1 KINGS 17:1-6 – “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.”
THEME OF THE DAY: GOD’S ODD WAY OF PROVISION. It is an amazing account of God providing for His servant Elijah. Imagine what it would have been like to have the Lord tell us, “You are going to be hungry, but don’t fret. I am going to take care of you.”
There is no way Elijah thought his food would be served by a bunch of birds, and not even “good looking” birds at that. Not eagles or other types pleasant to the eyes. His “waiters” were ravens; all black birds but don’t be deceived by appearances. They were perfect for the job, and why not? God makes no mistakes. Here are five interesting facts about ravens helping us to see their qualifications for their assignment; they are intelligent, have the ability to mimic human speech and sounds, form strong bonds with mates, are playful in nature, and are the largest species of songbirds who may live up to 45 years. The qualities in this type of bird fitted them perfectly for the mission God gave them of caring for His servant. And there is a lesson, an important lesson, for us when it comes to God’s provision for us.
God promises that He will provide all our needs. Jesus spends much time in His Sermon on the Mount affirming God’s provision for us as our Heavenly Father – “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:25-33).
Go back and read the Matthew scripture again. While doing so, recognize not only God’s promise to provide for us, but how He will do so. Here’s the spoiler alert. We will find the promise of provision repeated, but not once will the means or the how appear. Why? Faith. God wants us to trust His promise not how the promise will be fulfilled. And that really defines the Christian life. We are not called to understand God’s ways, but to trust His ways – in all things, including how He will care and provide for us.
So, don’t fret about life. We have a Father in heaven who cares and will provide for us. He might use birds but let Him determine the how. We just trust He will.
PRAYER: Father, I praise You for being a faithful and caring Father providing for all my needs.
REFLECTION: Trust God’s promises to provide for us and leave the means and timing up to Him.