“You will drink water from the brook.
I have ordered some ravens to feed you there.”

Most people will agree that ravens are ugly mysterious birds that we often associate with evil or the dark side! We don’t seem to know much about them, but researchers tells us that they are highly intelligent creatures. We understand that they can reason on the level of dolphins and chimps.

God’s prophet Elijah had an unexpected relationship with ravens. He came to evil king Ahab and told him God was punishing him, along with Israel, for their evil deeds! Elijah told Ahab that, according to his word, there would be no rain and all Israel would suffer as a result. Elijah walked away from that meeting and, as promised, Israel suffered for years while looking everywhere for water! We see Elijah was not exempt from the draught! How would he survive and where would he get water and food? God knew exactly where he was and his dire need, and commanded ravens to feed him and had a brook to supply him water! God sustains His people! God, in His mercy, is even sustaining the whole world (Ps. 145:16)! There’s coming a time when He will withhold His sustenance from the masses of people because of their rejection of Him (Rev. 18:8).

We have to understand that the people in the Bible are no different than us. God simply supplies the needs of those who trust in Him. He fed 5,000 people who had no means. He even clothed Adam and Eve when their eyes were opened concerning their nakedness. We who live by faith, believe that the ravens are near, and somehow God will keep us alive. Many generations have experienced diseases and famines. We just have to know our biblical history. Egypt experienced great famine, and God’s people, as well as the world, were delivered from it under Joseph’s leadership. The Lord sent pestilence in Israel during the reign of king David and 70,000 died in a short time (II Sam. 24:15). There was pestilence in the time of the prophet Amos. The new testament church at Jerusalem suffered famine. We also read that the psalmist had experience enough to write to us from his day: Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. (Ps. 33:8-9). What a mighty God we serve!

If you have God’s Spirit abiding in you, and you believe in God, let the words in this article comfort you. (Suddenly, inspired biblical words you read should have more impact.) Let’s believe the words of king David, that great leader:  “I have been young, and now I am old, and I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his offspring begging bread.”