YIn a time of economic famine, Elijah obeyed God and went where He directed. In the natural, it was a place where it would be hard to survive. But look what happened in 1 Kings 17:56:
"So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook."
In Bible times, ravens were regarded as omens of misfortune, death, or tragedy and were considered unclean because of their scavenger habits. God chose unclean birds to feed His prophet. God will provide for you, but it may not be according to your preconceived ideas. Sometimes God provides through natural means and at other times through the supernatural, but you can be assured that God "shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" according to Philippians 4:19.
Elijah had been in seclusion for some time by Brook Cherith when the Word of the Lord came to him saying, "Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee." Elijah had already learned one of the key principles of God's provision, which was to be in God's place at God's time. So at the Word of the Lord, Elijah departed from Cherith and went to Zarephath:
1Kings 17:9-16 "So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah."
When you face a financial. spiritual, or health crisis, it is crucial for you to be able to hear the Word of the Lord concerning your circumstances and to act in obedience upon what He directs you to do. When God directed Elijah to go to Cherith, he went. When God told Elijah to leave Cherith and go to Zarepath, he immediately started on his way. You must be able to discern God's direction during difficult times and when you hear His voice, you must respond in obedience. Where God guides, He provides all matters regarding your needs.
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