In 1989, I went to Air Force basic training. Once I got off the bus, the molding, shaping, and refining began. I arrived as one person but the DIs shaped me into someone new by the end of my time there. I’ve been forever grateful for the eight years I spent in the Air Force, wearing the uniform, active during Desert Storm and protecting my country.
In 1 Kings 17, we are introduced to one of the greatest prophets in Israel’s history…a guy named Elijah. His name means “My God is Jehovah”. He becomes God’s sounding piece for a king named Ahab and a queen named Jezebel. When Elijah comes on the scene, Israel had experienced 19 consecutive evil kings who took Israel away from God. That’s about 200 years of poor decision-making.
Elijah pronounces a drought on Israel to get their attention and right after, God moves Elijah into the wilderness to do some work on him. God tells him to go to the Kerith Ravine where God provides a source of water and ravines to bring him food. “Kerith” means “cut off” or “cut down”. I’m inclined to believe Elijah may have had a pride issue so God cuts him off from everyone else in order to cut him down or humble him. So Elijah goes through a season of isolated pain and solitude but God will use these moments to shape him into the Kingdom man God wants him to be.
With no one to help him (except the birds), Elijah has to become totally dependent on God for all things. See, God didn’t give him a week’s supply of food or even a 2-day supply but just enough for the day. You and I can learn from this story that God will give us what we need, not necessarily what we want.
And then God requires unconditional obedience to His plan. So, to move Elijah, God eventually dries up his water source. I can only image Elijah asking, “What’s the purpose of all this? Have I don’t something wrong? Did I do something I wasn’t supposed to do?” But I think for Elijah and us, God sometimes allows the “brook” to dry up in order to give us courage to leave and go where he wants us to live into his story. So many of us put our trust in money, job, friends, or surroundings but many times God allows these things to dry up to move us forward in His story.
And then God moves Elijah to a village called Zaraphath where Elijah interacts with a widow. He asks her to cook him a meal but she says she only has enough flour for her son and her. Elijah is persistent and then tells her that if she does this for him, her flour and oil jar will never run dry, which is exactly what happens.
God changes Elijah. He molds him and shapes him into the Kingdom person God is looking for. In 1 Kings 17:1, we know Elijah only by WHERE he’s from (Tishbe). By the end of chapter 17, the widow calls him Elijah, man of God.
So know that if you find yourself in the wilderness and things aren’t going as you planned, God is doing something in you so that He can later do something through you. Blessings on the journey.