[Dana McNeely] What Are We Waiting For?

Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”

So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook.
I Kings 17: 2-6 NLT

Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! James 5:17 NLT

In The Waiting Room

Perhaps now, more than any time in your life, you feel you’re in a waiting room. This time is more intense than those times when you’ve waited to hear if you were selected for a job, if your house would sell, or if that prayer would be answered with a resounding “Yes!”

Immediately after the prophet Elijah declared God’s judgement on Israel, God sent him into the wilderness. And there he waited … and waited. Perhaps God’s purpose was to keep the prophet safe from an angry king. After all, Elijah had rebuked Ahab quite publicly. We know that a price was put on his head, after the reality of the drought set in.

But did God hide Elijah only to protect him?

I think of Elijah as one of the most heroic characters in the Old Testament. He stood alone against wicked and powerful people to turn a nation back to God. But we’re also told he was as human as we are. Later we read when the prophet became overcome by fear, weariness, and depression. He felt so discouraged he wanted to die.

But despite his humanity, God used Elijah to accomplish great things. Let’s look together at what we can learn from scripture about how God prepared Elijah to turn Israel to the one true God.

One Step at a Time

When Elijah was in the mountains of Thisbe, he may have tended a flock of sheep. The Bible doesn’t say so, however that’s what many of his countrymen did. But we do know that God told Elijah to leave whatever life he led, go to Samaria, and proclaim the drought.

God didn’t say anything about what would come next. He didn’t describe how the king and queen would receive the bad news, and he didn’t promise to protect Elijah in the aftermath. He just said ‘Go!’

The lesson is, when we receive a strong impression of God’s telling us to do something, we need to obey. If we know God is speaking, but refuse to take the first step until we know the second, we may receive no further instruction.

The Waiting Room

We learn from James 5:17 that Elijah “prayed earnestly” that no rain would fall. That speaks of spending time in close communication with the Lord. I imagine Elijah’s prayers began in the mountains of Thisbe, continued on the journey to Samaria, and deepened in the “waiting room” beside the Kerith Brook where God—and the ravens—were his only companions. Elijah used this time to draw close to the Lord.

God uses the “waiting room” throughout scripture. God spoke to Moses, alone, on Mount Sinai. Jesus often asked his disciples to come apart to a quiet place, where he would teach them. Paul wrote the Revelation during enforced seclusion on the island of Patmos.

During my father’s long decline, I spent hours in nursing homes and hospitals. Sometimes dad would be asleep when I arrived or nod off during my visit. Knowing he needed the rest, I used that time to pray—for him, for myself, for my mom, and other friends and family.

Trust God

God sent Elijah to wait near the brook Kerith. The Lord promised ravens would bring the prophet meat and bread each day. As he headed east into the desert, Elijah must have wondered about this promise. The drought would cause the brook to dry up—wouldn’t it? And how could ravens, carrion eaters, find food fit for humans? Or if they found it, wouldn’t they eat it themselves? And how long could he stay hidden from the king’s soldiers, anywhere in Israel?

But as the days passed, and he rested by the brook, his trust grew. He was where God wanted him to be. The brook sparkled and the water was cool. The ravens became friends. Though enemies might search, God kept him safe in a hidden ravine. Later, when Elijah needed to trust God’s power before a king and a nation, he was prepared.

Thoughts ~

• Did you ever feel God call you to take some action—but you hesitated to take that first step?
• Have you ever been in God’s Waiting Room? How did that time change you?
• Have you ever needed God’s provision? Did you pray for help? To strengthen your trust, write down your prayer and how God answered. Read your entry the next time you need encouragement.