"Your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing." - 2 Thessalonians 1:3b

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Trust and Obey. I Kings 17-19


By Mike Durrill

These three chapters are teeming with incredible stories of God working through His prophet Elijah. There are many colorful characters and events that we read about, but I have chosen to write about a little verse that stood out and is practical for all of us at one point or another in our lives.

[4] You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." - 1 Kings 17:4 ESV

God is in complete control. There is nothing that escapes His eye or thwarts His plan. Elijah is His prophet to be used to glorify Him and show a wicked King and backslidden nation Who is God.

Big ideas. Big story. Big Plans.

Yet God completely controls the small events as well. In the midst of writing the history of a nation, He writes the history of a man. He teaches Elijah what it means to have faith in God in something as base as his daily sustenance. "Your drink will come from a brook." Fair enough. I've done that before. Backpacking in the wilderness I would whip out my trusty water filter and fill up a few canteens with some fresh mountain water. No big deal. Not much faith needed. But what about food? Oh, I will have the birds come bring you food. Huh? The birds? What kind of food? How much food? When will they come? How will this happen? I'm not sure I like this plan.

The Bible doesn't record Elijah's thoughts or internal reaction to God's plan. What would my reaction have been? How about you? I can imagine internally Elijah had some thoughts. :) However, he trusts God. He obeys. He goes to the brook and lives and was provided for until the time was right for God's big plan. It seems there is a principle. Trust and obey the "little" commands and you will be ready for the big ones when the time is right.

The ravens fed him there.

The point? God can and will take care of you. He controls even the smallest things.


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