Pastor and 1st Lady Mims

Mims Chapel Church

Lesson 9 • Fourth Week

TRUSTING GOD WHEN THE
BROOK DRIES UP

Background Reading Devotional Reading
Psalm 64:10; Proverbs 3:5; Numbers 13:21-27
1 Samuel 17:40; 1 Kings 17:
1-7; Job 6:15-18; James 5:17

Central Verse
"And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land."
1 Kings 17:7, KJV

"But after awhile the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land."
1 Kings 17:7, NLT

Key Terms
Drought—A period of dryness, especially when prolonged.
Sustain —To supply with nourishment: to give support or relief to.

Source —A point where something begins: a generative force.

Introduction

In the Bible, the brook is often referred to as a source of life and refreshment. It serves as a metaphor for God's provision, sustenance, and care for His people. A brook is a small stream which is natural and has fresh water. A stream is a small, narrow river that flows in a continuous current in a specified direction. God directed Elijah the Tishbite, one of the inhabitants of Gilead, to the Brook Cherith and told him to hide himself. He had an altercation with Ahab, the King of Israel, and he needed to leave where he was. He told King Ahab that at his word, there would not be rain for three and a half years. He had spoken about a famine in the land for three and a half years. There was no doubt that some of the people were not happy about the land being without water.

Just as everyone else was in a drought, Elijah was also in a drought. This meant prolonged periods of abnormally low rainfall, which meant a shortage of water. When there is a shortage of water, crops won't grow, which creates a shortage of food, God promised to sustain His people during the times of famine.

It seemed strange for Elijah to do this because the book of James said that Elijah was a human man like any other man, except that he had the power of God flowing in his life. Because of his walk with God, the power of death and life was in his tongue (Proverbs 18:21). God is very clear about our spiritual obedience and ability to choose between life and death. He rewards those with a right heart who are faithful to his instruction. As His children, the believers can choose thoughts, words, and actions and are empowered to create and maintain healthy relationships. The believers must be intentional in their choices.

Discussion

Believers are so blessed because living saved is a choice. They can deal with whatever comes their way because they have allowed God to cover every aspect of their lives. They have learned to seek God before they seek any position. They have also learned to seek and trust God before they seek any role or to seek the things of this world. True believers set their hearts on the things of God.

He knows he has nothing to fear when God is on his side even when his source dries up. Just as God led Elijah to Brook Cherith, God kept him there, had ravens to feed him, and gave him fresh water to drink daily. His hope was placed in the Lord, who promised never to leave or forsake him. God sent him to the brook, but the brook dried up. If God lets your source dry up, He has something else in mind for you. For we know that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

Elijah had the same emotions every human has, but he trusted God enough to say what he felt God wanted him to say. He spoke to the King and told him that because he said so, the rain would stop. When the believer can believe God when things are going well, he can trust God when things go wrong. He cannot afford to select the parts of God's Word he chooses to obey. He understands that he must digest the entire Word.

When words escape the believer, he must participate with God and do what He says and does. When the brook dried up, God had a widow in Zarephath waiting for Elijah. God told him that He had commanded a widow woman there to sustain him. The widow woman was gathering sticks when he got to the city gate. He told the woman to please bring him a little water in a vessel so he could drink. While she was going to get the water, he requested a piece of bread. She told him that she didn't have enough to make a cake because she was gathering sticks so she could go in to cook that little so that she and her son could eat it and die. Elijah told her to make him one first. She obeyed the Word of the Lord spoken by Elijah, and that Word was fulfilled in her home. The barrel of the meal continued to supply her with a meal, and the cruise supplied oil for the entire drought. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

Conclusion

We don't know what will happen in the world that we live in, for there are wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, and many different storms. Violence on our streets in cities around the world, sexual trafficking, abortions, gang rapes, mass murders, and all kinds of chaos in our communities. However, the believer knows that he can trust God to take care of him. If God allows the brooks in our lives to dry up, He has other sources to sustain us. We are not going to have anxiety attacks, nor will we kill ourselves. When the believer trusts God, he is like a mountain that cannot be moved.

The believer will stand on the many promises that God has given to him. God will never fail him. The old Negro Hymn says, "Be not dismayed whatever betide, God will take care of you, beneath His wings of love abide, He will take care of you."

Questions

Why did god send him to the brook when he knew that the brook would dry up?
What was the purpose for the brook experience?
Why did Elijah pronounce a drought upon the land?
How did the drought affect the land?

Essential Thought- "If you can trust God in the good times, you can trust Him in the bad times."