Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”
So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
1 Kings 17:1-6
During 2026, Peachtree Church is inviting everyone into Cultivate, a churchwide discipleship plan centered on the fruit of the Spirit and the kind of life God longs to grow in us. Throughout the year, we’ll explore how love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control take shape in everyday life through the Spirit’s work. Cultivate brings together worship, Scripture, group guides, and meaningful practices designed to meet you where you are and support growth in ways that fit your season. These twice-weekly devotionals are one way to stay connected, offering reflection and grounding for daily life with God. Whether you engage in many ways or just one, you’re invited to be part of this shared journey of becoming more rooted in who God has created and called you to be.
Devotional
For so many of us, during Sunday morning worship, we join in the Lord’s Prayer at the conclusion of the pastoral prayer. As we pray, the words do not always click into the depths of our minds. I’ve found that this lack of understanding tends to be especially prevalent with the phrase, “Give us this day our daily bread.” We don’t think about what a blessing it is to have food that goes onto our tables, and in these moments, the possibility exists that we lose sight of the depths of God’s faithfulness.
It isn’t until we begin to understand what it would mean for the people of a nation that was impacted by a famine that we can begin to grasp the blessing that exists in the daily sustenance that the Lord provides to us. We can see this clearly in this week’s passage. As the land of Israel suffered through three and a half years without rain or dew upon the land, the people came to a time when food was not simply scarce but non-existent.
As the famine began, God provided sustenance for Elijah as he began his journey. As the ravens brought him bread and meat, there should have been no doubt within the prophet’s mind that this was not a natural occurrence. While this moment is one that is outside of most of our normal understanding, it points us towards the same understanding of God’s faithfulness in all of our lives as he provides us each with the day-to-day blessings that we each need: to eat, to drink, and to live to the best of our ability through that sustenance.
One of my goals while walking through the aisles of the grocery store is to remember that this store is a sign of God’s faithfulness in our lives. The abundance of options that can sometimes be so great that it makes the shopping experience difficult points us toward the Lord’s providence for all of creation, and the ability that we have to purchase what we truly desire for our meals is a reminder that God’s faithfulness exists in what we can feel and see.
For Reflection
- Where do you see God’s hand providing for your basic needs? How easy is it for you to be able to look for his faithfulness in this manner?
- How can a simple shift such as thinking of the ability to grocery shop as a blessing change your understanding of God’s actions in the world?
Prayer
Lord God, you have provided for each and every one of us more abundantly than we can begin to understand. You provide for us each our daily bread and show your faithfulness to all of your creation as you show us the bounty of the land. Help us to be thankful for your blessings and help us to see your hand at work each day. In Jesus’ name; amen.
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Devotionals