1 Kings 17:2-6 (King James Version)
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.
As a small businessman, one of the worries I always seem
to have is the economy: "What if all the work I'm doing brings no new
clients? What if no orders come in? I
think, among other worries, "What if... What if...?" I see others businesses
shutting the door, and I worry, worry, worry.
As Always if I turn my attention to God’s word I will get
some answers. As I read in 1 Kings I can learn a lesson from Elijah. Just like Elijah
-- all the time, whatever the economic conditions, good or bad. We are all fed
by ravens. We are all completely dependent on God for everything in our lives.
Those customers that come to my site and place an order, are just like the
ravens that came over the hill with bread and meat to feed Elijah each day. I
am fed by ravens every day. There are no effective "business plans".
There are no meaningful "economic stimulus programs" -- and there
never were -- throughout human history.
We may mean well in planning, and certainly, we should
help as many others as we can. But as to each of us individually, no matter
what position we are in, it can all disappear in an instant. That business can
dry up; that grant can end; that job can disappear; the economy can tank; poor
health can rob us at any time of the ability to care for ourselves. This is
true today, and it was also true when we thought, "The times are good."
It’s just easier to forget the fact when things are going well. Being
self-reliant is a good character trait, but we can never save ourselves.
Although I must work hard to build my business and
support my family, and everyone must work hard to the best of our ability, if I
am in God's will, as Elijah was, in the long run, one way or another, God will
care for me and my family as He so chooses. If we are obedient, He will care
for us. He will provide our daily bread. All that we have comes from Him each
day of our lives and always will. For that, we must be truly thankful.
Dear Lord we thank You today for sending the ravens to
feed us. Help us to remember that everything we have comes from You. In Jesus’
Name, Amen.
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