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1 Kings 17:7-10 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” So he arose and went to Zarephath. Bible teachers believe that Elijah was in the wilderness for over a year. And even though food arrived daily, his anxiety level must have been rising. For as the drought continued, the river became a stream, then a creek, then a mere trickle. This was part of God’s training of Elijah. Imagine what must have been happening to the prophet’s faith as the water level in the brook dipped lower and lower. God could have brought water from the rocks, as He had for Israel in the wilderness, but He didn’t. The water was running out. Remember, Elijah was “a man like us.” How might he have responded: • Wanting to panic? • Wanting to give up and die? • Wanting to reverse God’s judgment because it was affecting him personally? This is all part of the training process. Elijah needed to know that he could trust God far more than water—even in the desert, and even when the brook dried up. He needed to learn that: God knew all along that the brook would dry up. It was inevitable. The wadi was dependent on the heavy rains of late autumn and early winter. And when those rains did not arrive, the brook disappeared. God’s care was not hampered when the brook dried up. It would be easy for Elijah to assume that he had been forgotten by God. But he had to learn that he was dependent on God, not the brook. God was still in control, even when the brook dried up. In fact, God was so in control that He totally disrupted the comfort zone that Elijah had become used to. Why? To stretch him in new ways. When our comfort zone is shattered, it doesn’t mean that God has lost control. But it may mean that we’ve stopped hearing the voice of God because we’ve grown too comfortable. Even as the water receded, Elijah stayed at the brook until he was instructed to go elsewhere (“Arise go” [v.9]). The lessons of trusting and obedience were being imprinted on his heart. So God sent him from the wadi on a journey to Zarephath. What do we know about this town? • It was 80-90 miles northwest of Cherith, on the seacoast in Gentile, not Jewish, land. • It was in the heart of a land dominated by Baal worship. • It was the homeland of Queen Jezebel, priestess of Baal, the god that Elijah had challenged. He was moving from the frying pan directly into the fire. What would Elijah find there? A widow to care for him. That’s not very promising. Widows were normally the poorest of the poor. In a time of famine, they would be the first to run out of food, not the last. Elijah, then, is commanded to go into hostile territory to someone who will have nothing with which to care for him. Why? Because God is training His servant to walk by faith, not by sight— and nobody said it would be easy. Applying It What lessons can we learn from the “Wadi Cherith Training Center For Spiritual Service”? • Sometimes God’s children suffer along with unbelievers. • Sometimes when we think we are ready for Mount Carmel, God sends us to Cherith because we are not as ready as we think. • Sometimes God’s hiding place isn’t an easy place. • Sometimes the lessons we need to learn require that things get worse before they get better. Welcome to Elijah’s world, as he personally experiences the power (and price tag) of spiritual training. Author W. J. Petersen writes: Sometimes we don’t understand God’s dealings. We don’t know why we were sent to Cherith in the first place; we don’t appreciate the fact that God uses dirty ravens to feed us; and we certainly don’t understand why the brook has to dry up. The fact that we don’t understand is simply a sign that God’s educational process isn’t complete yet. He is still teaching us and we’re still learning Article selected from “Discovery Series”. This Week @ Detonate: Come to find out more for yourself and join us for a great time in knowing more friends and a time filled with knowledge, joy and love! =)See you at 5:00pm in church!  |
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