Now Elijah the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, I stand before Him, and there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!” Then a revelation from the Lord came to him: “Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself at the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan. You are to drink from the wadi. I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.” So he did what the Lord commanded. Elijah left and lived by the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan. The ravens kept bringing him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening, and he drank from the wadi. 1 Kings 17:1-6
My words…
Praise
You are the God who commanded the dew: “Do not show yourself moist on the ground in the cool of the morning.” You are the One who commanded the rain: “Do not fall to the earth from your home in the clouds.” And the dew and the rain were submissively obedient. The rivers dried up and the plants shriveled from thirst. But You provided for Elijah, Your prophet, in a way that makes me smile. Ravens. Why not? You who made the dew and rain hide from view for years can certainly bid some ravens to run an air-drop food delivery service. Elijah must have been tickled at first, receiving his bread and meat from the talons and beaks of ravens twice a day. Did he name them? Did he talk to them? I have read that some scholars believe that the original Hebrew text was mistranslated and that it wasn’t actually ravens that fed Elijah. Personally, I think using ravens sounds exactly like something You would do. And like the dew and the rain, the ravens were honored to do the bidding of their Creator. Nothing is impossible for You, for Yours is the only voice that nature obeys.
Prayer for me
As I sit here, a bird is perched on the fence in my yard. She jerks her head from side to side, aware of everything around her. She knows You better than I. She submits to You without hesitation or doubt – no matter what You ask of her. I desire to be like her. So I pray for a submissive spirit that bends to Your voice and Your will without question.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I do not give You the praise for how well I am provided for. The source of my comfort is not me. The source of all of my blessings is You. Forgive me for not praising You daily for the “ravens” You send to me.
Prayer for others
The rain and the ravens had no problem submitting to the will of their creator. The rain didn’t wait and debate the reality of Your existence. The ravens didn’t question Your authority over their lives. They knew the voice of the Creator and never thought, for one second, to disobey it. Such a lesson for Your human creation. I pray Your children will grow to know that submission to You reaps the greatest reward. To move against Your will leads to heartache.
Thank You
I cannot know how many times You have summoned a part of Your creation to save us, Your children, from pain, disaster, or ruin. I believe there are other “Elijahs” whom You have saved, are saving, and will save. Thank You, Lord!
More praise
I praise You, the One who holds the universe in the palm of His hand yet knows the number of feathers adorning the bird on my fence.
