Fed by the Ravens

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”

So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

1 Kings 17:2-6 (NIV)

            Kerith Ravine – I’ve been spending a lot of time there lately. A place of lonely introspection. A place where I’ve been focusing on the past, the future, and the often-challenging task of waiting patiently for God to fulfill His plan in my life.

            Self-doubt gnaws at my mind – am I truly good enough? Then why am I beating myself up about this new venture? How can I move past the fatigue, the worries, the waiting? Writing and editing can be so difficult and frustrating at times – and a lonely endeavor at that.

            These past three months or so have taken a toll on me physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I see Mount Carmel in the distance yet for now all I see is a small brook that is running dry and ravens to bring me nourishment.

            The ravens – God’s supply for a hungry soul. God’s just-enough-for-today; no less, no more. The right amount for this day’s needs and not beyond. Because I’m called to live in the moment, not in the what-has-yet-to-come.

            Yet in the waiting, discouragement creeps in. When can I leave this place of dependency? When can I walk away from this day-to-day reliance? How long will this time in the desert last? Because, friends, that is where I am right now. Sure, I’ve had my victories here and there, yet all I can focus on is the “when, Lord. When? When will this season in the ravine come to an end?”

            That’s precisely when the Lord sends his ravens and feeds me just enough to keep me going: an unexpected word of encouragement from a reader (your books are simply wonderful. Keep writing!) the very day I was ready to throw my manuscript in the trash and give up; a friend and writer wrapping me in her arms to pray over me; a precious card from a sister-in-Christ who has added me to her prayer list; daily reminders that the words He has laid on my heart to share with readers are bearing fruit; but most of all visual reminders in the form of ravens that all I do and say are not of me but of Him.

God-dependency. Such a difficult state of being, yet the best place I can be. Because God-dependency causes me to rely on Him every step of the way. Because God-dependency means I am held firmly in His loving hands. Because Kerith is where God leads His children in preparation for bigger things – like Mount Carmel.