“And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up…” 1 Kings 17:7
The life of Elijah has long since been a favorite of mine.He’s a throwback – a type of man that is rarely seen in our generation.We know little of his background beyond the place he was born and raised.He drops into scripture like a lead anvil from a hot air balloon and later leaves the pages of our Bible like a feather caught up in a tornado.He blows in, blows up and then blows out.My kind of guy.
After preaching highly confrontational message from God to the apostate King Ahab, Elijah is tucked away by God in the school of seclusion.The echo of Elijah’s voice in the palace of Ahab had barely faded before God took him from the limelight to the lowlights.God hid the spokesman of a generation in a little place where nobody would hear him.God silenced Elijah’s ministerial voice and taught him how to listen, wait on God and survive the plateau of nothingness.Each day and evening the sovereign God of heaven would send sustenance by way of ravens acting as waiters.Each day by the brook Cherith was marked with little beyond Elijah's daily bread.He was getting by as God weaned him from any and all perks of prophethood.Elijah himself had pronounced the drought that was searing the land and it soon became apparent that these would be long days of deprivation for Israel.
But Elijah had his own little brook.
God saw fit to allow the faithful prophet to awake each day to the sound of running water.In a drought this would be the sound of hope.Each day the ravens would bring the meal and God Himself would serve the water.Elijah’s thirst would not be denied and he was able to have the double pleasure of being in God’s drought which sapped away all the unprofitable parts of his life while, at the very same time, he was refreshed at any time he chose by the faithful waters from his own personal stream of sufficiency.God was so good to give the prophet this privilege.Elijah could wait it out - the drought would end, the ravens would feed him and the brook would be his daily assurance that God would continue to be faithful.
“And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up…” 1 Kings 17:7
Elijah went to the serving stream just like he had before for many days prior.His gourd was empty as he felt it bounce lightly against his thigh as he made the short trip to the stream.The ravens had made their deposit a little earlier and Elijah made his way to the little brook to find what he needed for the day.He noticed as he approached a strange silence.He heard no running water.Nervously, he approached the place where he always dipped his empty gourd to fill it with the fresh water.On this day there was nothing more than some moist dirt.His brook had dried up.His source of survival had evaporated while he slept.He wasn’t even there to watch the last of it trickle away.God had said that Elijah would drink of the brook.God said it would be there.The brook was no longer there and, suddenly, it seemed like God wasn’t either.
In times of drought we measure our water levels.In times of life's drought, God measures our faith level.We can tell the intensity of the drought by lake levels dropping.God can tell the intensity of our faith by how we respond to the diminishing of our resources.God had taught Elijah how to trust in His provision, now God would teach Elijah how to trust in God Himself.There is certainly a difference between the two.Some of you who are reading are still standing in the dry gully of a brook which once was.God dried it up.You find yourself, empty gourd in hand, wondering when this same brook will babble again.You stand motionless and frightened that your reality is changing.You are listening for the moving of water and it’s just not happening here.When the water was flowing you gave God the glory.When the sustaining stream met your needs you were careful to praise Him.That stream was clearly God’s and you never took an ounce of credit for being sustained by it.Hey, wait a minute ... you did it all by the book and exalted God as He met all of your needs.You are wise enough to know that the ravens who brought your daily food are not equipped to bring you water.God is doing something and you weren’t necessarily anticipating any changes like this.The brook is dry and you don’t know what to do.
Trust in His character.He never needed that particular brook to meet your needs – it was simply his choice of sustenance for a season gone by in your life.He has something new for you now.You passed the test at the Brook Cherith and now He is prompting toward your own Zarephath (1 Kings 17:17-24).You see, there is more to the chapter and He had to dry up your brook to get you to read further in the story of His sovereign work.He has already prepared your next verses and there is much more that He has for you to learn.This trial of the dry creek bed is not about provisions as much as it is about the Provider.He is more interested in you learning the satisfaction of His presence and providence than He is interested in you mastering survival techniques.He’s deepening you and preparing to fill you with some unprecedented treasure.You’ve been full of raven food and creek water but He dried it up so you could experience the bottomless barrel of meal and the continual cruse of oil.Simply put, He is turning your page for you so you can read on.Leave the dry creek bed, drop your gourd and listen for His voice.It’s not an issue as to whether or not you have done something amiss to cause the brook to dry up.You’ve forgotten that the brook has always been His, not yours.He slaked your daily thirst through it but He never titled it in your name.His brook, His blessing, His breakthrough.Now He has something else ahead of you.Listen to how the next scene in your life is described:
“The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.” (1 Kings 17:14).
The promise of the brook dried up so the promise of the barrel can begin.Be there when it happens.
