Cherith

by Katie Kafka

Imagine being called by God, like Elijah, into a season of separation. I think about how I would most likely spend my time. What would my choices reveal? You never quite know those answers until you are in a similar experience. I would like to think that I would use it as a time to grow in my relationship with God. To realign my priorities with His. To remember that He is always working and moving in my life. To acknowledge His promises to me and rest in Him alone.

When you think about what we’ve learned so far in our story of Elijah, we see a series of obedient steps. This reminds me that I am on a journey with God too. When we live in relationship with Him, we are all walking through the process of becoming. God works in each of us in unique ways, for His glory and for our good. Elijah is choosing to be obedient in that next step. Isn’t that true of most big decisions in life? You find yourself making a series of next steps that will take you to that big decision. It is easy to just focus on that big moment but in reality it is about being obedient in the little things before God brings on something big. That is the Lord, and his kindness, providing for your every need. His kindness in how He knows your desires. His kindness in how He knows what you can handle in every moment. What a gracious God we have.

You see this in the miracle of the ravens providing food for Elijah. Did the ravens come before or after Elijah had been obedient in going to Cherith? He had to first be obedient with going before he could see God‘s provision and promise. How many of our doubts in God‘s provision are tied to our unwillingness to first go where He has called? We want to know the outcome before we commit. We want to know that it is going to be a good choice before we even decide. These are moments where we have the opportunity to live by faith. I am learning from Elijah’s story of what it can look like to live by faith. That when we do take a faithful step, it often involves separation so that God can sustain us, surprise us, and shield us.