A Cherith Season

 "Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan."  1 Kings 17:3 

In my previous post, I spoke about the different seasons that we go through spiritually. Today I want to speak more specifically. If we have a desire to fulfill our destiny, to fulfill the purpose that God has ordained for us, we must pass through many spiritual seasons. God destines and ordains these seasons in order to refine us, draw us closer to Him so that we may truly know Him in intimate ways. I have, and always will, maintain that our walk with the Lord is not a list of do's and don't's. It is not a life of tradition, religious activity and so on- but it is a relationship- a relationship that we begin to establish when we first are saved and begin our walk with Him. As time goes on, we learn how to enrich that relationship- just as any spouse would do in a marriage. You learn one another. You never stop learning and knowing your spouse. And we never stop learning and knowing our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God will ordain certain circumstances, unique to each individual, to prepare him or her; situations many times that we have no control of. We simply must trust that what God is doing, it is for our good and for the good of the kingdom.

Elijah was a prophet to Israel before they were taken into captivity. His story only starts in chapter 17 of 1 Kings, but he is mentioned many times after that in the New Testament. He was told by God that he must go to King Ahab and let him know that there would be no rain for the next three years. This was because of Israel's great sin and idolatry that they were not repenting of. God was getting ready to show off, and he was using Elijah to prepare them. Elijah had the burden of the Lord to bring the people to repentance and bring them back to the Lord.

So, Elijah did what God had told him to do, then God sent him to the brook Cherith and he told him to say there. You can read the remarkable story of Elijah in the book of 1 Kings 17-2 Kings 2. God was going to have ravens feed him and he would get his water from the brook. The word "Cherith" means "cutting off", "separation", "to cut a covenant". God was placing Elijah in a season where he could not fend for himself. He had to totally rely on God for everything. He wanted a covenant with Elijah. There was no one to converse with, no one to support him, no one with which he could talk and share about what was happening. God placed Elijah in a season of solitude, separation. He wanted to teach Elijah how to trust in the Lord, only.

If we desire to be used by God- we need to allow God to place us in seasons where we learn to trust him. It is during these times of being in the wilderness, you many no have anyone around you who shares your vision or burden. A time when you feel all alone and no one understands what you are going through. I will tell you from experience, do not expect others to know and feel what you are going through. We are all traveling a unique path ordained by God and unless He sends along a friend or two, to encourage you- don't look for it. He alone will be your encouragement during these times of solitude, of barrenness, when you think nothing is happening and that you probably will never amount to any use for God. It will be a time of reestablishing and renewing your covenant with God. Don't let satan wear you down during this time. You must stay in the Word and on your knees. No, God may not send us to some far away place during this season. Usually it will be in the day to day routine of your life work, whatever that is, that He will cause you to feel this separation. Separation from worldly things. Separation from the normal- what you are used to. It is so important to allow ourselves to go through this, fully trusting in the Lord. When you read Elijah's full story, you will see there were several other seasons that God had planned for him. Why? Because God had a plan to bring that nation back to God. God had a plan to use a simple, desert dwelling man to call down fire from heaven. God had a plan to use an ordinary man to do extraordinary things. And He does the same with us today.

God has a plan for your life. Allow Him to lead you into the various seasons where you are tested, tried, and realize just how much you need God. If you have any desire to be of use to God and His kingdom, we must be prepared. We have to learn the hard lessons. We don't get off easy because we are His children. He prunes us, refines us, tests us. Even Jesus was tested and tried in the wilderness by satan. But Jesus came out of that wilderness experience full of the Holy Ghost, ready and prepared to do what His Father had destined Him to do. 

Don't give up when the going gets hard. Don't give in to self pity when you feel that God has separated you and your friends or family for a season. Pray, seek the Lord and ask Him to show you what He is up to. Many times He will reveal to us His plans and purposes. But many times He does not. We have to walk by faith and not sight. Allow that Cherith season, that wilderness experience, that time of isolation and solitude to perfect your faith, to refine and purge you of all that will not be necessary in the next move of God in your life. Allow Him to prepare you when you go through the different seasons of your life. He has a plan and a purpose and if you will let Him, He will perfect that which is in you and you will be totally amazed at what God has done!

~Donna