Empowered

Unexpected and Miraculous Ways!

Life Lessons Devotional Series, Wednesday May 10, 2023

Scripture: 1 Kings 17: 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 directed the ravens to supply you with food 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.

Life Lesson: Faithful devotion to the call of God upon your life will require personal sacrifice.  However, the cost of following Christ will be far surpassed by the supernatural provisions you will experience.

– Elijah had faithfully delivered God’s message to the king, a message that would make Elijah public enemy number one and place him on the kings most wanted list.  Isn’t it encouraging to know that our faithful witness will often times bring condemnation from the world, the flesh and the devil?  Don’t look for applause when faithfully serving the Lord.

– Not only was Elijah hated by many for his testimony, he was also pushed out into isolation and made to survive off the land that Elijah knew God was punishing with drought and subsequent famine.

– So, this giant of the faith was a social outcast after obediently serving the Lord.  For many the stress of living as an outlaw and the discouragement of being derided by your countrymen would be far too great, however Elijah was far from being all alone.  God was with His servant and provided for Elijah by supernaturally leading him to a flowing river and causing ravens to bring him meat both morning and evening.

– So, while other natural resources were drying up, Elijah was given water to drink and while starvation was slowly taking hold of the land, Elijah would both day and night receive a protein meal to sustain him and from scavenging birds no less!  Ravens don’t share their food; they are carrion birds and have often been associated with ill omen and even death.

– God provided for His servant in a most unexpected and miraculous way!  How many of you can testify that God provides in unexpected and miraculous ways?!  Faithful service will require real sacrifice but the rewards of faithful service far surpass what we give up as the Lord intervenes in unexpected and miraculous ways!