And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."
Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there."
So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.—1 Kings 17:1-7
“And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.”
Although Elijah was mighty in prayer and could prevail with God, yet he did not therefore escape from suffering; his prayer brought him into suffering. If there should be a drought throughout all the land, he himself must feel the pinch as well as the rest of the people. If the brooks are dried up, they will be dried up for him; and if there is no food in the land, there will be no food for him unless God will be pleased to intervene on his behalf. The highest degree of grace cannot save us from affliction; it even includes it.
We may grow in grace until our faith never staggers. But the impartial hand of trial will knock at our door as well as at the door of the chief of sinners. We must still walk the path of sorrow. The child of God cannot escape the rod even though he is an Elijah. He may call down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, but no fire from heaven can consume his trouble. He must pass through it as well as the weakest and most common of God’s people. Let us, therefore, settle it in our hearts to be resigned to this. If the Prince himself once went through the Valley of Humiliation, why should we murmur at following in his footsteps? God had one Son without sin but never a son without affliction. Let us not ask to be the first but be content to share the position of those whose inheritance is to be ours forever in the paradise of our God.
Beloved…thinking Psalm 55:22 is perfect here..
Cast your burden on the LORD,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
