Richvale Community Church
Sunday, August 23, 2026
- Good morning!Over the years, I’ve taken different personality tests—Myers-Briggs, DISC, Enneagram and a few others.And whether you put a lot of stock in these tests or not, there’s something helpful about recognizing that we are not all wired the same.We have different temperaments.Some of us are quiet.Some are outgoing.Some think before they speak.Others speak and then think!And our temperament can be both a strength and a weakness.We are series.. Hearing God through the noise… we looking the life and ministry of Elijah..Elijah is one of those colorful characters in the Bible.We have don’t have much background for him..We are introduced to him as Elijah the Tishbite.. Gilead.. ..mountain country..He is a country boy..and our first encounter with him is standing face-to-face with the most powerful king in Israel.Where..Elijah is bold. intense.passionate. And courageous—We see God using these qualities in a remarkable ways…ELIJAH ROSE TO Become THE PREMIERE PROPHET IN ISRAEL..HE IS CALLED THE PROPHETS OF PROPHETS..James tells us that — Elijah —HAD MORE IN COMMON WITH US THAN WE MIGHT Think..
James 5:17 ESV 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.“[Elijah] was a man with a nature like ours.”In other words—Elijah was just like us in thatHe had strengths. He had weaknesses. He had fears.—And yet God used him.And that's encouragingbecause God doesn't only use people who have it all together…God often uses those who have flaws…You see that in just about every biblical character.. The issue is never our temperament but our willingness to surrenderWe see that..God had been working in the life of Elijah… from the beginning.… Elijah’s parents called himElijah “my God is the Lord”His mission and purpose was literally embedded in his name from the beginning..When Elijah arrives on the scene in 1 Kings 17…Israels is at its darkest periods in history —Ahab and Jezabel led the Northern Kingdom away from the worship of Jahweh God… to the worship of Baal (rain god) and the worship of idols…and then killed all the prophets..So God prepares Elijah before hand …to call a nation back to God.1 Kings 17:1 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.”We meet Elijah in the presence of the king....We are not told how Elijah came face face with the king Ahab..Rather the text says heHe comes with a message… a word from God…That is…There will be no more rain in the land..…according to Gods word....no explaination… just a declaration…the reason is..There is no need for a Why?The tension is already exsists…the lines are clearly drawn ..and..Everything is leading to show down between Yahweh —God of Israel and the god of Baal…What is Evidence Elijah boldness —where does boldness comes from?We see that boldness comes from time spent with God —-“As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand”There is a connection here between prayer and ministry…James tells us that Elijah“prayed fervently that it might not rain…for three and a half years”Notice that God didn’t simply impose a droughtBut Rather—He worked through Elijah’s intercession.God promise - involved Elijah’s praying and interceding… for 3 1/2 years the whole time of the drought..…Through the Bible God works in partnership with his people…God work is always done in connection with his people…That whew the bible Begins …God call in a nation to himself..Before Elijah stood before Ahab —He had spent time in the Presence of the Lord..and is in the secret place we see..God is leading him. .. it is wonderful to be led of God ..but sometimes he leads in unexpected directions..God sometimes leads to unexpected places..1. GOD LEADS US INTO HIDDEN PLACESSeveral weeks ago, we had aguest pianist here at the church, Filip Carlson, visiting from Sweden.He played for us, and he was absolutely amazing. We could have listened to him play all morning.But when you hear someone play at that level, you realize something—you’re hearing the finished product.You don’t hear the hours of practice that went into it.You don’t see the rehearsals. You don’t hear all the mistakes.You don’t see the repetition. You don’t see all the work that happens when nobody is watching.And I think that’s how God works in our lives…God prepares us in the secret place..While Israel was caught up in the false worship of Baal, GodGod was preparing Elijah.Charles Spurgeon said.The finest of God’s blessings is to be found in secret prayer.Charles Spurgeon—Soon After Elijah confronts Ahab ..God speaks again…1 Kings 17:2–7 ESV 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.” 5 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. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.— God speaks to Elijah and says go to a brook in Cherith…Now this seems really strange!The brook Cherith was isolated and remote, far from civilization… there isno Safeway..no Walmart…and worst of allno trader Joes.. no food or provision..— and to be honest it doesn’t make sense.Have you ever had something in your life .. didn’t make sense at the time?Maybe it was a job you didn’t expect.A move you didn’t plan.A season of waiting.A closed door.We sometimes have this assumption that God leads from obscurity to clarity..But that’s not always how God works...”Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”Faith has substance and and assurance..David Martyn Lloryd Jones said it like this.… [T]here is always an element of assurance of faith, but I do not mean by that, that there is always ‘full’ assurance of faith. Assurance, 24David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Welsh Preacher and Writer)In other words When we step out in faith — we often don’t have the full picture..God tells Elijah“go and hide yourself by the brook Cherith.”it not“Go preach.”Not: “Go build a platform.”Not: “Go gather a crowd.”Hide.There is something humbling about a hidden season..The brook Cherith wasn’t a stageIt wasn’t a bigger platform for ministry.It was a hidden place.GOD says go and Hide!!WHY…It is here that God is going teach Elijah how to depend on him..IllustrationWhen we sold our house in Maine … it was during the downturn in 2008,We felt God was moving us and calling us into NEW SEASON..Within two weeks we had a buyer… .and it just confirmed that we were doing the right thing.. but not everything was clear..There was a hiccup..The buyers loan and not been approved..In the meantime, we had move…So, we packed up and continued — the move… but it was not easy..I remember the day getting the fax…saying their loan was approved… it was a good day..Here is the thing..God doesn’t just tell Elijah where to go.God tells him that He has already arranged provision there..THAT TAKES A LEVEL,OF faith…God says..“I have commanded…the Ravens to feed you there”Here is the thing..There are unknowns..Elijah hasn’t seen the ravens yet. (He never seen God provide like this before)He doesn’t know what they’re going to bring.He doesn’t know how long the brook will last.—God says I have Gone before you …THAT TOOK FAITH.Elijah is walking toward a place he’s never seen. BUT THE GOOD NEWS…God omniscient..Before Elijah arrives… God has already gone ahead of him.The brook is there.The provision is there.The ravens are coming.Elijah learnsProvision doesn’t always look like provision.Sometimes it looks like a brook.Sometimes it looks like a raven.Sometimes it looks like a paycheck.Sometimes it looks like a friend calling at exactly the right moment.Sometimes it looks like being forced to slow down.Sometimes it looks like a season you would never have chosen.And sometimes you don’t recognize God’s provision until you look back and say,“Oh… God was in that.”But there is another detail we shouldn’t miss.God provided what Elijah needed…God didn’t give Elijah a warehouse full of bread. He gave him enough for that day.Verse 6 says:God provided for him bread and meat — both in the morning and evening..We often want the whole map.But ..Often God gives us the next step.We want certainty.God gives us daily bread.And that’s not because God is stingy.It’s becauseThe hidden place is often the place where we learn lean on him and know that God is enough.And Elijah stays there…until things dry up.T/s being led by God means that1. GOD LEADS US INTO HIDDEN PLACES2. GOD PROVIDES IN UNEXPECTED WAYSA few weeks ago, I saw this viral video about a man in who had trained crows to pick up money and bring it back to him.He first rewarded them with food for touching coins.Eventually, he taught them to put the coins into a cup,and then trained them to find money and return it to him.It’s a pretty creative way to make a living! .But it made me think about Elijah.God had been providing for Elijah at the brook. The ravens were bringing him food, and he had water from the brook… but then provision stop..1 Kings 17:7–9 ESV 7 And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.”God has been miraculously providing for Elijah at the brook..He is getting uber eats via Ravens- protein and carbs twice a day… things are good..but..but then all of a sudden the brook dries up.Sometimes we get confused when provision drys up…What is happening?But there is a lesson here..When the provision stopsit doesn’t necessarily mean you’re outside the will of God.Sometimes the brook dries up because God has something different in mind…God speak and saysVerse 9:“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there.”Now, if you’re Elijah, that command probably makes you stop.Because Zarephath is in Sidon. And Sidon is Jezebel’s territory.This is Baal country.And God says:“Go there.”Deep into Enemy territorysee map — you have map in your bulletin —it is about 100 mile Journey North.. It would have taken 5-7 days of solid walking..There is no doubt where God is sending him…Into enemy territoryBut againBut what is also surprising …is not only the where ..but The Who,— God sends him To a widow…YOU SEE.Widows in the ancient world… were among the most vulnerable people.And the widow in Zarephath is no differentShe doesn’t have resources to spare.She doesn’t have a pantry full of food.In fact, when Elijah finds her, she’s gathering sticks… TO have her last meal..GOD HAD TAUGHT ELIJAH THAT HE Doesn’t WORK LINEAR.. straight line a-b…You see..IF God can use a Raven to provide..he can use a widow,,ELIJAH.. learned to ask in Faith believing.. He asks this widow for water and for food.she answers vers 121 Kings 17:12 ESV 12 And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.”I love the honesty in her response.She doesn’t say,“Let me check the pantry.”She knows there is nothing.She says,“This is it.”A handful of flour.A little oil.That’s all.And then she says something heartbreaking ..I’m makING the last meal for herself and her son.. SO THEY CAN DIE...talk about helpless situation —But here is the thing —God often works these situations…Because through them God is glorified..Often .. when we put a period … God put’s a comma…..How many times do we find —But God… in scripture…There is no provision But GOD.. ..When resources vanish and we have nothing left to offer—God speaks a message of sufficiency that transforms desperation into provisionElijah tells her:1 Kings 17:13–14 ESV 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’ ”Elijah tells her to have Faith..make me a cake and the Lord will provide —Life is about Faith..WHETHER you are a believer OR NOT.— Tozer.Every man lives by faith, the non-believer as well as the saint; the one by faith in natural laws and the other by faith in God.A. W. TozerAs Christians..We are called to live by faith in God..What hinders Faith.Fear..Because fear tells us:“There’s not enough.”Fear says:“What if?“What if it doesn’t work?”“What if the provision runs out?”“What if the diagnosis is bad?”“What if the relationship doesn’t recover?”“What if I make the wrong decision?”“What if God doesn’t come through?”But Elijah says:“Do not fear.” And then he tells her to make a small cake for him first.—How often does God take small and multiply it..Look what Jesus did it with the loaves and the fishes…Jesus taught that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move a mountain..and it will be done…God ask her..And you and I to trust His promise before she can see His provision.why? Nothing is to difficult for God,God takes this last bit of oil and flour.. and multiplies it..And then comes one of the greatest acts of obedience .1 Kings 17:15 ESV 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days.She believed the word of God… went… Actions speak louder than words.. Faith is not just hearing is doing..That the message of James….James says you faith…and I’ll you my faith by my works..And she acted on it.THE RESULT1 Kings 17:16 ESV 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.God did a miracle..Every time she reached into the jar…there was flour.Every time she poured the oil… there was oil.Not a year’s supply.Not an overflowing warehouse.Enough.Again.And again.And again…every day..God provided..God could have just sent Elijah to a cave stocked with a years worth of groceries in a cave?But he doesn’tHe gives her someone that has a need…for the momentSolomon wrote in his book of lamentsLamentations 3:22–23 ESV 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.All we need for day is Gods Each day.. we have no idea what is ahead of us..Each day brings new challenges..But you know what is there mercy!,..—Elijah and this widow are going to learn this lesson.…1. GOD LEADS US INTO HIDDEN PLACES2. GOD PROVIDES IN UNEXPECTED WAYS3. GOD IS FAITHFUL WHEN PROVISION DRIES UPHave you noticed that sometimes things happen at the same time.. people saythings happen in 3’s..Dishwasher goes and check engine light goes on.. and some gets sick..like they are on a timer!I’m not superstitious….but we sometimes thing provision come with no challenges.Just when we think we’ve reached the part — “AND they lived happily ever after……the story takes a turnThe widow's son falls ill with a severe illness and dies…the text says he had no breath in him…—- the widow comes to Elijah and says — What have you against me man of God —that You have prolonged our misery.You come and remind me of my sin and then then bring the death of my son…This is where the story gets personal.Because it’s one thing to trust God when the jar keeps filling.It’s another thing to say God is good .. when things don’t go as expected…It’s costs something..It seems as though things were better before Elijah came to town… He just prolonged the agony..We can relate to the widows responseShe’s hurting.She’s confused.And she’s angry.And I think there’s something comforting about the fact that Scripture doesn’t sanitize her response.She doesn’t give Elijah a theological speech.She doesn’t say,“Well, God has a mysterious plan.”She says,“Why?”And sometimes that’s the most honest prayer we can pray.“God, why?”And notice what Elijah does.He doesn’t give her an explanation.He takes the boy.He carries him upstairs.He lays him on his bed.And he cries out to God.He prays.1 Kings 17:20–24 ESV 20 And he cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” 22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” 24 And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”This is the first Resurrection in the Bible….The fact that Elijah had the faith to see this child come back from the dead is incredible..The child comes back to life. Elijah brings him downstairs.And gives him to his mother.And then she says:“Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”Now don’t miss what has happened.The chapter began with Elijah saying,“As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives…”And it ends with this woman saying,“The word of the LORD… is truth.”The whole chapter is about learning to trust what God has said…even when what we see doesn’t seem to match ..And that’s really what faith is.Faith isn’t pretending that everything is okay.Faith isn’t ignoring the drought.Faith isn’t denying the empty jar.Faith isn’t pretending death isn’t real.Faith looks at the drought…looks at the empty jar…looks at the grave…and still says,“God’s word is true.”That’s the faith Elijah is learning.That’s the faith the widow is learning.And that’s the faith God is teaching us.There will be times when God seems hidden.And in those moments, the question is not simply,“Can I see God working?”The question is:“Will I trust the God who is working even when I can’t see it?”Conclusion1 Kings 17 isn’t simply a story about Elijah.It’s part of a much bigger story.Ultimately, the story of Elijah points us to Jesus.Elijah multiplied flour.Jesus fed thousands.Elijah prayed for a dead son.Jesus raised the dead by His own authority.Elijah provided bread that sustained life for a season. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.”But there is an even greater difference.The widow’s son eventually died again. Lazarus eventually died again.Everyone Jesus healed eventually faced death.But Jesus went into death Himself—and walked out of the grave never to die again.That is the ultimate provision of God.At the cross, Jesus took our sin,our judgment, and our place. And in the resurrection, He conquered the one thing we could never conquer ourselves—death.Romans 8:32 gives us the ultimate assurance:Romans 8:32 ESV 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?Maybe you’re in a Cherith season today.You’re hidden. You’re waiting. You’re wondering why God has you where He has you.There is a lesson in the hidden place..God can be trusted—even when God cannot be seen…So if you’re in a hidden place, don’t assume God has forgotten you.Maybe it’s a Season of provision…We can learn from Elijah and the widow..If the jar looks empty, don’t assume God is finished.You may not see the way forward.But God does.And He is already there.God mercies are new every morning.. Great is his faithfulness..Amen James 5:17ESV
1 Kings 17:1ESV
1 Kings 17:2–7ESV
1 Kings 17:7–9ESV
1 Kings 17:12ESV
1 Kings 17:13–14ESV
1 Kings 17:15ESV
1 Kings 17:16ESV
Lamentations 3:22–23ESV
1 Kings 17:20–24ESV
Romans 8:32ESV
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