GOD, OUR PLAN FOR SURVIVAL

1Kings 17:2-4: And the word of the LORD came unto him (Elijah), saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

                                                                                                                                                                                          Elijah is one of the great prophets of old. He was used greatly by God during the reign of Ahab. Ahab’s reign was characterized by idolatry and all kinds of wickedness which was spear-headed by Ahab’s wife Jezebel (the daughter of of Eth-Baal, king of the Zidonians- a careless and shameful people-Judges 18:7). As punishment for Ahab practicing and encouraging the practice of idolatry in Israel, God decided to shut out dew and rain from Israel. But God never forgets His Children when He is about to execute plans like this.

God’s Plan

As Elijah looked ahead to the coming crisis, things must have looked absolutely hopeless to him. But God had a specific survival plan in mind for his faithful Servant. He instructed the prophet, “Go east to the Jordan River, and there you will find Cherith, a little tributary that runs off. You can get all the drinking water you need from that brook. In addition, I’ve arranged for food to be delivered to you daily, by my courier ravens!”

How could any person, in a million years, ever dream up this kind of a plan for survival? How could Elijah ever have imagined he’d be sent to a hidden brook to find water to drink, when there was nothing but drought everywhere else in the land? How could he ever have thought a daily supply of bread would be brought to him by ravenous birds that ate everything they sank their beaks into? With man it is impossible and unthinkable, but the plan of God is not that of Man - they are always miraculous.

Survival Plan B

Later, times got hard for Elijah, because the brook finally dried up. But God stepped in again, giving the prophet another fresh word of direction. He said, “Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee” (v. 9). Again, I have to ask . . . how could anyone ever think a poor widow, in the midst of a depression,  feed a man for days, weeks, months on end? But the fact is, God uses the most despised, insignificant things of the world for his glory. The instruction or commandment to Elijah was, “If you’ll go to her (widow) and do what I tell you, you’ll survive. God is telling us today . . . heed my (God’s) direction . . . and you’ll make it through!”

The evidence is overwhelming: God . . . our adviser, counselor and survival expert . . . has a detailed plan for every one of his children, to help us face the worst of times!

The same today

The situation in the world today is getting worse and worse every day. The earthquakes, the fires, the floods, the unemployment rates, the famines, sky-rocketing prices of food, the financial stress and the immoral living is causing even Christians to wonder and exclaim- “where is our God”.  Matthew 24 tells of the signs to characterize the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. V21 tells of a terrible tribulation as never happened before. But in the midst of all this tribulations, God still directs and provides refuge for His Children.

As He did for Elijah, He will do for you. As HE did for Noah and His family, HE is ready to do for you. As HE did for Lot and His family, HE is ever ready to do for His Children including you- if you believe.

But, are you walking right with God? Are you obeying that still voice of God that is giving you the direction to take for your survival in these terrible times?

Remember, God’s provisions are in succession. Just obey the direction and you will survive the times. Amen!