May 12, 2008
Blessings
in dry places
Beth and I
were talking about the scripture she was reading in “First Kings” about the
prophet Elijah.
I thought
of the river beds here and how they are dry but in a month or so the winters run
off will start from the mountains and most dry beds will be rushing torrents of
water. Even on the news here a raft race on the Rio Grande River, which has not
been held in thirteen years is being held because of the expectation of water
being in abundance.
Here was
one of the greatest prophets of God and after he had witnessed God’s awesome
power in destroying the sacrifices to Baal, he gave into his humanness and fled
from Queen Jezebel. God led him to the stream in Kereth Ravine and miraculously
provided for him.
So he did what
the LORD had told him. He went to the Kereth Ravine, east of the Jordan, and
stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and
meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. Some time later the brook
dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 1 Kings 17:5-7 NIV
Elijah
must have wondered what God was up to as he watched the stream slowly dry up. He
must have been perplexed at God’s provision began to disappear before his very
eyes. But the text tells us that God had more in store for Him,
Some time
later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the
word of the LORD came to him: "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay
there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." 1
Kings 17:8-9 NIV
Are you
going through a time of drought, a time where His blessings seem to be drying up
or only a distant memory? We all have those times to one degree or another.
Don’t
despair; He is preparing something better for you. I can’t tell you what it
is, but I know that the dried up old stream bed will again flow with water.
Hold fast
and trust.
Until
next time, may your faith remain strong in times of abundance and in times of
drought.
The
God of more than enough is and always will be more than enough!
God
bless.
Darrel
Mason