Waiting For Ravens

Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” And the word of the Lord came to him: “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. 1 Kings 17:1-7

Elijah was a man on assignment. He was to bring the word of the Lord to the evil king, Ahab and initiate God's judgment upon the nations through those he was called to appoint. His assignment was great and required complete dedication and commitment. We are introduced to Elijah in 1 Kings 17 where we find some curious details. The first thing we see is that he has been given authority over the rain and dew. The command he gives for no rain or dew is for multiple years. During this time, water would be limited for everyone, including Elijah. After God gives Elijah his assignment, He tells him to go hide himself by a brook. While he is at the brook, he is to receive daily provision from ravens who have been commanded by God to bring Elijah bread and meat. The brook is his source of water, but eventually, it dries up. Why would God start something and then seem to let it go to ruin?

The scriptures do not tell us everything that God told Elijah. We're given the information we need in order to gain instruction, not necessarily every detail of the interactions between God and the prophet. From the events that follow in the rest of 1 Kings 17 and chapters 18 and 19, we know that God had an elaborate plan to deal with the evil that was permeating the land. And although it seemed like He had started something that was not going to work out since His agent was in hiding and his water supply dried up, God was putting together significant things for the northern tribes, as well as reiterating His principle of provision. Each step was necessary in order for the greatness of God to be revealed, both in His authority and His steadfastness.

Whether it is correction for our mistakes or food for our bodies, God knows everything that we need. And He consistently makes it known throughout His word that He will provide for those needs. Elijah faced a great opponent in King Ahab, his queen, and the prophets of Baal. He was afraid of them, but God empowered him to approach them with boldness. He hid Elijah so that he would not be taken captive or killed before his mission was completed. He provided food and water for him during the drought. And when one resource ran out, the Lord had another already prepared to replace it.

God is faithful. No matter what kind of drought you are in, you can be assured that the ravens are being sent with daily provisions.