This morning we continue to look at the life and ministry of one of the greatest prophets who ever lived- Elijah. Over the last few weeks we have walked with Elijah as he boldly proclaimed his faith to King Ahab... Remember those words: As the Lord God of Israel Jives before whom I stand, there shall be no dew or rain these years except at my word.
Risking his life Elijah obeys the Lord. We also waited and watched with Elijah as the Lord gave Him his next command. Together we were shocked as Elijah was told to hide by the Cherith Brook. And there with just Elijah and God; Elijah began to be sculpted into the man that God desired Him to become. We saw how God met Elijah’s needs for food and water. Everything was going well until God allowed the Brook to go dry.
Turn with me to 1 Kings chapter 17 beginning in verse 2
Listen again to Verse 7 - And it happened after a while that the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.
Our man Elijah following the Lord’s command hid himself by the Cherith Brook. Every morning and evening food was provided. And fresh water was easily accessible through the brook. But over time Elijah watched as the once plentiful brook began to flow slower and slower. He watched as rocks and stumps that were once buried underneath the water was now visible. H e watched as slowly the life was drained from that little brook leaving dried up cracked dirt in place of the flowing brook. We don’t really know whether this happened all of a sudden or over a period of time, but what we do know is that when it happened Elijah was filled with doubt, questions, confusion, and much loneliness.
How could happen to him? He had obeyed and followed the will of God as best he could know it? Why would God dessert him? Leaving him left out to dry? Because of Elijah’s bold profession of his faith to Ahab, he was know a wanted man. Where could he go? What would he do? And in the midst of it all, this question loomed large Where are You Lord? Have you forgotten me?
For you and I most of us are not sitting and staring at a vanishing water brook, but when our life situations turn and twist taking us to places we never desired or dreamed we would be at, I believe we can share a common feeling with Elijah. So what does it mean in our lives for our brook to go dry. Maybe these life scenerios will help...
The Phone rings at 2 am, your heart pounds as you pick up the receiver... You get the news... Your brook just went dry... Your roles are reversed mother is now child, child is now mother, as you struggle to care for an aging parent... It seems to you that the mom or the dad that you once knew is gone and day by day you struggle with mixed emotions as you meet their needs... For you somewhere in the process of time your brook went dry.. . You faithfully give to the church and the different causes; you are noted for being a generous man or woman, but a
medical crisis causes you to lose all you have and you have no hope for paying it off that debt... Your brook just went dry.. The doctor relays the words to you CANCER you hear nothing else as everything goes numb... Your brook just went dry.. . Your husband informs you that after 20 years of marriage that he doesn’t love you anymore and wants a divorce... Your brook just went dry... Even as I was preparing this message , get a call from Penny that Caleb needs emergency surgery and I wonder if my brook is about to go dry.
Life turns, crisis comes, and tragedy hits and the once firm rug gets yanked out from underneath you... What do you do? Guys, There is very few sure things in life but There is one thing I can guarantee you that some time in your life a life tragedy or crisis will hit you and in that time it will seem that your brook has gone dry-That the once faithful God has now forgotten you.
So that being the case what do we do?
In the remaining minutes of this message I want to offer to you several actions to take when these times come. In order to help remember them I have provided a listening guide for you to take notes with.
First, Accept the fact that bad awful and catastrophic as well as good great and incredible events will happen to us.
In the course of life be in long or short we will experience different times of trial some being minor others being so intense that it takes our breath away. You are not being singled out it is just a fact of life.
One of the difficulties that I have with those who preach a health and wealth gospel which says that if I truly follow God then nothing bad will happen to me and if by some chance something hits then I have sinned or my faith is too weak, Is that it is simply not Biblical.
Look at Elijah, where did he sin. He by obeying God’s command to hide was in the center of the will of God. How about John the Baptist. He obeyed God by boldly preaching a message of repentance and Baptism. Yet because of his bold words against the King’s private life he was imprisoned and later beheaded. Look at Jesus in the garden of Gethesmane suffering so much that he sweated drops of blood. Suffering so much that he begged the Father to find another way to save the people. Several hours later Jesus was tortured and killed.
I could go on... In this life we are not shielded from trouble. Many have come to accept Jesus Christ into their lives, but the minute the brook dried up they run away. Angry at God for not keeping them safe, Feeling betrayed and hoodooed that God has sold them a bill of goods that is not at all what they thought. If you come to Jesus so that you can have worldly success, abundant finances, and trouble free living you have come to the wrong place.
When these times come we often ask Why? but perhaps the better question should be Why Not?
Second, In the midst of the pain hold on to the promise that God has not forgotten you.
Depending upon the trial or the pain it is so easy to feel abandoned and lonely- that somehow among all the billions of people that God watches over that somehow God has forgotten about us. His eyes have left us, and we are aU alone.
This my friends is a lie from the devil. Listen to what God through the prophet Isaiah said to a people who thought that God had forgotten them:
But Zion said~ 11 The Lord has forsaken me~ And the Lord has forgotten me. 11
Listen to the Lord’s response: "Can a woman forget her nursing child~ And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget~ But I will not forget you.
Behold~ I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; .
God has not nor will not forget You. , love how the amplified bible puts one of these phrases: I have indelibly imprinted tatooed a picture of you on the palm of each of my hands.
You are before God at all times. He knows who you are and he knows what you are going through. He is not overwhelmed or stressed by your pain; He just wants to do to you like right now what we do for Caleb and that is when he cries we pick him up hold him rock him love on him and let him know that even though he is hurting we are there and we Jove him. God wants to do that for you right now. Will you let Him?
Practically speaking though how can we be held and rocked by God in the midst of our pain.
We must cling to God like never before- Embracing with all that we have our relationship with Jesus Christ
So how do we do this:
First, we cling to the word of God. The promises of the Bible. These are God’s words to us and in these words are messages of hope and promise that we cling to in times of trouble. The word of God is our anchor it will help us not to drift into any wrong direction.
What does it mean to cling? I think of a little toddler or preschooler who is in a strange place with strange people. That little one will cling to the shoulder leg foot of that father or mother so as not to be lost or forced to go it alone. In this same we need to cling to Jesus.
First through his word- Hear it ,read it, write it down, reflect on it... Allow the words to run constantly in your mind... So that when your brook runs dry... Even when no bible is available... those promises come to mine.
You need to reflect upon the promises of God in the same way that many of you went home and reflected upon the super bowl. Later that night some of you when it was all quiet began to think on all the things that the Panthers did that cost them the game... What if they didn’t have all those penalties? What if they hadn’t gone for two point? What if Kasey had punted better.
You get the picture. Whether this example or another on, I know that you have the ability to reflect, to mediate, to memorize, to obsess... Just transfer those times to the promises of the word of God... Let the promises seep down deep into your deepest places.
Cling not only to the word but also to prayer. In the midst of your pain be totally honest with God. If you are angry then let God know... Whatever emotion that you are feeling... let God know... Dare to vent to God. If it feels strange to talk it out... then write it out get a piece of paper. On top of it put Dear God, and then begin to write out what you are feeling and where you are hurting. A relationship only grows through honesty and vulnerability.
Cling to His church- In the midst of your pain surround yourself with people who can pray with you, love on you, cry with. That my friends is one of the purposes that God has created his church for. If for some reason you are blocked from doing that at this church then find a small group that can offer that to you.
When we cling, we put our pride aside and say we can’t do this alone. We need help, and in doing so a window of healing is formed that will being light to many of your dark places.
So this morning How is your brook? Is it running over? Is it slowly going dry? or is it bone dry with cracked dirt in place of water? Whatever its condition, Choose today to hold fast to a God who loves you more than you will ever know.
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