Alliance Discipleship
Men of Alliance
Public Devotional

He Will Provide

3 min read By Jason Drake October 4, 2026

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1 Kings 17:4

“You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”

Elijah was an Old Testament prophet called by the Lord to bring God's Word and instructions to the Hebrew people during a time with their king was evil and led the people to worship pagan gods. The Bible says that Elijah was just like any of us, but he is also honored for his tremendous faith.

This verse stood out to me because God did not give him a task or mission without providing what he needed to keep going. The king decided to worship Baal, the pagan god of rain, so to demonstrate that such a god has no power, Elijah prophesied that there would be no rain until he, himself commanded it. He then escaped into the desert and not only did God provide for his needs, He used the weirdest method you could imagine.

Ravens, like large crows, are birds that scavenge for meat, but they are very skittish and will fly off as soon as you come near. Why would they fly down and leave some food for a grizzled old man hiding out in the desert? The passage tells us that they brought bread and meat to Elijah twice a day, as if they were determined to offer him a balanced diet. God commanded these animals to go against their distinctive behavior to make sure this man He favored had enough food.

Then the stream dried up. So what should he do now? God told him to move and the Lord provided for him through a widow who needed his help. How does this apply to us? First, the Bible seems clear that "where God guides, He provides." You may be stressed about a decision, but don't limit God's ability to provide for you by thinking, "I can't imagine how I am going to do that."

If He can use ravens to bring food, He can provide for you in ways that will astound you. Can He use other people to supply your needs, even someone you do not know? Can He use the government, or big companies, or even…..small birds? He is not limited in His resources. You may not be able to imagine how He will answer your prayer, but faith means that you can trust Him. The Psalms says "they that seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing." So stretch your faith, trust Him and be at peace. Tell Him you are going to calmly wait for Him to provide because you know He is faithful to His promises. He knows what you need and He will take care of you.