Mar 13 - God Provides

Read 1 Kings 17:1-6

Context: It has been 140 years since David officially took the throne as King of Israel. With the exception of David and his son, Solomon, most kings during this time did more evil than the ones who ruled before them, and Israel became mired in sin. Ahab became king in 874b.c., and he did more evil than any of those before him. Elijah, the prophet, was called into service by God.

Text:

1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe [a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."

2 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3 "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."

5 So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. (NIV)

taken from www.biblegateway.com

Again and again, throughout the Old Testament and the New, God provides for his people. He provides food, water, comfort, shelter, and even a way out when we are tempted. He doesn't always provide in the way or time that we expect, and often what he provides is different from what we were expecting or hoping for. Nonetheless, he knows what we need and he provides it at just the right time, often just when we have lost all hope of being able to provide for ourselves.