First Kings 17:2-4 “And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.”
When Elijah prophesied to King Ahab, he did so at great peril. King Ahab killed prophets of the true God. But Elijah spoke the truth, and trusted that God would see him to safety. After the prophecy, God spoke to Elijah and told him to go eastward and to hide by the brook Cherith. God would send ravens to feed him there.
This is how God works. He doesn’t reveal to us his whole plan. He gives us step by step instructions. Why should He tell us His whole plan if we haven’t proven that we will take the first step? Most of us will never be in a situation where speaking of God will put us in harm’s way, yet many of us won’t trust God’s plan of where He wants to send us. We won’t be able to receive the gifts or the miracles He has in store for us, if we are not willing to go so he can meet us “there.”
When I woke up on a cold December morning and heard God tell me to travel across the USA to give hope to others with the same type of brain injury I had been healing from, I immediately balked. “God, I am mostly well, but not fully,” I reminded Him. Fear crept into my heart. “What if I have days of dizziness and I can’t drive safely? What if I have terrible pain or fatigue along the way?”
God replied by telling me which van to rent so I could sleep in it along the journey. He reminded me my service dog Shakespeare would be traveling with me to help me. Over the course of a month, God revealed his plan for me, step by step. Every step I accomplished, he revealed the next one.
As if this writing, I have driven from San Francisco, Calif, to Jacksonville, Florida. I am leaving for Miami in the morning, the next step in God’s plan. I’ve learned to trust His itinerary for this pilgrimage of hope and healing. I know that God will always meet me “there.” The gifts I have been given by God have been nothing short of wonderful. Even miraculous.
What do you need to let go of today in order for you to hear God’s instructions for your next step? What do you need to do in order to take the next step?