Greetings again my Brethren. Let us continue looking at the many ways the word of God, through many diverse ways, can be directed toward us. Last month we looked at sickness. I do not understand how and why a loving God will use sickness to get our attention, but make none mistake when He says He wishes not to perish he means it. This has to be one of those mysteries of His will Paul talks about. Paul writes, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:” (Ephesians 1:7-9) Brother Peter picks up on this thought when he says, “the Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Peter writes, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) Make no mistake my friend God use everything in His arsenal of goads to get our attention so that we will come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Or maybe better said, God will use whatsoever we allow Him to use in our lives that will get our attention. And yes sickness is one. I do not know about you my friend, but it seems when my old body feels sick or I am in pain, God seems to be even more closer to me. This month we will look at another object God can use to get His word to us and a story that highlights this object and it is a Raven. Stange how literature never paints the Raven as a majestic bird of prey, but it seems writers always paint an evil picture of the Raven and even portray it being a bird of death. But, in reality a Raven is nothing more than a big crow. In 1 Kings 17, God used the Raven to feed Elijah the Tishbite. We read in 1 Kings, “And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 3Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 4And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.” (1 Kings 17:2-4) Now why did God use a Raven to feed Elijah? I do not know, but I am sure there are books and commentary of speculation trying to answer this question, but at the end of the day it does not matter what God used. He chose a Raven and a Raven He used. You know God could have used a hippopotamus to feed Elijah, it does not matter what He used. What matters is the obedience of Elijah. Notice God did not tell Elijah to go to “a” brook and He will send the Ravens, oh no, God was specific. How many know we serve a specific God? God told Elijah to go to the “Brook at Cherith” and He will send the Raven with food. If Elijah would have said, no! I will go to this brook or that brook then he maybe would have died of hunger. Elijah’s place of provision from God was at the “Brook of Cherith and nowhere else. The word Cherith means: (Strong’s #H3747) to make a cut or chop, to make a covenant. Like when Abram made a covenant with God (Genesis 15:7-11) and he cut or chopped up the animals (to include turtle doves and pigeons) selected and laid them out as God directed. God was making a covenant of life with Elijah, if he was obedient. In all that God does for us they are only ours if we move in obedience to God’s words to us. Those precious promises of God will be ours ONLY if we move in obedience. Peter writes, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:4) What wonderful promises from God. WOW, “escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” and “partakers of the divine nature,” but they are ONLY ours when we do that which God wants us to do. Nothing in God is free. Even our salvation is not free, it cost Jesus His life. What matters is our obedience to God. This story in the Bible is to show us if God can feed Elijah (which He did) with a big crow (a Raven) then God can use whatsoever means get food or whatsoever we need that He promises us. I know it sounds rather simplistic, but the word of God is not complicated. We seem to make it complicated by adding so many things that matter nothing at the end of the day. We look to the skills and abilities that God gave us and when we use them we think we have done something great. No my friend. The only thing we can do great is be obedient to God by doing what He wants us to do. Everything else is look see pigeon and not a Raven.
Next month we will continue to look at other diverse objects God can use to communicate with us as we look at how God used a widow. Are you there my friend? In tough situations and circumstances? Have you heard His voice? Listen closely and you will. Written by David Stahl
