I'm in a study of the book Elijah by Priscilla Schirer. I've been in church my whole life and I know Elijah's story - he's the guy that poured water all over the sacrifice to God and God burnt it all and the Baal worshipers - nada. But, what I missed in this story is that that mountain-top experience was preceded by years of struggle, growing, and learning. We don't get mountain-top experiences without that time in the wadi, which is basically a creek. But this wadi was dry, as God had declared a drought and He sent Elijah there and told him not to worry, that He (God) would take care of him.
And He sustained Elijah for around three and a half years using ravens - unclean, un-trainable, nasty birds. And then, God sent him to a town where the evil Jezebel grew up near to a Gentile widow who was down to her last meal for her and her son.
Are you getting this?
Can you imagine the stretching Elijah was going through? First, you're using ravens, God, OK. But, now you're going to use a Gentile widow....mercy. I'll bet Elijah never saw that one coming. But, he learned to trust God in a desert-like place and then to trust Him again in a pagan community.
How does this apply to you and me? Are you seeing it yet?
First, God is never done with us - never done growing, teaching, and loving us.
Second, whatever you're going through, you can bet that God's got it under control. Maybe you can't see your way through it or around it; maybe you can't see the answer or what the answer can possibly be, but God does. Besides being all-powerful, and all-knowing, He's creative. I love that.
So, whatever you're going through - think of Elijah and how he rested in and trusted God. And we can do the same.
