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A Shoestring and a Prayer from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

Elijah was a prophet of the Lord who lived during a troubled time in Israel. King Ahab was evil, and his wife Jezebel was a baal-worshipper who set out to kill all the Lord's prophets and promote pagan worship throughout their kingdom. Ahab and Jezebel were not restrained by normal reasoning or rules. When Ahab wanted a vineyard that belonged to his neighbor, they just had the man killed and claimed it. His reign was summed up like this:

(1 Kings 21:25–26 NASB)  Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him. He acted very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the sons of Israel.

After a massacre of the Lord's prophets, the remaining hid in caves, except for one unknown man named Elijah. The first mention of Elijah is when he confronts Ahab and commands there be no rain on the land until he says so. 

(1 Kings 17:1–4 NKJV)  And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

(1 Kings 17:5–6 NKJV)  So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 

Elijah camped by the brook Cherith. He was hiding from Ahab and Jezebel, who would surely kill him if they found him. The mighty prophet of God who had proclaimed a drought on the land watched as the water in the brook that sustained him grew less each day. 

Elijah survived, but there was certainly no luxury. Ravens brought him food in the morning and evenings. Most of the time, he probably sat by the brook waiting for his food delivery to arrive. We read about it and think, "what a miracle!" But I am not sure Elijah felt way. He had enough to get by each day, and there was more the next day. Elijah lived on a shoestring budget and prayer. 

There is no mention of the Lord speaking to Elijah during this season of drying up. The water level in the brook dropped a little each day because there had been no rain. After the brook dried up, the Lord spoke to Elijah again:

(1 Kings 17:7–10 NKJV)  And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” So he arose and went to Zarephath.

The Lord said, "I have commanded a widow there to provide for you..." Elijah probably thought, "Now we're talking. A roof over my head and plenty to eat." So Elijah left the brook and traveled to Zarephath but found that the widow who was supposed to take care of him was in worse shape than he was and didn't seem to know that company was coming. 

(1 Kings 17:10–12 NKJV)  So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, 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.”

Yet, the Lord had a plan to take care of them, and as Elijah stood there, the Lord spoke through him:  

(1 Kings 17:13–16 NKJV)  And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’ ” So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.

The mighty prophet Elijah lived on a shoestring and a prayer most of his days until he was taken to heaven in a fiery chariot. He was never hindered by lack, though he lived in humble circumstances and depended on God daily to take care of him. Each day there was enough food provided for them to eat.

Elijah, the widow, and her son lived together for many days. Over time, the son became so sick that he died. The widow and Elijah were both upset over this. Look at Elijah's prayer of desperation: 

(1 Kings 17:20–22 NKJV)  Then he cried out to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?” And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” Then the LORD heard Elijah's voice; the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.

The great prophet Elijah from our Bible lived a challenging life filled with needs, prayers, and miracles. Though some of those miracles were having enough food for the next meal, they always arrived on time. 

Don't despise the small things or get stuck on what you don't seem to have. Consider the words of the Apostle Paul: 

(1 Corinthians 1:26–27 NASB)  For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong

Learning to trust the Lord to take care of you where you are is an important part of your faith. Some days, you may be living on a shoestring and a prayer while you silently watch the water level in the brook drop some more. Yet, the Lord is faithful, and He will always come through. 

You can pray this with me if you like: 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you so much for taking care of me. Please help me see the big picture and learn to trust You. Fill me with Your Spirit. Please speak to me and through me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!