"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."
This is one of those passages where God supernaturally provides for His people, and indicates that wherever He may call us to go or whatever He may call us to do, we can trust and follow Him. He's got our back and will provide whatever needs we would have. There are other instances of this throughout Scripture: Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness, Abraham leaving a familiar place to go to an unknown one, the Israelites leaving Egypt and venturing into the desert of Sinai, and even later in this chapter - when the brook dries up God directs Elijah to an impoverished widow with basically nothing to offer, for him to find food and shelter there.
When I read this, it struck me that Elijah seemed to easily obey and follow the LORD's command. If I had heard that command, that ravens were going to bring me food, I might easily reject it or rationalize it away: Ravens? That's crazy! Maybe so, but sometimes God works and provides in unpredictable or unlikely ways. A commentary I read says that ravens normally neglect their own young, so a raven would be the least likely provider of nourishment. This is often how God works - declaring His glory by intervening in miraculous ways, showing that it is He who is in control of things.
So Elijah obeyed, and God did just as He said He would. Was there uncertainty in Elijah's heart as he made his way out into the wilderness? I don't know, but I know that in my heart there is often uncertainty when I feel like God is calling me to something, whether it be to talk to a particular person or go to a particular place or enter into a particular area of ministry. Too often I rationalize it away and don't step forward in faith and obedience. So I miss opportunities and chances to see God display His greatness.
Reading this story in Scripture encourages me. If God called Elijah into the desert in a drought and provided him food and water, surely He can give me confidence, boldness, and the words to say when He calls me to step out in faith to initiate a spiritual conversation, or just to introduce myself to someone, seeing where that conversation may lead. If God is calling me to something, I ought to go in full confidence, because He will provide. That's His character. Whom He calls, He equips.
I've seen this firsthand on the rare occasions that I do obey His voice. About a year ago I began to sense that God was calling me to initiate a prayer meeting for the neighborhood we live in, to seek God for His move among the people here. It took awhile for me to follow through (I'm kinda slow when it comes to these sorts of things), but in June we had our first meeting. I had invited some Christians I know in the neighborhood and put a few posters up, and I showed up at the first scheduled time, not knowing if anyone would show up. But I wanted to be obedient and keep going with what I felt God was calling me to, even if no one did come. And at that first meeting, one lady from about 5 streets over came - she had seen a poster and the Holy Spirit had nudged her to check it out. She quickly caught the vision for praying for our neighborhood and began inviting a few friends. Now 3 of us meet every Thursday morning to pray, with more showing up on occasion, and the lady who was there the first day has commented a number of times about changes she senses and sees in the neighborhood. God has used that prayer time and been faithful to provide for what He's called me to, and who knows what more He may do!
Maybe you struggle with the same things. Is there something you sense that God is calling you to, but you have made excuses or rationalized it away? Is there something you know God is leading you to but you're afraid to carry it out? If you feel a nudge of the Holy Spirit, maybe to talk to someone or to step into an area of ministry or whatever it may be, go for it - God can and will provide! If you're unsure what you're sensing is from God, check it with Scripture and godly counsel, and then take the step of faith. If it isn't God, He's more than able to redirect you. If it is from God, watch for how He works! Sometimes the results might not be overly dramatic or visible, but we can trust that God is working and using us when we obey Him in faith. And He's honored by that faith.
-Jason
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