1 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.”
2 And the word of the LORD came to him:
3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.
4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
5 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.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
This seems way out of the ordinary. The prophet Elijah received his daily sustenance from ravens. In fact, God told Elijah he had commanded the ravens to to feed Elijah. Scoffers may doubt the validity to this story. I don't.
While Brenda and I cannot testify about ravens providing for us we can testify about God commanding people to be His instruments of provision just like He did with the ravens. He has used scores of people to come along side us to fund ministry projects like revivals, mission trips and publication of books. He has used such people to provide a salary for us.
When I first started in full time evangelistic work God called a business man I barely knew to give me $6,000 so for the first six months I would get a $1,000 a month salary in addition to what I made from traveling and preaching. He used financial partners to continue helping me in that ministry for years.
In the past seven years He has used multiple people to help us with housing, clothing, vehicle repairs, tires, and day to day bills. We've not asked for money. We ask God and He commands his people like ravens to help us. No. I do not doubt this story.
He has used wealthy people, middle class people and even retired people living on fixed incomes to help us. Over and over again when we've had a need God has used someone to meet that need. He commands the people to provide. They obey and another testimony is established.
The faith life is not an easy life. I would never has chosen this path for my family. It is the path God chose for us. It is trusting God from trial to trial, to move mountain after mountain and to pray without losing heart. I recently sat down to calculate what my family actually needed. Not wanted. What we needed. The figure surprised me. Somehow we get by. Week after week and month after month we get by. There is never extra. Sometimes the provision is lean. Somehow we get by.
I still preach, teach, write, shepherd and evangelize. While I busy myself with those things I leave the providing up to God. If He can command ravens to feed Elijah for a season He can certainly command people with the means to help not only me but all His children in need. He can do anything. He can provide for any need through any means He desires.
Are you in financial lack. Trust and obey the LORD. He has all the provision any of us will ever need.
Psalm 24:1 (ESV)
1 The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,
Psalm 50:10-12 (NKJV)
10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
12 "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
That means He has got all we will ever need. He has access to money, homes, automobiles, food, jobs, clothing and anything else we will ever need. His storehouse is full. It never gets depleted. It never gets low. When we have a need we can rest assured God is able to command people just like ravens to help when He wills.
Remember God has everything we will ever need. He also knows our address. That means He knows exactly how to get His provision to us at the right time. That is truth to rest in today.
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