I Kings 17 ... And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
Another plan from God to Elijah ...
And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
*****
Isaiah 55:7 ... Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and HE will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for HE will abundantly pardon.
We cannot keep going in our own way or the ways of this world when we belong to God. The world's ways are wicked ... seeking money, fame, reputation among men, and other deceits.
*****
Isaiah 55:12-13 ... For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
You can't go if there is no joy.
I'm not speaking of fleshly happiness.
I'm speaking of something else.
I went through several days of trial and struggle with our little church group as they spoke vain religious puffed up nonsense. I rebuked them sharply and temporarily they sobered up. Grief came upon me as I thought of them. I would awaken in the mornings and be so sad, like some terrible thing was about to befall me. I cried out to God for help as I had been crying out to God for help all through the struggle with our church group. I had no joy. It was all gone. I prayed for God to restore my joy, somehow.
Then I was reminded of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. (Daniel 3)
I was writing something at the time. I went to Daniel 3 to quote what they pronounced and I became so very joyful when I heard their words again, for I've read this many time.
I realized my joy comes from that which these truly godly people say ... Esther, Abraham, David ...
FOCUS ON THEM.
Let them be my friends. Joy will go through the roof with them! Spend time with them.
*****
Philippians 4:19 ... Paul says ... But my God shall supply all your need according to HIS riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
John the Baptist was rebuking the Pharisees and John knew they would begin to claim they were the chosen of God and God was their Father and John said: and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Luke 3:8
With God there is no need. If God had to do so to have children, he could raise up these stones as children.
As children of God, all we need is provided by God.
Once a law firm offered me $10,000 free service.
When I talked to God about this HE reminded me of the following:
Genesis 14:21-22 ... And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
Abraham was determined to trust in God and he did not want what man could give to him. He wanted his riches to be from God.
I felt exactly same and purposed the same.
I have emails frequently from men who say they are pastors begging for money. The expect humans to pay for their works. They are extremely fleshly, saying they are of God but not really believing in God "the spirit". They believe what they see with their natural eye. I do not send money to them.
I believe God will supply all my needs as Paul said and God does do this.
*****
Isaiah 57:13 ... He that putteth his trust in ME shall possess the land, and shall inherit MY holy mountain.
It is a deliberate choice to trust in God. We often face such choices. We can go this way and trust in another human whose breath is in their mouth and are taken away at a moment. Or we can turn away and turn to God and put our trust in God and like Esther, "If I perish, I perish."
Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we can choose to die rather than worship man and idols.
Daniel 3 ... Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon... Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would not do this. When the king confronted them, they made the following incredible statement before the king.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and HE will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
*****
Psalm 91 ... He that dwelleth in the secret place of THE MOST HIGH shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, HE is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in HIM will I trust.
Surely HE shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. HE shall cover thee with HIS feathers, and under HIS wings shalt thou trust: HIS truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For HE shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Because he hath set his love upon ME, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known MY name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him MY salvation.
Deliberately choosing to set our love upon God, upon HIS Word.
*****
James 1:5 ... If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Each time I sit down to write, I am praying first, asking God for help.
When I look at a scripture, I often am praying, asking God to show me what I need to see from that scripture.
I don't consider I am able of myself to do these things. But God promises, if we ask HIM, HE will give us wisdom, so I ask.
*****
Proverbs 3 ... Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge HIM, and HE shall direct thy paths.
I would rather have God direct my paths than to trust in myself to figure out what to do.
Some people are proud of their own wisdom.
When I think of the things I figured out before I was born again, I am ashamed.