1 Kings 17:1-7
Introducing Elijah

In this week’s brief passage, Elijah breaks onto the scene and, even with no backstory, it is clear he is a spiritual giant in the same league as Moses, Joseph, David, and John the Baptist. Pastor Todd described Elijah as a man of humble origins, a man of integrity and courage, a man of the word of God and of prayer, a man of obedience. Then a splash of cold water in the face: Todd said these are qualities God expects of us too, His children. Before the Lord, let’s ask ourselves some tough questions as we take stock of our lives. Am I aware and do I freely acknowledge that I can offer nothing to commend myself to God? Am I a Christian in name only, in other words, a hypocrite? Am I a courageous ambassador for Christ, or do I keep my mouth shut for fear of offending? How dusty is my Bible? Do I pray, or do I just intend to pray? Do I obey God from my heart when it’s hard – for example, when He has told me the next step to take but not revealed His whole plan? Ask the Holy Spirit, your Helper, to shine a light on your biggest area of weakness and empower you to make a change.

As exemplary as Elijah was, he wasn’t ready for what lay ahead. During the months or years Elijah spent by the brook Cherith (which means “cutting”), God was pruning him to prepare him for future fruitfulness, but the pruning was painful. Note that God parked Elijah without telling him why or for how long or what would come next. Elijah must have been humbled to accept food from ravens, unclean animals. (And knowing something about ravens, I wonder if the meat and bread they delivered to Elijah was scavenged, not freshly prepared.) Elijah relied on the brook for water and watched, probably with anxiety, as the flow of water slowed to a trickle and then stopped entirely. Did Elijah pray during this time, LORD, I served you by speaking truth boldly to an evil king, at considerable risk to myself. Why have I received hardship instead of blessing? What are you doing? Elijah’s pruning experience was not unique; God prunes us too. Todd shared that his wife Sam’s cancer journey has been their “brook Cherith” experience. One of the hardest things, he said, has been not knowing what’s next. If God is pruning you right now, and it hurts, consider the possibility that He is preparing you for future fruitfulness. Ask for the grace to say to Him: In my flesh I want to know why and how long. But You are God and I am not. You don’t have to explain. You are a good God; I trust You and put my hope in You.

Calvary Family

Lift up the young adults at Calvary, ages 18 to twenty-something, who participate in the Refuge ministry. What an important and challenging stage of life! It’s a time to become independent of your parents, to begin to figure out your life’s work and the steps to get there, to consider whom you might marry. And these days, it’s a time to navigate the perils of a pagan culture as an adult, making your own choices. Pray that this community of young men and women will make all these significant decisions submitting to the lordship of Christ, seeking to honor him above all.

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In Christ,
Carol Gilbert

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