When The Brook Dries Up (Part 3)

We have been exploring the significance of Elijah the prophet of Israel in 1 Kings 17. We are dealing with the events and repercussions of Elijah’s prophecy that there would be no rain in Israel until he prayed again. The drought went on for three and a half years, which enraged king Ahab who was a most wicked man. Our title focuses on “When The Brook Dries Up,” so I want to ask the question, “How Do We Handle” when God’s provision is taken away? How we answer this question will, in a large part, determine whether we move forward in our relationship with God or as some have coined the phrase, “Backslide” in that relationship. Please read the first two articles before proceeding.

I have witnessed believers seemingly going strong in God and all of a sudden they become bitter because God seemingly didn’t come through with the blessing or provision they expected. When we are not prepared to handle such disappointment, and these times will come, we can stumble and fall away from our previous love relationship with God. Here is a faithful expectation: when God provides some big provision or miracle there will almost certainly follow a testing of how we handle such assurances. These testings are not meant to harm us, but in fact meant to develop our walk with God. The testing is meant to reveal our trust, or lack of trust, and thus enable us to see what areas we need to strengthen or improve. James, the brother of Jesus, makes it very clear that God wants, and often intends, to do a purifying work in us that can’t happen any other way.

James 1:2-4                                                                                                                                                                    Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Back to the story of Elijah and the brook drying up. Elijah prophesies that there will be no rain until he prays again, which ticks king Ahab off. Elijah is told by God to get out of town before something bad happens and even tells Elijah to “hide” from the king. Interesting that in most instructions that seem to come from God there is always a portion of our responsibility that, if neglected, God’s plan, including the provision, falls apart.

So Elijah hikes 30 miles up a mountain and is fed by the brook and ravens. Remember these birds are “unclean” that bring the food to Elijah in their beaks! This goes on for a year until the brook dries up. Look at what verse 7 says.

1 Kings 17:7-8                                                                                                                                                                            It happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 

Scripture doesn’t tell us everything, so we have to add some speculation and conjecture to make the story more complete. First it states “After A While” which implies it was gradual and over time. Since he was on this mountain over a year we don’t know how gradual it was, but we know it wasn’t quickly. Consider Elijah wondering what’s up with this? Was God silent about it? Sometimes our blessing dwindles away and there is no warning from God. No prior “Hello” from the Lord to tell us why.

Secondly it states that once the brook dried up the Lord spoke. Do you think Elijah was praying, asking what’s up God before it was totally dried up? Do you think he was pleading with God to say something, good or bad, about why? From my own experience, and reading lots of stories from scripture as well as stories about many saints in the past, God often has to get our “FULL” attention before we will listen to what he has to say. Sometimes we get comfortable in yesterday’s blessing and don’t want to move from it. Only when the blessing is gone are we ready to truly listen.

Jesus used this story about Elijah to illustrate how stubborn we often are about hearing God through other people — like someone with a prophetic gift — especially if we know them and they are from our home town.

Luke 4:25-26                                                                                                                                                                                   But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 

Jesus was ministering to people one day and probably spoke much of the day. At the end he told Peter to put his net out for a catch. Peter not believing him said ok but did so only out of respect not out of belief. How often does God tell us to do something and yet we don’t believe him? More times than I want to admit, but when the blessings we rely on “Dry Up” . . . then we pay attention.

Luke 5:3-5                                                                                                                                                                              And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” 

After the brook dries up Elijah hears the word of the Lord, which ordinarily would sound absurd, “Go to and look for a widow in Sidon.”

1 Kings 17:8-9                                                                                                                                                                     Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 

God tells Elijah to go to the heart of Baal worship which was the city of Jezebell, and king Ahab’s father’s home. In that totally gentile and pagan city lives a widow who will supply for Elijah like the ravens had. Wow! There seems to be so much wrong with this “Divine Guidance” yet Elijah was able to accept it and play his part in a new miracle because his old miracle had dried up.

My friend, if your “Yesterday Miracle” is or has dried up you are on the threshold of being able to hear the voice of God for your future. Let your heart take courage that God is about to do something new that could blow your mind and cause your life to be forever changed.

Questions:

1) Is your yesterday blessing dried up? Tell God he has your attention and listen for his still small voice.

2) Have you been in a complaining spirit because of yesterdays blessing evaporating? Repent from the heart.

O God give us ears to hear whatever you want to say however you want to say it.

Pastor Dale