When the Brook Dries Up

I Kings 17:1-7

One of the most dramatic characters in all of Scripture is the prophet Elijah.

***

He seems to appear out of nowhere in the Old Testament during a time period when Israel was ruled by the most wicked King that they had known up to that time.

The King's name was Ahab.

The previous chapter tells us something about this wicked king and his reign.

1Kings 16:29 And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.

30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.
31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

This is the setting for our text.

The nation is led by a wicked man who is incessantly driven to erase the religious roots of his country.

Israel's heritage is rooted in the worship of Jehovah, and Ahab serves Baal.

He has succeeded to a great extent in abolishing the heritage of Israel and has killed off most of the prophets and intimidated most of the worshippers of Jehovah God.

This is where we pick up in verse 1
***

READ TEXT
1Kings 17:1  And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.PRAY

I would like you to place yourselves in the sandals of Elijah for a moment.

You have been obedient to the command of God.

You have stepped up and spoken the truth when it was needed.

God has provided a place for you to be nourished.

He has miraculously given water and food, and you have followed His direction.

You sit there by the brook perhaps with your feet in the cool water, feasting on a well-balanced meal carried to you by winged waiters.

There you are, comfortable in the service of God, obedient and fed.

It is not a bad place to be.

You are appreciative of God's provision and confident that He has rewarded your faithfulness.

The truth is, you would be correct.

This is how God works.

Have you been there?

Can you think of how God has blessed your faithfulness to Him?

Can you think of the ways that he has provided for you?

Think of the one most visible way that God has provided for you.

I am speaking of the one thing that seems to be what pays the bills, feeds the family, assures you of God's hand of blessing on your life.

For Elijah, it was the Brook Cherith.

The brook provided shelter and sustenance.

ILL - Lytle Creek

It was that constant reminder, gurgling and splashing God's favor for Elijah.

Then, as the rains had stopped, Elijah began to notice that the stream didn't flow with quite the strength that it once did.

One day, he woke up and all was quiet.
***

The brook had dried up.

This was a crisis.

Elijah is now faced with a circumstance that might have shattered the hopes of many a minister.

That one thing that is the most visible sign of God's favor in your life, what would you do if it disappeared?

What would you do if your brook dried up?

This brings us to the imperative that want to set before you this morning.
***

Every Minister must trust God when the brook dries up.
***

I would like to show you a few clear motivations for obeying this command, and then let us see how Elijah serves as our example in this regard.

1.) Because God brought you to the brook. Vs.2,3
***
Remember whose idea the brook was?

Did Elijah see the hole in God's plan and solve that problem himself?

No - God brought Elijah to the brook.

This is essential to trusting God, remembering that all that sustains us is His doing.

Remember how Job continued to trust God even while everything was taken from him?

Job 1:21b "...the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."

This story reminds me of another prophet in the Old Testament, one whose trust in God was not exactly a model of faith.

Jonah 4:6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
8 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.

We have such a tendency to become attached to our brook, to let it become our whole world.

That is a dangerous place to be.

God wants to be your whole world.

He brought you to the brook, He can bring you to another.

He brought you to the brook because He knew it was what was right for you.

If it disappears or dries up, it is not a surprise to Him.

It is His brook!

He can dry it up if He wants to!

Another thing to remember, is that the brook wasn't your only blessing or provision in life.

Look at verse 4 and verse 6.

2.) Because God took care of you by means other than the brook. Vs.4,6
***
One thing that we must never forget: you have more than one blessing in this life.

God has poured out a multitude of blessing on you.

If you think not, you need to get your thinking straightened out!

The fact is, God loves you dearly and is constantly thinking of ways to show His love to you.

Psalm 139:17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Your brook may dry up, but it was not the only thing sustaining you.

we just have that human tendency to focus on one thing and think that we can't live without it.

The truth is, the only thing we can't live without is God!

Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

When was the last time you counted your blessings?

That song would serve us all well to remind of the multitude of blessings that He pours out on us every day.

"When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done."

Another important truth is that God is not dependant on the brook.
***

3.) Because God doesn't need the brook. Vs.8,9
1Kings 17:8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

God doesn't always have to take care of you in the same way as He always has.

God has taken care of me by many means.

He has cared for me at times by giving my family a home with a huge built-in swimming pool and parents with two incomes.

He has cared for me by leading me to the right dumpster where I found food to bring home to that same family.

That is how I grew up, learning that the brook doesn't always look the same.

God doesn't need a brook.

He can use a widow lady in Zarephath or a cattle rancher in Blue Lake.

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

You may be attached to your brook, but God may have other plans.

Don't limit Him to a brook.

How then can we trust God when the brook dries up?

Elijah gives us a great example with three very powerful practical steps:

1.) By speaking God's truth with courage. Vs.1

The first exhibition of faith and trust in the Lord is in Elijah’s willingness to speak God’s truth with courage.

Clearly, Elijah was delivering God’s message to King Ahab, so he was following God’s command.

Ahab was a vindictive and powerful king with a penchant for killing God’s prophets.

Elijah had everything to lose here.

What if Ahab decided that Elijah should serve as an example to those who disrespect the king?

The only thing that drove Elijah into the king’s presence with the courage to speak the truth was his trust in God.

Let me ask you, how much do you trust God?

Trust is built by exercise.

When was the last time you risked your reputation to speak God’s truth?

When was the last time you spoke up about Jesus, about the gospel when the lost needed to hear it?

I am talking about your friends.

Do you trust God enough to tell your friends about Jesus?

Exercise your trust muscles – speak God’s truth with courage.

2.) By submitting to God's provision. Vs.5

The brook Cherith was not the plushest provision for Elijah.

It met his needs and not much else.

What if Elijah had demanded something nicer?

What if he said, “God I am not sure I want to live like that. Could I get something a little more comfortable?”

This was an exercise of faith for Elijah.

He trusted not only that God would meet his needs at Cherith, but that God would teach him to be satisfied with his provision.

Elijah wasn’t concerned with the provision being lacking, because he knew the God who provided the brook and the ravens.

He knew that God had already thought of everything, and if God had put him there it was enough.

Elijah submitted to God’s provision.

3.) By following God's directions. Vs.10

For a man to be asked to sleep by a brook and live off of God’s provision is one thing.

Some people call that a camping trip.

For a man to be asked to find a helpless woman in a needy land and demand sustenance is another thing altogether.

God’s directions many times go against our pride and our natural tendencies.

You trust in God is revealed by how you follow His directions.

This would have been hard for me.

I think I would have made it at least this far, but it is hard to see myself asking the toiling old woman to fetch me some water.

The temptation would be to find some water and take it to the woman.

What if Elijah had mixed it up a little?

Beloved, God’s directions are not open to interpretation.

He has instructed you to do exactly what you must do, and within the construct of His directions is the provision that He has promised.

Do you trust Him?

Will you follow His directions to the letter?

Let me ask you this, have your impulses or desires ever led you astray?

Now think about this, have God’s directions ever led you astray?

They don’t always make human sense, but they always result in the best outcome.

Follow God’s directions.

Minister of God, are you trusting him when the brook runs dry?

Beloved, have you trusted Him for the salvation of your soul?

The Wise Woman

The Wise Woman


We live in a day in which women have been stripped of the power that was rightfully theirs.

Ironically, it has been in the name of empowerment that this has taken place.

Women that once held absolute sway over the next generation now come home to children that are determined to rule their own lives.

Women that once held the respect of every man by virtue of their gender now are relegated to a status of “equality.”

Women who were once powerful to impact the course of the world have relinquished there place of power to join the workforce.

Children like Abraham Lincoln who were once carefully and lovingly taught Biblical principles by their mothers have been under the tutelage of others who are diametrically opposed to Christian philosophy.

Men who used to survive their mundane 9-5 workday by looking forward to the well-ordered and loving home, to which they would return at night, now worry that they are losing touch with their families.

Women have come a long way, but it has been at the expense of their own empowerment and value.

God has a better plan for women today.

He wrote it all down and preserved it so that we might never lose sight of the ideal woman.

It is His desire that the woman that He designed take her rightful place in the world.

That is a special place of honor and power that no man can fill.

It is a place that is characterized by beauty and wisdom.

Today I would like to focus specifically on the latter, as I am ill-equipped to help you with the former.

The Word of God draws a distinctive correlation between the concept of wisdom and the woman.

In the book of Proverbs, in which you will find the foolish woman and the wise woman in great contrast, Wisdom is personified as a woman.

As a woman, I believe you are endowed with a special capacity for wisdom and also with the unique opportunity to impact the world with wisdom.

As a woman, you should pray for God to give you wisdom.

You must seek after it, hold on to it, and carefully use it to impact your world.

Our text this morning is primarily motivation for you to seek after wisdom.

You desperately need it, because the world desperately needs you.

One of the passages in Proverbs speaks of the characteristics of the wise woman.

Specifically, we see her activities in the home.

READ TEXT

Proverbs 14:1

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

PRAY

Our text reveals the two basic contrasting activities of two types of women.

The first woman is the woman that is characterized by wisdom.

She sees the world from God’s point of view.

She has asked for and has been granted a special insight into the consequences of her actions, and she has determined to act wisely.

She holds the knowledge and thereby the power to impact her world and her home for the better.

What an amazing and succinct observation about the activities of a wise woman!

She is occupied with the building of her household.

Her constructive activity is the standard to which women in our world should aspire.

Our society rose to its peak on the institution of the family.

It is built on the basic foundation of the nuclear household.

The wise woman in our text occupies herself with constructing and strengthening the foundation of her society.

What an important and meaningful existence!

Ladies, you must seek for wisdom so that you might build your household.

In the same text we see a negative contrast.

We see the foolish woman that is using her power and position to tear down instead of build.

The power of a woman’s tongue is seen here in its most negative light as it is wielded by a foolish woman.

Consequently, she plucks down the very structure that would have given her the most power and influence available to her.

That structure that would give her a worldwide impact is none other than her own home.

Ladies you have the power to make a difference in this world by building your home.

How can this be done?

How can you stabilize your household?

Proverbs 24:3 gives us the answer:

Proverbs 24:3
Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

How can a woman infuse value and true wealth into her home?

I am not speaking of financial wealth because that is fleeting and deceptive.

The next verse answers this question:

Proverbs 24:4
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

It all comes back to a desperate need for wisdom.

It all comes back to a wise woman.

It may seem that I am preaching directly to the women this morning, but men your understanding of the value of a woman is essential.

Her wisdom is what you need to be whole.

Her understanding is the secret to a healthy home.

You need her to have this wisdom.

You need her to wield this power.

You should not be threatened by her power to impact the home – you should long for it.

You should relish being a part of her exaltation to this position.

You can help her get there by praying for her, encouraging her and fulfilling your place of leadership so that she can answer her calling to wisdom.

Ladies, Let me petition you this morning to seek God’s wisdom.

James gives us some clear and practical advice to follow when we need wisdom.

James 1:5
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Ask God

This means you realize that you don’t have what you need in and of yourself.

This means you recognize God to be the source of what you need.

Believe in God

This means you know Him to be a loving and generous God.

This means you know Him to be an able and powerful God.

Commit to God

This means you have determined that His way is best.

This means that you have surrendered all selfish or worldly desires.

While this is a formula for getting the wisdom that you need, it is similar to the way we approach God for salvation.

We must believe in Him for salvation

It is with a heart of asking that we approach him for salvation

The repentance that takes place in our hearts indicates an intention to leave our sins behind and turn to him as Saviour.

In a sense, this is a commitment that we make to Him.

The beauty of it is that it is His commitment to us that saves us.

Will you accept Him as your Saviour today?