GOD PROVIDES

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

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 ordered the ravens to feed you 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

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

One thing that has always amazed me about the Lord is that He always seems to know what to bring us at just the right time. Truly, He is our great Provider.

And as we see in this passage, the Lord can also just as easily take away His provision.

For we have witnessed the disintegration of Israel in the Book of 1st Kings. First, the kingdom divided and as it did, evil spill in through the split…driving people into lives of sin as they regularly worshiped false gods, disobeying and disregarding the one true God…the One who commanded that there were to be no other gods before Him.

In Chapters 15 and 16, we read about a procession of evil kings which culminated with Ahab who scripture tells us was “did more evil in the eyes of the Lord” and “did more to provoke the Lord…to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him”.

So how would God respond?

As Chapter 17 opens, we find the answer. For we see where He sends a prophet named Elijah with a message for Ahab. Elijah told 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."

In other words, a drought was about to hit the land…and with drought came famine. And even thought Baal was considered the god of fertility and the lord of the rain, Israel would learn that this false god would bring them no relief. Only God…the only Giver of every good and perfect thing…would be able to do that.

So what happen to God’s messenger Elijah once the drought hit?

Let’s see.

God’s word tells us that “the word of the Lord came to Elijah” and said to him, "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."

And with that, Elijah, God’s faithful servant and messenger, “did what the Lord had told him”, going to “the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan” and staying there.

So how would Elijah sustain himself in the ravine?

Enter God who provided ravens who brought Elijah “bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening”. For drink, Elijah “drank from the brook”.

So while the people of Israel went without in what once was the land of plenty, God now provided plentifully for the servant who was faithful to Him.

Friends, there are several lessons for us to glean from these verses.

First, God despises those who choose to worship anything or anyone outside of Him. He had warned Israel that He was a jealous God (Exodus 20:5) who wouldn’t tolerate worship of idols or other gods. And when people choose to practice false worship, we can see where God takes action. In Israel’s case, God brought a drought. He could certainly call on any of a number things today to prove His point.

Second, God rewards and watches over those who are faithful to Him. Elijah, whose name means “The Lord is my God”, certainly did live up to that meaning in the way he lived his life. And that obedient servitude resulted in God watching over Elijah, even as He was punishing Israel. Surely, it pays for us to remain loyal to the One who always remain loyal to us.

Third, God provides. In Elijah’s case, the Lord brought him “bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening” and drink from the brook. Elijah had all he could ask for as he waited for the word of the Lord to give him further instruction. As we go to where the Lord leads us in His service, we need not fear whether we will be cared for or not because in Elijah, we see that God will provide for His faithful ones.

Finally, we learn that God will provide from unexpected sources. When we petition the Lord to meet our needs, trusting that He will deliver in His time and accordance to His will, we need to be prepared for any multitude of ways He will bring us provision.

How many times do you think that Elijah would have guessed that ravens would feed him daily? I know ravens wouldn’t have been at the top of my list. And yet, this God of wonders that we serve did just that…use ravens to provide for Elijah.

Given this, is there anything that is beyond the work of God’s Almighty Hands?

The answer is no. After all He is God.

So no matter what your circumstances are, always remain faithful and obedient to God’s word and will…and God will take care of you, providing what you need in what ever manner He chooses…all to His glory.

Is this truth not reason to not just give thanks today…but every day. I think you’ll agree it is.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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