When Your Brook Goes Dry Series

This morning we continue to look at the life and ministry of one of the greatest prophets who ever lived- Elijah. Over the last few weeks we have walked with Elijah as he boldly proclaimed his faith to King Ahab... Remember those words: As the Lord God of Israel Jives before whom I stand, there shall be no dew or rain these years except at my word.

Risking his life Elijah obeys the Lord. We also waited and watched with Elijah as the Lord gave Him his next command. Together we were shocked as Elijah was told to hide by the Cherith Brook. And there with just Elijah and God; Elijah began to be sculpted into the man that God desired Him to become. We saw how God met Elijah’s needs for food and water. Everything was going well until God allowed the Brook to go dry.

Turn with me to 1 Kings chapter 17 beginning in verse 2

Listen again to Verse 7 - And it happened after a while that the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.

Our man Elijah following the Lord’s command hid himself by the Cherith Brook. Every morning and evening food was provided. And fresh water was easily accessible through the brook. But over time Elijah watched as the once plentiful brook began to flow slower and slower. He watched as rocks and stumps that were once buried underneath the water was now visible. H e watched as slowly the life was drained from that little brook leaving dried up cracked dirt in place of the flowing brook. We don’t really know whether this happened all of a sudden or over a period of time, but what we do know is that when it happened Elijah was filled with doubt, questions, confusion, and much loneliness.

How could happen to him? He had obeyed and followed the will of God as best he could know it? Why would God dessert him? Leaving him left out to dry? Because of Elijah’s bold profession of his faith to Ahab, he was know a wanted man. Where could he go? What would he do? And in the midst of it all, this question loomed large Where are You Lord? Have you forgotten me?

For you and I most of us are not sitting and staring at a vanishing water brook, but when our life situations turn and twist taking us to places we never desired or dreamed we would be at, I believe we can share a common feeling with Elijah. So what does it mean in our lives for our brook to go dry. Maybe these life scenerios will help...

The Phone rings at 2 am, your heart pounds as you pick up the receiver... You get the news... Your brook just went dry... Your roles are reversed mother is now child, child is now mother, as you struggle to care for an aging parent... It seems to you that the mom or the dad that you once knew is gone and day by day you struggle with mixed emotions as you meet their needs... For you somewhere in the process of time your brook went dry.. . You faithfully give to the church and the different causes; you are noted for being a generous man or woman, but a

medical crisis causes you to lose all you have and you have no hope for paying it off that debt... Your brook just went dry.. The doctor relays the words to you CANCER you hear nothing else as everything goes numb... Your brook just went dry.. . Your husband informs you that after 20 years of marriage that he doesn’t love you anymore and wants a divorce... Your brook just went dry... Even as I was preparing this message , get a call from Penny that Caleb needs emergency surgery and I wonder if my brook is about to go dry.

Life turns, crisis comes, and tragedy hits and the once firm rug gets yanked out from underneath you... What do you do? Guys, There is very few sure things in life but There is one thing I can guarantee you that some time in your life a life tragedy or crisis will hit you and in that time it will seem that your brook has gone dry-That the once faithful God has now forgotten you.

So that being the case what do we do?

In the remaining minutes of this message I want to offer to you several actions to take when these times come. In order to help remember them I have provided a listening guide for you to take notes with.

First, Accept the fact that bad awful and catastrophic as well as good great and incredible events will happen to us.