1 Kings 17:2-4 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3 Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4 And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
God’s servants must learn to walk by faith–one step at a time. This is a simple lesson, yet one that challenges even the most faithful. Consider Elijah: before he left his quiet home in Thisbe to stand before King Ahab with the word of the Lord, how many questions must have stirred his heart!
What would happen after he delivered his message? How would Jezebel, known for slaying God’s prophets, respond? Where could he go to be safe? If Elijah had waited for answers to all these questions, he would never have begun the journey.
But this is not how our loving Father leads His children. He does not show us the entire path at once. He reveals only the next step and invites us to take it in faith. And if we ask, “Lord, what will happen next? Won’t this path lead to difficulty?” He often gives no other reply than this: “Take the step, and trust Me.”
And so it was with Elijah. After he obeyed and delivered God’s word to Ahab, then the next direction came: “Get thee hence…hide thyself by the brook Cherith.” Later, only after the brook ran dry, did the Lord speak again: “Arise, get thee to Zarephath.” Each instruction came at the right time, no sooner, no later.
Notice this: Elijah did not need to search for God’s word; it came to him. And so it will come to you. Whether through Scripture, the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit, or the unfolding of circumstances — God’s direction will find you. Like Saul on the road to Damascus, we must simply ask, “Lord, what will you have me to do?” and trust that He will reveal it.
Perhaps you have long sensed God urging you toward a particular act of obedience, but you have hesitated because the next step is unclear. Do not delay. Step forward in faith. What appears to be mud will become solid ground beneath your feet. With each step, God will provide a firm place to stand, a new word, a fresh supply. The bread is given daily. The manna comes each morning. The strength arrives at the moment of need.
God gives no more than we can bear at once. He teaches us, little by little, to walk in the peace of obedience and the joy of trust. So take the step before you today. He is faithful. The next stepping stone will appear just when you need it.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]As parents trying to raise kids in this world, we’re constantly reminded by the Lord of Proverbs 22:6, ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ The Hebrew word ‘train’, in this passage is, ‘Chanak’ which can be translated, ‘train up’ or ‘dedicate.’ It’s the root word from which we get the word, Chanukah.
Some time ago, we wrote about pearl harvesting as an illustration of how the Lord takes us into His “shell” like an irritating grain of sand, and over time, covers us with His beautiful covering, forming us into polished and precious gems for his glory and delight. This image of sanctification takes the metaphor in one direction: but here is another interesting thought. The beautiful pearl inside the oyster cannot be seen or enjoyed without a great price being paid. The oyster must die. It must be torn open in order to find the treasure within. This speaks to me of the original foundation and source of our beauty. Yeshua (Jesus) our Messiah had to be bruised, afflicted, torn and killed so that the beautiful treasures God intended us to be from the beginning, could be discovered and released from the darkness of sin.
Lately we’ve been receiving more and more calls and emails asking us what we think might happen in the near future and how they should prepare. I love what John Calvin had to say about the matter…
While many around the world are apathetic and lack understanding about the times in which we live, we as believers should realize these are merely signs of the times and have a sense of urgency to be about the Lord’s business.
In Ancient Greece, mythology and history were hard to distinguish. Tales of gods and demigods abounded. The chief god of Mount Olympus was Zeus. It is told that Zeus became enamored with the princess Europa and decided to seduce and ravish her. Zeus shape-shifted, transforming himself into a tame white bull. Europa, the daughter of King Agenor of Sidon, was picking flowers, when she saw the bull, and then climbed on his back. Zeus carried her away. The Romans later recounted the tale which became known as the “seduction of Europa”, (with the Roman “Jupiter” replacing Zeus).
In his book, Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan has written one of the most beautiful allegories about the journey we all travel as a believers. The book describes the hero, Christian, and his journey from the City of Destruction to his heavenly destination, the Celestial City. Now there’s one part of Pilgrim’s Progress that I want to focus on today — walking through the Swamp of Despondency!
Some time ago, an old mule fell into an abandoned well which was no longer in use. The farmer who owned him tried and tried to pull the mule up out of the well — however after many attempts he realized he was not going to be able to rescue his mule. So the farmer decided to solve two problems simultaneously— by burying the mule in the well. Tragic as it was, he would, bury the mule alive, and in the process, prevent future accidents of this kind by filling up the well hole.