The Brook of Cherith

Saturday 25 February
READ: 1 Kings 17: 1 – 16
MORE LESSON: Isa. 33: 16

Elijah the Tishbite pronounced a drought upon the land of Israel because they had forsaken God. One would wonder whether he forgot that he was also resident in the nation when he was commanding the heavens closed over the land. The truth is that Elijah knew that even though he was in the land, he could not be affected by the famine because he served the God who provides for His own irrespective of famine or drought in the land. Our God promises His own that they shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied (Psa.37:19).
When the drought became so gruesome in the land, God led Elijah to Brook Cherith. There are some things worthy of note about Elijah's adventure at Cherith. The first is that it was a place of security and refuge for him. Elijah had declared drought so the king and all the army were on the lookout for him. They travelled from nation to nation with weapons, searching for Elijah but God had provided a hiding place for him at Cherith. God told him, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan: 1 Kings 17:3. Cherith is a hidden place; this shows that no matter the evil in the land, there is a hiding place for you. God will keep you in the cleft of His rock and the evil in the land will not touch you.
A man could be kept in a place of refuge and he dies of hunger and thirst in that place. This is why God also makes Cherith a place of divine provision. There was no food and water in the land but God commanded food to be brought to Elijah by the ravens. The ravens are very small birds and they are normally too small to carry food for a man but the strength to carry the food for Elijah came upon them. Ravens are flesh eaters but they carried Elijah's food without eating it. This is because God had commanded Elijah's provision.
So Cherith is a place of divine protection and commanded provision. It is amazing that in a time of a nation-wide famine and drought, God secluded a place for Elijah and made it such that no one could compete with him for it. It is logical to infer that since there was no water in Israel and Cherith had water, the people would naturally flock there to go fetch water. However, the Bible points out that they looked for Elijah all over and couldn't locate him; this means that no one came to Cherith. God will take you to your own brook of Cherith where you will enjoy protection and provision without any man contending with you for it.

Prayer/Action
* I receive the protection and provision of Cherith for my life and family, in Jesus’ name.
* Every contention for my portion in destiny shall fail, in the name of Jesus.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
The sun shall not smite me by day nor the moon by night, pestilence and famine shall be far from me throughout the year, in the name of Jesus.