The Raven

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah:

“Leave here, turn eastward, and hide in the Kerith Ravine,

east of the Jordan.  You will drink from the brook, and

I have ordered ravens to feed you there.”

1 Kings 17:2-4

The story of Elijah and the ravens is fascinating.  After Elijah tells King Ahab that there would be no dew or rain except at Elijah’s command, Ahab was very angry, so God instructed Elijah to hide by the brook in Kerith – out in the middle of nowhere.  The Lord said Elijah could drink water from the brook and would be fed by ravens. 

The prophet fled to the brook, settled down, and waited for help to arrive.  Like clockwork, morning and evening, big black ravens brought him a meal. It was not just a crust of bread in the birds’ mouths!  The Scriptures indicate that the ravens brought bread and meat for breakfast and dinner.

Last Saturday at 8:30am, the power went out at my home and over a wide swath of Chesterfield County due to an ice storm.  The temperature inside the house slowly sank from 70 degrees to 48 degrees. In the midst of the cold, God sent: my three daughters.  From Northern Virginia, New York and Hanover County, they coordinated deliveries of hope, encouragement, hot meals, and firewood.  The power came on this morning at 9:30am, bringing the promise of light and warmth, and many heartfelt thanks to my girls and to my heavenly Father.