In 1 Kings 17 we read of a story concerning Elijah the prophet who prophesied of a coming drought/ famine as he spoke it shall not rain until I say it shall rain.

During the famine, God sent a unclean raven/ bird to feed the prophet at the brook called Cherith (meaning a separation or a cutting away place).

Later when that brook had dried up he sent him to a widow in Zerepath (meaning a place of refining) whose son later falls sick to death and Elijah raised him from the dead.

What was the God who knows and sees all things, really doing with his prophet and this widow and her son? Why was he using a unclean bird to sustain Elijah until the brook dried when he could have sent a dove to do the same and then sent him to her the widow women?

If you research the meaning of the places and what they really mean this tells a story far deeper than what we see on the surface of things with our own natural and carnal perspectives

God’s ways are not our ways, his ways is so much higher, because he can see all things and at much greater distances than we can.  He sees the future and He knows all things.

People tend to judge by what they see with their natural eyes and operate from their fleshly emotions based upon what their natural eyes see but, God tries the hearts.

It is there that he is trying, testing, refining, searching, and looking.

In this passage of Scripture we see Elijah was sent to a place of cutting off a place of separation called Cherith.

God was dealing with some things concerning his servant.  Cutting away some old wrong carnal religious fleshly mindsets, perhaps the way he discerned things so he could use him in even a greater way to reach more people and become more effective in his calling as a prophet; increasing his faith in showing Himself as a provider to him, and showing him that He could use anything or anyone to do so whom He so chose to use.

On the other hand we see this widow and her son about to literally starve to death in this drought/ famine who needed God’s intervention for her to go any further perhaps even in her own calling.

She was also leaning the principals of God, as her Faith was also being tested and tried by the fire of the word that had gone forth.

“Is not my word like a Fire?” declares The LORD, “and like a Hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”  (Jeremiah 23:29)

We often speak of breakthroughs but, never hardly rarely even speak of the process this involves.

There must be a cutting away of wrong carnal religious mindsets of the old order in order to receive the mind of Christ and the new God is getting trying to present to you.

He sends His Word like a Fire and a Hammer to do just that.

This Fire will consume away the flesh thinking and old ways and this Hammer will break all resistance to your breakthrough.

So that as the widow’s son rose from the dead so can you also rise from the deadness of the old law to the new and living way!

You may not always understand the dealings of God with his own people or even your own self in regards to how he deals with you.

Maybe you need to learn to trust God and allow him to be God and stop trying to water down his thinking and his workings based upon your own carnal knowledge and old religious mindsets.

Elijah ate what was before him and received what was provided for him.  He did not do a all out investigation of this raven before he decided to receive. He simply received.

He did not get into a pride, saying I cannot eat from this unclean bird, because I am holier than thou attitude, which reminds me of another passage of Scripture concerning a trance Peter went into where he saw heaven opened up and a large sheet was lowered to the ground by it’s four corners, filled with all manner of four footed beast, creeping things, and birds.

A voice from heaven saying, “Rise Peter, kill, and eat!”  Peter’s response was I have never eaten anything common or unclean!  (Acts 10:9-11:18)

The voice from heaven spoke (three times total) again, saying, “What God hath cleaned call thou not common or unclean!”

The blood of Jesus was speaking here!  What God hath cleaned with His Own Blood — do not call common or unclean!

The deeper meaning here is revealed even though it was showing unclean animals and the old Jewish law concerning them, which is what Peter was referring to when he said he could not eat them.

However, Peter was about to visit Cornelius, who was not a Jew but, rather a Gentile Roman Centurion.

Peter then got his darkened, carnal religious understanding enlightened that day to fully come to understand that God was telling him point blank not to call any person common or unclean whom He had cleansed with His Own Blood, showing him that The Gospel of God’s Grace was for all Nations — not just the Jews!

Elijah also obeyed when he went where he was sent to the widow women.  He said and did exactly what God told him to do and say.

He did not question God.  He did not waste time trying to decide if she was worthy of his presence or gift — no, he simply obeyed!

The Truth was, he needed something she had more than he even realized.  She had something that would sustain him that day and in the end bring everlasting provisions.

So the moral of this story is to stop trying to bring God’s ways and way of thinking to your level.

Trust Him and be quick to obey what He tells you to do, and go where He tells you to go, without question, even if you do not fully understand or fully see the full picture as of yet.

Even if it goes against what your own carnal standards are, what you have thought, or been taught.

It could be, God is trying to cut away some of that carnal thinking and cause you to rise up a little higher in the high call he has called you and see things from his perspective.

Trust the process, not only in your own life, but trust that it is God Who works in and through us all for his own good pleasure.  (Philippians 2:13)

A cutting away of self is required to go on to do the greater works, to realize it is not all about us, what we think, or feel, and it never was.

It’s about his nature being fully developed in us, so that his perfect will can be done through us.

So forget what is behind you and press toward the mark of the higher Calling in Christ Jesus our LORD so we can do these greater works He has called us to.

Always, always obey The LORD and do so soon as He speak to you, because delayed obedience is still and always will be disobedience in God’s eyes.

Your delay to obey His Voice is delaying someone else’s Prayers from getting answered and their much needed breakthrough.

Also, know that your next breakthrough is also tied to your present obedience.

So, stop overthinking and second guessing God!

He knows what He is trying to get accomplished through you, so He also can get what you need to you!

Remember, obedience is better than sacrifice.

Blessings to you all.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith The LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:8-9.

“So Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,  As in obeying the voice of The LORD?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.”  1 Samuel 15:22.

 

~ Kimberly Fuller

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Kimberly Fuller

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