In Pentecostal Evangel pastor Dale Alan Robbins writes of an occasion early in his ministry when he and his wife were barely making ends meet: When I arrived home, my wife Jerri saw the worry on my face. I had $3 in my wallet and there was one can of soup in the cupboard. After our meager supper, I quietly leafed through my Bible in the dim light. Tears streamed from my eyes. I wondered whether we were really called by God. I felt like giving up. Then I thought, What alternative do I have? Who else but God do I have to turn to? I read the verse: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).… Encouraged, yet still burdened, Jerri and I knelt at opposite ends of the little trailer to seek God. Into the night we prayed until sleep finally overtook us. I was awakened by a pounding at the door. From the window, I could see the brilliant orange sunrise behind the city skyline. A fresh, white blanket of snow now covered the ground. Again, the knocking came. “Who is it?” I asked. A mystery voice replied, “I’ve got something for you.” Cautiously, I opened the door. There stood a short man with a grin on his face and two brown grocery bags in his arms. He quickly shoved the bags in the doorway, then turned, and walked away. Jerri joined me. Stunned, we began to look through the bags. There were bread, meat, canned goods, and several cans of my favorite soup. They were the same items and brands we normally purchased. There was also a can of shaving cream. Who knew I had just used my last ounce of shaving cream? On the bottom of one sack was an envelope with cash. (Later I discovered it was the precise amount needed to fill our gas tank to get us to our next destination.) On that wintry Saturday morning in Syracuse, my wife and I wept in our trailer and thanked God for hearing and answering our prayer. No one on the planet knew about our need; only our Lord God Almighty. And he dispatched a little grinning man to minister to us.¹ In today’s post, we talk about God’s provision and how to walk in it.

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God’s Provision: A Place Called There

1 Kings 17:1–4 (ESV) 1 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.” 2 And the word of the LORD came to him: 3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

• The word ‘there’ is one of the most important words in this entire passage.
• You know the story.
• The wicked King of Israel Ahab and his wife Jezebel had led Israel into Baal worship.
• Actually, it was Ahab who caved into his pagan worshiping wife.

The Importance of a Good Wife

• The importance of not being unequally yoked in marriage cannot be overstated as the story of Ahab and Jezebel shows.
• Jezebel didn’t worship the God of Israel.
• She worshiped Baal.
• Baal was the supreme fertility god of the Canaanites, a nasty little demon god who advocated the human sacrifice of children.
• At times during the worship of Baal, the priests would work themselves into a state of ecstasy slashing themselves with knives as they danced before the idol.
• An unequally yoked partner will pull you down, You think you’re going to pull them up.
• Don’t be deceived.
• Marriage should never be two half people trying to make a whole.
• The ideal marriage is to whole people becoming one.
• So, marry someone of the same spiritual experience as yourself and grow a life together.
• Because of the wrong union, Ahab led Israel into demon worship to placate his wife.
• Because of that, judgment came upon the land in the form of famine.
• Famine is lack of provision.
• But in Israel, everyone wasn’t bowing down to Baal.

1 Kings 19:18 (ESV) — 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Provision in the Midst of Judgment

• You know other peoples sins can impact the life you live.
• Judgment came upon the land, upon the crops, upon the trees of the field.
• It was the same land Elijah lived in.
• The Lord gave Elijah specific instructions about the coming famine.
• He told him where his provision would be in the midst of judgment..
• Where was Elijah’s provision?
• Where was his answer to the famine he was facing?
• It was in a place called ‘there’.
• The Lord said:

You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.

Where Is Your Provision?

• Where is your victory?
• Where is your purpose?
• Where is God’s supply for your every need (Philippians 4:13)?
• It is in a place called ‘there’.

Where Elijah’s Provision Wasn’t

• Notice that there are other rivers and brooks mentioned in the Bible besides the brook Cherith.
• Notice this list of rivers found in scripture.
  • Abana
  • Ahava
  • Chebar
  • Euphrates
  • Gihon
  • Gozan
  • Hiddekel (Tigris)
  • Jabbok
  • Jordan
  • Kishon
  • Nile
  • Pharpar
  • Pishon
  • Ulai
  • Zered
  • Gaash
• Notice this list of brooks found in scripture.
  • Arabah
  • Besor
  • Cherith
  • Kanah
  • Kidron
• Elijah could have gone, ‘on his own’ to any of these other waterways mentioned in the Bible.
• But he wouldn’t have found the ‘food bearing’ ravens at any of those places.
• Where were the ravens?
• Where was the provision?
• They were all at the brook Cherith.
• Where is your provision?
• Is it not at the place God has prepared for your life?

Paul Experiences Provision in a Place Called ‘There’

Acts 9:3–6 (ESV) 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

• Paul has this phenomenal vision where Jesus is talking to him straight out.
• Yet, notice that what the Lord says to Paul, ‘Go into the city and it will be told you what you must do.’
• if Paul wanted to know what God wills for his life was, he needed to go to the prepared place that the Lord set aside for him.
• Jesus was talking to Paul in the vision.
• Why didn’t the Lord just tell him what he needed to do for the Lord right then?
• Damascus was a prepared place for Paul.
• It was his place called there.
• The Lord told Paul, ‘Go there and I will tell you what you need to know.’
• There are prepared places for you.
• Obey the Lord.
• Follow His Spirit.
• Go to the places He tells you to go and you will find provision there.
• Why does it work this way?
• I have no idea.
• I just know it does.
• Your wasting your time praying about provision if God has already given you direction about where you need to go.
• That is why asking people to pray for you in these areas won’t work.
• It doesn’t work by praying.
• It works by arising and ‘going there’.

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