The word
of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kirith
Revine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered
the ravens to feed you there.” 1st Kings 17:2 (NIV)
Elijah the Prophet was in big trouble. He had just finished prophesying that God would withhold rain from Israel as judgment for her sins. The king, Ahab, was really angry.
God told
Elijah to lay low for a while. He sent him to a secluded spot where He promised
to supply his needs. Morning and evening He sent Ravens to bring him food. God
used this time of testing to prepare Elijah for greater trials yet to face.
The LORD
always leads us into places where He sustains us and trains us. There’s no sin
in wondering why we’re going through a trial. But for myself, I’ve found my own
comfort and growth was strengthened when I began to ask, “What does God want to
teach me, here?” He brought His prophet into the desert and took care of this Orthodox
Jew in a very unorthodox way. Elijah’s food was delivered, prepackaged, in a
neat beak.
God shows us
that in any situation in which we find ourselves, He can meet our every need,
even if it means using the wings of ravens to bring Him honor, praise, and
worship.
But this was
only part of the story. As we read on, we find that when Elijah’s time in the
wilderness was done, God didn’t fly him home to live a life for the birds.
Instead, He used him in many more ways. When his time on earth was finished, God
dispatched a chariot of fire to fly him to Himself (2nd Kings 2:11).
God is always
faithful. Even in the dry and barren wilderness experiences, He seldom works
the same way twice. He doesn’t want us to become enamored with routine solutions
which we will begin to trust over Him.
The exciting
thing is He’s not limited in what He can do for us or how He
accomplishes it. He can use the wings of a 747 or the wings of a raven. Birds
of a feather can flock together, to be sure, but the LORD’s ability to meet
your needs goes far and away above that. That’s enough to cause a weary heart
to take wing! When ravens won’t fit the bill, He will.
Ken
