WHEN THE BOOK DRIES UP

1 Kings 17:1-9 “Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” And the word of the Lord came to him: “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 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. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.””

INTRODUCTION

A thought father once bought a puzzle of the map of the United States for his inquisitive son. Opening the box, the boy began working diligently to assemble the puzzle piece by piece; however, after many hours of laboring and struggling, the young boy tossed up his hands and said, “I can’t do it, something is wrong with this dumb puzzle; the pieces don’t match.”

The father lovingly stopped what he was doing, took off his shoes, rolled up his sleeves, got down on the floor with his son, and helped him with the puzzle. Within minutes, the puzzle was done. The son look at his daddy and asked, “How did you put the puzzle together in a few minutes when I struggled for hours and failed.” He responded, “Son, you were trying to put all the small pieces in that box together, but before I started I looked at the picture on the cover of the box to see what the small pieces are supposed to become. I submit to you that while you are I are wrestling with the individual things that happen in our lives, God sees the big picture and how the individual pieces fit together.

God is a master designer. He uses all things in our lives, the struggles and the successes, the ups and the down, the good times and the bad times, working them together for the good of those love the Lord and called according to his purpose. He takes all of those pieces of the fabrics of our lives — the good, the bad, the ugly, unfortunate, the loses, and wins weaves and stitches them together for our good. Am I right about it?

ENCOUNTERING THE TEXT

In the similar manner, this same God used the little faith test Elijah faced early in his ministry to prepare himself for the bigger challenges that came later.

Elijah was a miracle worker. He outran a chariot. He prayed down fire from heaven. He divided river and walked over on dry land. Elijah seems bigger.

But let me caution you lest you think you can’t related to him. According to the book of James, miracle-working Elijah was a man with a nature like yours and mine. Don’t let Bible psyche you out. Elijah put his pants on (so to speak) one leg at time just like you and me. Miracle-working Elijah had messy-human moments. It was God who performer the miracles, Elijah only the worker.

Sometimes we forget that the great men and women of the Bible whom we admire were just like you and me.

1. They made mistakes.

2. They fell short of God's glory.

3. They had shortcomings, limitations, and imperfections.

4. They experienced failures and had to deal with disappointments.

5. Just like you and me.

Mike Tyson was not the first person to bite off a man ear. Peter beat him to it; he cut off a man’s ear.

Bill Clinton was not the first man to lie about a women. Remember he said, “I never had relations with that women.” Abraham beat him to it. Abraham was afraid the men in Egypt would kill him and take his wife Sarah for themselves, so great Abraham lied and said Sarah was not his wife.

He careful how you idealize other people, admire how great they are, long to accomplish what they achieve — the grass ain’t always greener on the other side.

Look a little closer, you might find that it is not real grass but its astro turf.

We all have struggles.

I don't care how great you are; like everybody else, you have some struggle. We can learn something from Elijah.

Story begins, a weak king by the name of Ahab and his manipulate wife, Jezebel were leading Israel into the worship of Baal — a false God — away from the one true and living God. But it was more the doings of Jezebel than King Ahab. Oh, King Ahab wore the crown in the family, but it his controlling and manipulative Jezebel who wore the pants in the family. Ahab had the title King, but Jezebel had the power. Jezebel’s father was king, and she too wanted the power of the throne, but in that day, as a female, she couldn’t sit on the throne. She could not be king, so she did the next best thing. She married a weak king so she could walk over and rule through him.

Do you recall when Ahab wanted Naboth’s garden because it was adjacent to the palace and he wanted to plant a vegetable garden there, but Naboth wouldn’t sell it to him. Homeboy went home, got in the bed, wouldn’t eat, and and pulled the cover over his head, and turned his face to the wall. Jezebel said, “I got this.” She wrote a letter, forged the King’s signature, telling the men of the two she would pay them if they went publically and lied, saying Naboth had blasphemed the king’s name, then stone him to death. Jezebel went home and said get out this bed with your weak self, I got you that little garden. Jezebel was bad girl.

This is who God commands Elijah to go before and declare that for several years there will neither be rain nor due until God says so. The Bible declares that after this, it didn’t rain for three years and six months.

But then, God tells Elijah to do something strange. He tells him to go hide by the brook. What?

Church, I have a confession; sometimes, I don't understand God's will. Am I by myself; am I alone in this?

That sometimes, I only see the individual pieces of God’s of will for my life, and they don’t fit together.

Sometimes God's will does not make sense to me.

· Pray that it stops raining IN the Promised Land, then hide by the brook on the EDGE of the Promised Land. Made no sense. According to it’s very definition, a brook is small body of water that dries up when there is not rain. What are you doing God.

· Prophesy to Ahab, then hide from Ahab.

Does not make sense to me….

WHAT KIND OF GOD SENDS US TO THE BROOK TO HIDE?

What kind of God sends us to the brook to hide?

Maybe the kind of God who realizes that sometimes you have to take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there.

God had answered his prayer. But sometimes after God answers our prayer, we stop praying. Don’t stop praying after God answers your prayer, that’s when you need to pray harder. Don’t take matters into your own hands, once God answers. Leave in God’s hand.

Every now and then, when you get through praying, and God gets through moving, don't stop praying and start shouting your victory from the mountaintop. Hide think about the goodness of Jesus all his done for you, shout hallelujah, thank God for saving me.

Stop announcing, broadcasting, and publicizing all your business and blessing to the world and the devil. Everybody is not happy for you or celebrates with you. Some people are actually praying against you.

And the Bible declares that according to the word of the Lord, he went to the brook and dwelt there. Notice, he didn’t move because somebody said it was a good idea. He didn’t move because his emotions where high or low. He move according to the Word of God. Stop jumping ship, falling apart, losing faith every time the going gets tough. Don’t be moved by your anger. Don’t be motivated by your bitterness. Don’t be moved by your fear. Move when God says move. The phrase, “And the word of Lord came” shows up 4 time in our 9 verses.

Do you know why the Bible says “Be ye not drunk with wine but be ye filled with the Holy Ghost?” Wine is a controller. Wine is an inhibitor. Can we walk down memory lane? Somebody remembers those days when the wine started talking. Wine will give you the nerves to say things you don’t usually say. Wine will give you courage to flirt with people don’t have courage to flirt with. Anybody know what I’m talking about. But wine will also make things look good to you that normally won’t.

If God sends you to it, he will bring you through it. If God ordains it, he will sustain it.

While hiding in the middle of nowhere, God provided for his needs. God commanded the ravens to bring him bread to eat, and brook provided him water to drink.

But even though the Lord will provide, nothing last forever. The brook dried up and the ravens stopped coming.

WHAT KIND OF GOD SENDS ME TO THE BROOK AND THEN ALLOWS THE BROOK TO DRY UP

According to the original language, the brook didn’t dry all of sudden. The brook dried up bit by bit, day by day.

Have you ever been there? You didn’t end up in a dry season all of a sudden. You got there bit by bit, slowly but surely.

You see it coming bit by bit you notice...

· The job is ending.

· Your health is failing.

· The money is running out.

· Your relationships is going bad.

All God’s children have a brook.

· What do you do when see the bottoms is getting ready to fall out?

· What do you do when what or whom you depend upon disappoints you?

· What do you do when something meant to last forever suddenly begins to disappears?

· What do you do when your rock, who and what you depend on, begins to dry up before your very eyes.

When the brook dries, it can be a scary place to be.

How many times has God supplied our needs at the brook, and we thought that it would last forever, but then, the brook dried up?

THE BROOK DRIES UP.

What kind of God is this. Knowing the brooks is gonna dry up, but he sends me there anyhow?

hat is the question. Is it alright if I offer you the solution.

1. The question is, what kind of God lets the brook dry up. The answer is, the kind of God Who is not finisher with you yet

I don’t mean to burst you bubble, but you are not a finish product. You don’t have it all together get. God is still working on you. According to Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Can I give you permission to do something you have always wanted to do. Look to the person next you and tell them, “You are a piece of work.” God is still working on you. He takes the pieces of trouble, problems, disappointments in our lives and stitches them all together for our God. The devil and the world will send things at you with the goal of destroying you. But God takes what is throw at you to create with faith within you.

Don't get worried or become weary when yesterday's provisions don't sustain today’s journey. God is not finished yet.

Perhaps God is moving you into another season when the provision for your current season begins to end."

Maybe the provision in your current season are too small to support the size of your undertaking in your new season.

Have you ever out grown something but keep on wearing it anyhow because you felt comfortable in it.

We all have that favorite pants, shirt, blouse, jeans in the closet. You know the ones that you really love, but have long out grown.

Look to somebody next you and tell, “Baby, give it up.” But here is thing, the comfort of your current season, don’t even compare to the blessings in your new season.

Has anyone ever lost a job, and God gave them a new job, and it ended up being better than the old one? The burden of losing the old job facilitated the blessing of getting the new job.

Because if you had stayed at the old job, you would never applied for the new job.

Has anybody ever had a relationship go bad or a marriage to end, and the new relationship ended up being better than the old one? The heartache of the old relationship facilitated your appreciation of the new relationship. You didn't realize that you were not appreciated or were being abused in the old relationship, and it took the new relationship for you to realize that you deserve to be loved, appreciated, and respected.

Has anybody ever lost some so-called friends and thought you had lost something, but God gave you some real friends, and what you lost doesn't compare to the blessedness of what you gained? YOU SHOULD GO BACK TO YOUR OLD FRIENDS AND YOUR EX - BOO TELL THEM, “THANK YOU!”

When the provisions of your current season dry up, perhaps God is moving you into a new season.

It's not over – it's just beginning.

It's not a curse – it's a blessing.

The door down here may be closed – but keep your eyes open; the window up there is getting ready to open.

Has anybody ever not gotten a job, did not get the girl and/or boy, and later discovered that not getting the job and getting the man or woman was a blessing in disguise?

We must understand that all things will work TOGETHER (the good and the bad and the ugly together) for good.

Sometimes God wants us in a place for a season, but we are tempted to make it a dwelling place forever. Bible does not say, yea though I walk in the valley and make it my home. It says, yea though I walk through the valley. Somebody say,

“Keep on walking.” And just in case you are standing still let me encourage you to get stepping. The valley is not your home. The valley is not a destination. It is a season. Don’t get comfortable in the valley. Some people get so comfortable in the valley, living with struggles, that they are not comfortable anywhere else.

Elijah's brook had to dry up so he would know it was a temporary place.

2. The question is, what kind of God allows the brook to dry up. The answer is, the kind of God who realizes that better is on the way. Sometimes before you can get to Mount Carmel, you must first hide beside Brook Cherith.

Mt. Carmel was where Elijah defeated the 350 prophets of Baal. But God was using the little victories, these little faith tests, these little challenges to prepare Elijah to have faith enough handle the big challenges.

Too many of us want the mountain-size conquer, when have not been faithful in the mole-hill size challenge.

You don’t get hire one week and the next week you are the boss.

Every servant that God uses must pass through the trying experience at the Brook of Cherith before he is ready for the triumph on Mountain of Carmel.

Sometime before you can handle the success of victory, you have to first learn how to handle the experience of the valley.

Remember what Jeremiah said:

"If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble into a safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?"

A friend of mine once said, “If momma and daddy crying, who is gonna put the bottle in the babies mouth.” If you can't handle the small test of survival at the brook, how will you make it when you have the big fight on top of Mount Carmel?

How will you deal with the big demons if you can't handle the little imps?

If you can't keep up with the puppies, how are you going to run with the big dogs?

If little things cause you to give up and turn around, how in the world do you expect to handle the big things? This was the beginning of Elijah's ministry. God was using the little test to prepare him for mighty big battles coming later

3. What kind of God allows the brook to dry up? The kind of God who teaches you that he can bless you anywhere.

Notice what verse #4 says -- "I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there" (1 Kings 17:4). The most important word in the passage is the word there.

The Prophet might have preferred another hiding place.

· God could have sent him to hide in the Promise Land.

· God could have sent him to hide on top of Mt. Moriah.

But no.

· God sent him to hide by little dirty brook Cherith.

Sometimes we think that the blessing is on the mountaintop. The blessing is only in the midst of good times. But I have learned that I can be blessed anywhere if I have the Lord with me. I am safer in the storm with the Lord, than I am out of the storm without the Lord.

The source of my blessing is not where I am.

The source of my blessing is where God is.

The brook was only the source of his supply.

But it was God who was his supplier.

Your source is not man; it is God.

Your source is not your money.

Your source is not your position.

Your source is not your title.

Your source is not your ministry.

Your source is not your education.

All those thinks came from the supplier and the supplier is God.

God supplied you with the money, the position, the title, the ministry, and the education.

You must believe that the One who took you to the brook can keep you at the brook.

And when your season at the brook is over, he can take you into your promised Land.

You must believe that He can provide more if He provided the brook and the raven.

The brook is not all that God has in store for you don’t take up residence there.

He can do exceedingly and abundantly above all you ask or think according to the power that works in you.

He will give you grace and wisdom not to make your "bus stop" your final destination. Don’t sit at the bus stop missing all the buses that pass by.

You will have plenty amid famine.

God's word will lead and direct you.

Elijah did not suffer from "famine of the word."

There was a famine in the Land, but he had God in his soul.

There was a famine in the Land, but he had the word in his soul.

The Lord will speak a word to your brook that has dried up.

When the brook dries up -- He will speak a word that will take you to the next season in your life spiritually, financially, economically, etc., in Jesus' name.

The source of my blessing is not where I am.

The source of my blessing is where God is.

My supplies may be dry up, but my supplier up in heaven is still fill up.

And my God will supply your every need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Acording to James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

God is the giver.

The doctor that operates on you was created by God.

The brains that got him through medical school was given by God.

The elements in the medicine that he prescribes were created by God.

So I don’t get bent out of shape when my supplies dry up, because God is my supplier.

And my supplier, my God will supplier all of my needs according to his riches in glory.

I shall not want because the Lord is my shepherd and he leadeth because.

Keep you eyes on God.

Money you can buy a house, but God makes it a home; With money you can buy a clock, but God makes the time;

Money you can buy a book, but your knowledge comes God.

Money you can buy blood, but God is giver of life.

You can try to buy friends, but real love comes from God.

Money can buy you a soft bed, but peaceful sleep comes God.

Money can buy you fine clothes to look good on the outside, but good character on inside comes from God.

Money will buy you a bed BUT NOT sleep.

Books BUT NOT brains.

Food BUT NOT appetite.

Finery BUT NOT beauty.

A house BUT NOT a home.

Medicine BUT NOT health.

Luxuries BUT NOT culture.

Amusement BUT NOT happiness.

A crucifix to wear around your neck BUT NOT a Saviour in your heart.

A church-pew sit on BUT NOT heaven get in.

Money can buy land, but not love;

Bonds, but not brotherhood;

Gold, but not gladness;

Silver, but not sincerity;

Hospitals, but not health;

Condominiums, but not character;

Timber, but not truth.

Commodities, but not comfort;

Ranches, but not righteousness;

Ships, but not salvation;

Hotels, but not heaven.

Money can buy a good life, but it won’t give you eternal life.

That’s why I don’t worry when these earthly supplies dry up.

I don’t worry about material supplies, because I know who my supplier is and his name is Jesus.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, the restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Evans, T. (2009). Tony Evans’ book of illustrations: stories, quotes, and anecdotes from more than 30 years of preaching and public speaking (p. 27). Moody Publishers.