"I have commanded the ravens to feed you there" (1 Kings 17: 4).
"The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook." (1 Kings 17:6)
What did Elijah do to feed himself before He confronted Ahab? He left that behind to trust God for his provisions. Being from the harsh region of Gilead, what did he think when God said "I’m going to use ravens to provide for you?" Did he know the ways of birds and animals? Did he know that the raven naturally neglects its young and that for the ravens to bring him food may have been very much against their nature? Job 38:41 asks the question "who provides food for the raven, when its young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of food?"
God speaks about supplying food for ravens two other times in the Bible. "He gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens that cry." (Psalm 147:9). Jesus said to His disciples "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?" (Luke 12:24).
Jesus’ reasoning is simple. If God cares for the ravens, how much more will He care for human beings? When God told Elijah that the ravens would provide for him, He was merely extending His care for the ravens one step further than usual to include a man. He used those birds themselves to provide for His prophet.
We are often concerned about our lives. We may worry about our daily needs. Although we have seen God’s provision in our past, a new day with different direction brings a fresh test of faith. Will God provide in this unique circumstance?
As we turn to Jesus’ words and Elijah’s example, God’s encouragement is given again to us. Each move we make comes with the promise that wherever we go, God has gone before us and "commanded the ravens to feed us there." When doubts come, return to the words of Jesus who challenged us simply to "consider the ravens."
