Trust God's Authority . . . Use It!

Elijah . . . Said to Ahab, "As certainly as the Lord God of Israel lives, there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead unless I give the command." The Lord told him, "leave here and travel eastward. Hide out in the Kerith Valley near the Jordan. Drink from the stream; I have already told the ravens to bring you food there." So he did as the Lord told him . . . After a while the stream dried up because there had been no rain in the land. The Lord told him, "Get up and go to Zarephath in Sidonian territory, and live there. I have already told a widow who lives there to provide for you."

This is a fairly familiar story. The prophet Elijah has been directed by God to move to another location in order to survive a drought. The directions are a bit bizarre by our standards today however. Ravens providing food . . . A poor widow supplying Elijah's needs later on? Later on the son gets sick and the widow begins to doubt God and Elijah. 

What is God trying to tell Elijah . . . The widow . . . You and me? Do we realize the authority God gives to His people? Do we realize the authority He gives to each one of us as His children? Elijah was challenged to trust God. 

As he shared with Ahab, I wonder what Ahab thought? "A drought in my land? This is from God?" I wonder if Elijah even pondered birds providing him food? I wonder what went through his mind and the widow's mind as he shared that God wanted her to provide? Then her son became gravely ill . . . .? 

As we follow after the Lord and grow in His grace and knowledge, He will place us in challenging situations. They may not seem right, comfortable, or even practical. But we must trust God's authority and the authority He gives to each of His children. Will we be ready? Will we trust Him to do as He has said?