Provisions, Prophets and Promises
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. And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. -- I Kings 17:1-9
There is some very important information in these few verses, and it can easily be missed. I know I didn't notice it until my pastor pointed it out a couple of weeks ago.
God commanded Elijah to go to the brook and wait for further instruction. But before Elijah left, God said "I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there." Notice that--"I have commanded," not "I will command." God had already made provision for Elijah. Before the prophet even realized he had a need, God had met that need.
Now, if you'll notice, in verse 9, God commands Elijah to go to Zarephath. He tells the prophet, "I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee." Did you catch it again? "I have commanded" means that it was already done. God knew what Elijah would be needing, and He met those needs.
I know that many people right now are going through difficult times. It seems like darkness is all around us and our prayers are going unheard. Don't despair. Just as with Elijah, God knows our needs, and He will meet those needs in His time. It's hard, and often, it's confusing, but we must have faith. God will pass by at the right time!