DRY BROOKS

DRY BROOKS
Sunday, December 25, 2022 by Leona Choy

Most of us will eventually experience a dry place in our Christian walk. That’s not a bad thing. We may feel disconnected from God in our spirit; our prayers may have gone from fervent to routine. Be encouraged. God has not left us. The dry place often happens when our soul is thirsty for the Lord, and He is ready to move us closer to Himself but in “another place.”

We haven’t necessarily sinned against God. Negative things that happen to us are not because God is mad at us or the devil is attacking us. A spiritually dry place may be a sign that we’ve accomplished all that could be achieved where we are; we’ve experienced all that we’re going to experience at the level we’ve been. It’s time to grow.” (I Kings 17: 1-24)

Elijah prophesied that it would not rain for years. (1 Kings 18: 41-45,) Again he prophesied that a great rain would come, which it did. On Mt. Carmel, Elijah prayed, and the Lord sent down fire from heaven. This same Elijah, in 2 Kings 2:11, didn’t even experience natural, mortal death. God took him to heaven in a whirlwind. He learned to follow God progressively. Before God used Elijah for His glory He first grew him by putting him in circumstances where he would experience God and increase his faith in Him.

Elijah’s growing process is how God also grows us, His people. Your dry place is a normal part of the spiritual growth process.

In 1 Kings 2: 2-6, God directed Elijah to go to the brook, and there Elijah experienced the care of God. Every morning and evening ravens would bring him meat and bread while the brook provided water. All Elijah had to do was eat, drink, and sleep.

In verse 7, the brook dried up because there was no rain. Elijah was left in a dry place. God is there; He’s just calling you to another place. God’s provisions were coming automatically. Elijah was living a lifestyle that he could have gotten used to. But the brook situation was only a temporary teaching tool.

The drying of the brook meant that it was time for Elijah to go to another place because God was in another place concerning Elijah. In 1 Kings 17:9, the Lord told Elijah to go to Zarephath. Often when we experience a dried brook we attempt to stay at an empty brook, discouraged and complaining because the ravens haven’t visited us in a week. You wait in vain for the change, but it isn't coming! Not at this brook. It has dried up!

In 1 Kings 2: 8-16, while in Zarephath, Elijah was engaged in the ministry of exercising his faith to get someone else to exercise their faith in God. It took faith to tell a widow to give him her last bit of food and promise to feed her and the child after he had eaten. As foolish as it sounded, God moved. Because of Elijah’s obedience, he came to another place in the Lord, to be used by God to cause the widow to experience God. God used Elijah to increase the woman’s faith from giving up and being ready to eat her last meal and dying, to experiencing the Lord’s daily abundance.

Elijah could have questioned God until God’s instructions made sense to him, but part of trusting God is obeying him whether it makes sense to us or not. God’s ways and God’s thoughts are higher than man's.

In 1 Kings 17:17, the brook dried up again when the woman’s son became sick to the point of death. She blamed Elijah. The son falling sick was another growing opportunity, to go to still another place in God. That new place was unfamiliar to both the woman and Elijah. It was God’s time for Elijah to grow to another place in the Lord and the woman’s time.

What should you do when your brook has dried up? What should I do? First, we must understand that God has not forsaken us. We are in a time of growth. Then submit ourselves to God’s direction to pour our life into the lives of others.

Do you really think that God saved us to remain for an eternal holiday at the Brook Cherith Hilton to experience the good life (meals and Raven service included)? How about following where God leads and testifying of His goodness so that someone else would know God and experience Him for themselves?

Don’t forget to order your FREE New Year’s Gift Book from Leona. Just send her your mailing address by email: [email protected]. See the offer in a previous blog post.

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Comments

Linda Ann Fumea From Hernando, FL At 1/15/2023 7:06:14 AM

Good word!

Reply by: Leona Choy

Where and how God leads, let us follow. When the cloud moves or a brook dries up, let's listen for God's new directions.

Donna Duffy From Winchester At 12/26/2022 11:54:52 AM

Dear Leona, You are ever in my heart and prayers. Wondered how you celebrated Christmas yesterday. Wonderful thought of God being WITH US ALWAYS! Here is a joyful song my son sent me today. https://youtu.be/anjTd9mraeA Hope you enjoy it. Love, Madam Butterfly

Reply by: Leona Choy

Thank you for the song from your son. He is gifted. Now most of your family and guests are scattered to different places. You are empty-nesters again? My son Gary is visiting this week so we enjoyed your curry last night and all that you brought with it.

Rosa Maria Coles From El Paso, Texas At 12/26/2022 11:39:43 AM

Thank you. May God continue blessing you this New year, 2023.

Reply by: Leona Choy

So good to hear from you, Rosa. May the Lord bless you in turn in the areas of your life where you feel incomplete.

Vicki From Kansas At 12/25/2022 5:38:22 PM

Thank you, dear Leona, for such an inspiring blog. You hit it right on target for me. God bless you with a healthy and wonderful new year. We need your wisdom. Love you.

Reply by: Leona Choy

Dear Vicki, God has new brooks and new directions for you this coming year beyond what you thought you had well-planned. Look for those surprises and be willing to leave dry brooks behind for greener pastures.

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