ESOCS Devotional 17 December 2024 – Trusting God’s Word
MEMORY VERSE: “So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.”I Kings 17:5 KJV
TEXT:I KINGS 17:1–16
And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”
2 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4 And it will be that 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, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
12 So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a [a]jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ ”
15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.
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The first verse of chapter 17 is a declaration of a drought in the land. God used drought as a symbol of judgment. Not only is there a physical drought in the land bringing about a famine and loss of prosperity, but there is also a spiritual drought. The word of God had left the nation. God was no longer instructing these people because of their sins. So, Elijah was sent away from the nation of Israel.
There are four things in each of these two simple stories that teach us some amazing truths about God’s ways in our personal affairs. In each of them, there’s a command, a promise, an obedience and a supply.
His command was simple in the first event. God said, “Go over beyond the Jordan to a little brook named Cherith and dwell there.” In verse 8, “The word of the Lord came to him.” Go to Sidon, well outside of Israel.
Attached to both of God’s commands were two unfailing promises: “And it shall be, that thou shall drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there” (17:4). When you go, I’ll take care of you. Don’t worry about accommodations, reservations, or room and board – I’ll take care of you. That’s a promise. Then God said, “Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon, and dwell there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee” (17:9). That’s the promise. You go; I’ll meet your needs. Whenever God commands us to do something, He also promises us the grace and means with which to do it. Beloved, God will never ask you to do something without providing the grace and help to do it.
1 Kings 17:5 and 10 state: “So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord . . .”; and “So he arose and went to Zarephath . . .” His obedience was immediate; it wasn’t delayed. Delayed obedience is disobedience. Partial obedience is disobedience
1 Kings 17:6 simply states, “And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook.” 1 Kings 17:11-16 relates the miracle of God’s providing enough meals and oil each day, for that day’s needs throughout Elijah’s stay with the widow. The ravens were God’s supernatural supply. God miraculously changed the nature of these birds so that they did not eat the meat themselves, but brought it to Elijah.
The place of God’s appointment is the place of His provision. In other words, you’ve got to be in the place God wants you to be if you expect to claim the promise that God will meet your needs. This is the Old Testament counterpart of a New Testament truth that’s stated in Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” If I am seeking first the kingdom of God, I can be assured that God will meet my needs. The place of God’s appointment is the place of His provision. Are you where God wants you to be? Then you can claim God’s promise that He will meet your need.
- How well do you trust God and obey His instructions for your daily living?
- Father, help me to be in my place of appointment to manifest your promises on my life.
Further Reading: Isaiah 28:9–22; Matthew 3:1–12; 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11
ESOCS Devotional 17 December 2024
