In the 17th chapter of 1 Kings, the nation of Israel is coming a part at the seams because the leadership was evil. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel made a notorious team. Not only did they corrupt the government, but they also corrupted religion.
Ahab replaced Yahweh’s worship with idolatry. He threw out the worship of God, brought in a false religion, and established it as the official religion of Israel.
God’s servant and spokesman, Elijah, confronts King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Elijah says to them, “because of your wickedness, it’s not going to rain anymore in this country except by my word” [1 Kings 17:1 ESV]. And for three and a half years, it did not rain, and the nation of Israel suffered famine and drought.
The message did not sit well with Ahab and Jezebel, and they put a price on Elijah’s head. Now, Elijah is a wanted man. He is on the run. And God sends him to a brook and says to him, “I have commanded the ravens to take care of you.” [1 Kings 17:4]
May I remind you today that the word declares that God is past finding out? That’s good news because you never know how God will come through. You don’t know which channels God will use to bless you. Don’t speculate on how God will do what He’s going to do; hold on to the fact that God can do all that he promised to do.
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Next, the word of God comes to him, instructing him to leave the brook because God has prepared a widow who lives in Zarephath to sustain him. [1 Kings 17:8] God is really challenging his faith now. Sometimes He challenges our faith by sending us through uncomfortable territory.
Often in life, we find ourselves going from one challenge to another, from health challenges to health challenges, from financial difficulty to financial difficulty, from problem to problem. The good news is that through it all, God is God, and he can sustain you even as he is challenging your faith.
God sends Elijah to live in a territory controlled by Ahab’s father-in-law. And to get there, he will walk through the heart of pagan territory. Jezebel was his greatest enemy, yet God will find a hiding place for Elijah in her country to show her powerlessness.
There are times when God’s voice and his directives seem harsh and strange. And to get there, you must walk through uncomfortable territory.
For example:
RED SEA EXPERIENCE — Moses led the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage and slavery to the Promised Land, but they had to walk through the Red Sea first.
FACING GOLIATH — For David to slay Goliath, he had to walk out on to the battlefield before the victory could happen.
The path to your blessing may be through uncomfortable territory. Maybe you are there now. Perhaps you are at a place in your life where things are a little uncomfortable. Maybe things are a little uncomfortable financially, emotionally, or even relationally. We are indeed living in challenging and uncertain times. However, David says God blesses us in the presence of our enemies. [Psalm 23:5]
I wonder what would have happened if Elijah had chosen another brook. I wonder if the Ravens would have gone elsewhere than to Cherith. I wonder what would have happened if he would have chosen another city other than Zarephath or another house in Zarephath or maybe even another widow. Isn’t it good to know that even as we are navigating our way through challenging situations and through these uncertain times, God knows the plans He has for us right down to the minutest detail? [Jeremiah 29:11]
Be encouraged!
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Rev. Chestine Sims Jr. of White Hall is pastor of Union AME Church at Little Rock. Please join us for worship on Facebook live at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Editor’s note:
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