In the Form of a Raven
And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. And the word of the LORD came unto him, 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. So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. - I Kings 17:1-6
It's safe to assume that Elijah was not a very popular guy around the palace. In fact, I can almost hear Ahab's response to Elijah's news. "Who is this guy that he marches in here and makes threats?" I'm sure it didn't take long for Ahab to assemble a hunting party. Their prey? Elijah.
But that's okay. God had everything under control. On the heels of Elijah's declaration, God sends him into hiding. If I had been Elijah, my first response would be, "But what am I going to eat, Lord? How will I survive?" But I think God beat Elijah to the question, and I love the way He does it. Notice what He says to Elijah: "I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there." Not I will command them; I have already commanded them. They're already on duty. They were aware of the plan before Elijah was. God had provided for Elijah before Elijah knew he needed to be provided for. What a blessing, for Elijah's God is my God! He will provide for me as He did for Elijah. In fact, He probably already has.
You want another blessing? Look at Psalm 147:9: He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. God took care of the ravens so that the ravens could take care of Elijah. To me, this verse is just another proof that God has EVERYTHING under control. He has a plan, and no detail is missing. It's perfect. Do I see it all? No. Do I understand it all? Absolutely not. Do I sometimes wish God would hurry up and work things out? Of course. But during those times, I turn to I Kings 17 which reminds me that God's timing is perfect. And as Rodney Griffin put it, "God will pass by at the right time." All I need to do is have faith that He will deliver.
Is that the flapping of wings I hear?