god's trustees
"Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the stream." —1 Kings 17:6
Elijah's mission was to bring down the wicked kingdom of King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel. Through many years of prophesying and suffering, Elijah furthered his mission, which was completed by Elijah's disciple, Elisha, and Elisha's later disciples.
The Lord started Elijah on his perilous and laborious mission by telling him to hide for an extended time in a remote area. There the Lord commanded ravens to feed Elijah each morning and evening (1 Kgs 17:4-6). The Lord enrolled Elijah in the school of trust before he entered further into the school of ministry and prophecy.
When Jesus sent forth His disciples to do His work, He commanded: "Provide yourselves with neither gold nor silver nor copper in your belts; no traveling bag, no change of shirt, no sandals, no walking staff" (Mt 10:9-10). Jesus wanted His disciples to learn to trust in His Father's providence. This would serve as a foundation for lives of evangelization and ministry.
Are you serving the Lord? If not, you need to take advantage of daily opportunities to deepen your trust in the Lord. Then you will trust Him enough to begin serving Him. If you are serving the Lord, make sure your trust in God is growing deeper, or you may burn-out in ministry. We all must make sure that our lives are founded on a bedrock of trust in God.
Prayer: Father, by the grace of the Holy Spirit I will trust You as never before.
Promise: "How blest are the poor in spirit: the reign of God is theirs." —Mt 5:3
Praise: When James started his own business, he put his trust in his Lord, not in himself.
Reference: (For information or to register for the retreat, "Our First Love: What it Means to be Sons and Daughters," July 1-3, call 937-587-5464 or e-mail retreats@presentationministries.com)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, December 4, 2001
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 10, 2001