The mighty Lord God, Ruler of the Milky Way, on the highest throne of the universe, honored our humble blackbirds whom we pay little attention to:
He gave them a “commandment” which meant that these humble creatures were His esteemed servants in a time of need. Not even the lordly and beautiful peacock has been so honored!
The “commandment” that the Lord God gave our humble blackbirds was, “Feed My loyal servant, Elijah the prophet”!
Everybody (almost) from the great King Ahab and his queen Jezebel in their lordly palace on down, hated the Lord’s true prophet and wanted to get rid of him. The Lord loved him, and wanted to care for him appropriately. The Lord told Elijah to “hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan” (1 Kings 17:1-4). “I have commanded the ravens to feed there.” (“Ravens” are our humble crows, ordinary blackbirds.)
But these birds know nothing about cooking! How could they “feed” the Lord’s highly honored prophet?
There’s a lesson here for us! When the Lord does something, He does it right: He didn’t want to feed His honored prophet with stale crackers and the like (neither does He want to feed you that way!): He wanted His loyal prophet to have the best diet of anyone in the land of Israel! And the blackbirds were to bring it to him!
But blackbirds can’t cook! All they know is to filch things that others have cooked; but now the great Lord God has invited them to be His servants to “feed” the man whom He loves on earth! He commanded them to “feed” Elijah.
Remember, this is a time of great famine in the land of Israel; if the blackbirds are “commanded” by the Lord to “feed” Elijah, they must filch the food from somewhere. And the Lord wants him to get a good diet.
It being famine, there was no rainfall; the great King Ahab’s windows were likely open to get every bit of breeze possible. In sweeps the blackbirds, filching the “bread” and “meat” off the king’s dining table where his royal chefs have prepared it for his majesty; and off the “ravens” fly to the Brook Cherith!
Yes, the Lord honored His servant Elijah!
And He will take care of you also—not with moldy crackers and “junk” food, but with the best of the land!
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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