Trusts God For All His Needs

Trusts God For All His Needs

A HERO’S TALE

Every good hero has an archenemy. For Elijah, the godly Old Testament prophet, it was Ahab, a wicked king who plunged Israel into worse idolatry than any king before him.

In 1 Kings 17, Elijah publicly condemned Ahab’s worship of the Canaanite deity Baal and other false gods, and he told Ahab of God’s punishment: for the next several years, no rain would fall on Israel until Elijah gave the word. Not even a single dewdrop. It was a terrible judgment for a nation like Israel, whose economy depended on farming.

Ahab was furious —so furious that he tried to kill Elijah. So God sent Elijah to the Kerith Ravine, a dry, deserted area east of the Jordan River. Elijah probably wondered why God was sending him there. But he trusted God to meet his needs.

And then, something strange happened. The next morning, some ravens —those jet-black, croaking birds that often pick at dead animals —started landing near Elijah. They hopped over to him, dropped meat and bread at his feet, and flew away. They did this morning and night for many days.

Elijah also found a nearby brook to drink from. While other water sources dried up in the drought, the Kerith brook kept providing refreshment for Elijah.

The ravens and the brook were no coincidences. They were provision from the Lord. Even in a dry, remote wilderness, God met all of Elijah’s needs.

DECODING THE MESSAGE

Today, almost 3,000 years after Elijah lived, God is still in the business of providing for his children’s needs. But let’s get something straight: the latest Xbox and PlayStation are not our basic needs! Neither are the other hottest new toys, movies, or Air Jordans. Our basic needs are food, water, clothing, and shelter.

God doesn’t always give us what we want, but he always gives us what we need. Today’s verse from Philippians 4 reminds us of that. So do Jesus’ words from Matthew 6:25-34, where he told his listeners to consider how God feeds birds each day and clothes flowers with beauty. If God does that for insignificant things like birds and flowers, how much more will he take care of us, who are made in his image?

So don’t worry about the necessities of life. God loves you and he will take care of all your needs. He’s been doing it since life began.

BATTLE PLAN

Memorize Philippians 4:19 and read Matthew 6:25-34. They show God’s care for his children.