1 Kings 16-17 | God's Inexhaustible Provision

It was a time of drought. We have all experienced that in certain ways—emotional, spiritual, financial—but none of us in America have experienced what Elijah and his people were going through and what others around the world do now in severe droughts. They despaired of their lives. They had, literally, nothing to eat nor drink.

What would you do at that moment? What happened to Elijah, as recorded in 1 Kings 17?

GOD KNEW AND CAME

Elijah did not pray for God’s provision or even cry out. God was previous. He knew the need before Elijah prayed and came to provide for His son.

GOD COMMANDED

God told Elijah to "get up and go" to the specific places where He would provide and He commanded His creation to provide for His servant. He gave three commands:

A command to Elijah to get up and go
A command to the ravens to provide
A command to a widow to provide.

...Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there. So he went and did according to the word of the Lord (1 Kings 17:3-5)

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” So he arose and went to Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8-10)

ELIJAH OBEYED

Often in our lives, God is providing, but we are not listening nor obeying. And then we wonder why the provision is not there! It very well could be that God has already given provision, but you are not in a position to see the hand of God. Manley Beasley said that "Needs are God's messenger boys telling us that He has an answer." Often God allows needs to come so we will return to Him.

Jesus said that His Father knows our needs before we ask them and that if we would “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” everything we need would be provided for us (Matthew 6).

God is always providing for His children because He is a God of perfect love. In Luke 15 the prodigal ran away and became impoverished, but his father had all the provision He needed waiting for him if he would just repent and return. God is not interested in withholding from His children, He's interested in coming to us, instructing us, and us responding in faithful obedience to what He instructs.

Father, thank You for Your inexhaustible provision. Thank You that You know my needs and if I will give you access by my obedience You will abundantly provide more than we can ask or even think. Thank You for taking care of me for all of my life. And thank You that You will provide my daily bread in the future.