Can you imagine what it was like for Elijah to watch the level of the brook get lower and lower? It may have been a slow process but once it became noticeable I’d guess it rarely left Elijah’s mind. He needed water to survive, and if this brook was drying out, so were all the other water supplies in the area! When Elijah declared the drought to this evil king on God’s behalf, he also told him it would not rain again until he said so. Elijah was a wanted man! King Ahab was angry! So returning to the city to find water was probably not a good idea. His options were limited.
As he watched the brook dry up, I can image some of the thoughts going through his mind. Is God going to send me water or send me somewhere else? How much longer is this drought going to last? He must have wondered how his family and friends were surviving the drought. Were they okay? When would he get to see them again? Just how angry is King Ahab? So many questions, so few answers. Can you relate to that? Is there a tough situation you’re facing and you have no idea what’s going to happen next?
Elijah had two choices. He could watch the brook dry up and begin to worry. Fear of the unknown can be a powerful thing. He could have allowed his mind to consider all the worse possible outcomes, and very quickly be overcome with anxiety. That’s a very common reaction. Or he could remind himself that God was in control and he had nothing to fear. It wasn’t the ravens who had been providing him with food, it was God who sent them, nor was it the brook that had been providing him water, that was simply the method God used. Surely, God had a plan!
I’ve come to understand that God always has a plan but rarely shares the details with us. It’s like we are on a need to know basis. Why? Because He prefers us to keep seeking Him daily and trusting Him to work all things out for our good. He’s more interested in the journey we are on with Him than the situation itself. Everything we experience is designed to bring us closer to Him. He loves us and desires our relationship with Him to be intimate and personal. If you are in a drought and watching the brook dry up focus on God. Seek Him and realize that although you don’t know the what’s coming next, He has it all worked out!