1 Kings 17:1-16

Elijah gives Ahab, new king, the bad news that a drought is coming.  God instructs Elijah to get out of town and go hide out near a ravine across the Jordan.  He tells Elijah that a raven will feed him daily.  OK – what would your response be to that.  I just delivered God’s message to the king that things are going to get bad.  That puts me in a bit of a difficult situation because now it is my fault.  Sort of expect that since I delivered the message I am going to have some sort of plan provided for my protection and future.  But to be fed by birds?  That seems like a stretch.  What was Elijah’s response?  “Elijah obeyed God’s orders” to “get out of here, and fast” and goes exactly where God instructed.  And the ravens brought him food, “breakfast and supper” every day.  Then God spoke to him and asked him to move to the home of a widow.  When he arrived she had only a “handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a bottle”.  Didn’t sound promising – she was getting ready to cook her last meal for herself and her son before she believed they would die.    Elijah tells her to make him a bisquit from what there was and “don’t worry about a thing”.  She “went right off and did it … just as Elijah asked”.  God blessed that obedience and “the jar didn’t run out”.  Catch this: “God’s promise fulfilled to the letter, exactly as Elijah had delivered it”.  There is a theme here guys.  Elijah listens carefully to what God says.  He follows in complete obedience.  He obeys immediately and follows instruction exactly.  It is all based on faith – none of what he is asked to do makes any sense at all.  But every word God spoke happened exactly as God said it would.  Same God – same results are ours if we learn to listen, trust and obey.  Reminds me of a song…………