Category: Devotion of the Day

The Lesson of Cherith: God’s Provision

Get thee hence…and hide thyself by the brook Cherith…and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
I Kings 17:3,4

At Cherith Elijah learned the lesson of God’s provision. But Cherith was the place of God’s provision because it was the place of God’s purpose. Elijah was in the place where God told him to be. The ravens had been commanded to feed him “there,” not somewhere else, not just anywhere, but “there.” Where God guides He provides. He is responsible for our upkeep if we follow His directions. He is not responsible for expenses not on His schedule. He does not foot the bill when we leave His itinerary.

Sometimes God’s arrangements are most unusual. Commanding the birds to feed a prophet is strange procedure. And sometimes God sends us off to a brook when we think we ought to be out in the thick of things. The need is so great, the harvest so plenteous and the laborers so few that it looks like a waste of time to head for a brook. But God has His own pattern and plan, and He may want us by a mountain brook when we are al hot and bothered about getting into the heat of the battle. But it was at Cherith’s brook that Elijah was made ready for Cermel’s battle.

Come and See

And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
John 1:46

Philip did not let Nathanael sidetrack him into a discussion of whether or not any good things could come out of Nazareth. That was irrelevant and Philip was no authority on the matter. After all, the best way to settle that question, as well as all others, was, “Come and see for yourself.” Jesus was just out of Nazareth, and Nathanael could soon find out the answer to his query.

The devil likes to sidetrack us from the real issue. The woman at Jacob’s well raised secondary matters until the Lord brought her to face her sin and Himself as the Messiah.

Do not let people dodge the real issue by raising a lot of unimportant questions. Tell them to come to Christ and see for themselves. He is in Himself the answer to all our problems. Whatever you may not understand, whatever puzzles you, do no try to solve such things one by one. Come to Him and He will dispel your doubts and you will say with Nathanael, “Thou art the Son of God!”