The Unforced Rhythms of Grace...

 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-20 The Message.

Sound inviting? That's the kind of invitation that the prophet Elijah received from God after he fled from King Ahab. Elijah had just delivered the bad news to King Ahab that the nation was being judged for their sins by an extended period of drought. In my book, Running with the Prophets, I imagine that encounter Elijah experienced with God . Imagine with me and enjoy this excerpt from my book : 

    Then the word of the Lord came to me again: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.”

Kerith Ravine, A Place of Seclusion and Provision

I fled the city as quickly as possible and headed east toward what I hoped was the location of Kerith Ravine. I had heard of the place, but had never been there myself. Abba had described it as a beautiful, but secluded place, hidden by cliffs with the sparkling fresh water of the Wadi Al Yabis stream running through it. The words of the Lord continued to run through my mind, filling me with hope and purpose as I hiked through the wilderness. Although I didn’t know the way, somehow, as if the Lord himself guided me to know when to turn to the right or the left, I stumbled into the ravine as evening approached.

I sat down, shrugged off my pack, and knelt by the stream to quench my thirst. Then sitting back, I suddenly realized that I couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten. In my haste to flee the city, I had taken no provision. But what had the Lord said? Something about ravens…

I heard them before I saw them, the coarse croaking call of the ravens as they appeared over the top of the cliff and headed straight for me! I covered my face as they dove at me and then I heard several thuds on the ground. When I looked up, the ravens were gone, leaving behind a perfectly baked loaf of bread and a large portion of meat.

“Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has kept me alive and preserved me and enabled me to reach this season!”

I ate the bread and meat and drank again from the stream. Exhausted, I lay down and slept.

In the morning the ravens woke me as they dropped my breakfast from the sky, more bread and meat. I spent the day exploring the caves surrounding the ravine until the ravens reminded me it was dinner time, and I ate again and then slept.

So my days continued in my secluded wilderness hideaway. I wasn’t lonely, although I never heard a voice other than my own as I prayed and sang to my God. It was as if the ravens fed my physical being, while God himself fed my soul. I found myself taking silly delight in the tiny flowers that pushed right through the rock face of my cliff side home to bloom in the bright sunlight. I carried handfuls of water from the stream and watered them daily. I enjoyed watching the progression of the sun across the sky each day and the unveiling of the stars every night. I felt full in so many ways, so loved and cared for by Almighty God, El Shaddai himself.

After a time I noticed the stream was drying up in the drought. The prophetic word I had proclaimed at God’s direction was coming to pass. No rain had fallen in the land since I uttered God’s decree. One day there was not even a handful of water left to water my flowers, and they died. The ravens came one last time and I choked down a dry breakfast with none of the sparkling water to wash it down.

Although I had felt God’s presence teaching my soul those weeks at the ravine, I had not heard his audible voice since the day he gave me the words to deliver to King Ahab. But that morning, as I sat by the dry stream bed he spoke again.

“Elijah. Don’t linger here any longer. There is nothing here for you now.”

He knew my heart. I had felt safe here. I felt His presence every evening as I returned to camp and every morning when I awoke, just as sure as the bread and meat that arrived by ravens twice each day. I did not want to leave this place of comfort and provision. I understood then that was precisely why there was no longer any water. It wasn’t a safe place for me anymore, because God was leading me elsewhere. And I realized that any place God led me was where I wanted to be. He was my comfort. He was my provision. I had trusted him with my life when I agreed to speak his dreaded words to our king, and he had been so very trustworthy. I knew I would go anywhere he led me.

To purchase a copy of my book, copy and past the following link:

https://www.amazon.com/Running-Prophets-Finding-Intimacy-Yahweh/dp/B0G2ZWT4JK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=34B56K9W1JPD8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Cjj8iFEOjmAQt7ZQT_VkykLP7JgELtOHThmsEurMuy98wb7MuslAiBdJzoNvpbdsfn5UJrTE8EgCefvB3hOKtxVERnF9AyOm2k1skzCAs7GTJfYODPSrDvYUF4jNdNzSUPO1pj6cUjEp7jbIxKFvy548DvrVjgpwHtyJR7jmP7z9dnPs1WyRpJL1tlmJH9GWsguMbgVjlbHApHisQwp30cUsC5dUGtYLEhskZS4NVJI.G6bpxJQdg7z9iZIf-dI_z5tuhaEb0qUfguZULUXjwn0&dib_tag=se&keywords=running+with+the+prophets&qid=1764346159&sprefix=running+with+the+prophets%2Caps%2C379&sr=8-1

Mommy's Favorite Book

 

When my mom was battling cancer 3000 miles away from me in California, a wonderful thing happened. The ladies who lived on my brother, Brett’s street came to welcome and visit with their new neighbor. They invited my Jewish mama to their bible study, where they introduced her to her Jewish Messiah, Jesus!

I would call Mommy on Monday nights – you still had to pay long distance phone charges back then – and I began to read to her over the phone. I chose my favorite book of the Bible, Hebrews, written from a Jewish perspective, since I thought she would identify with that New Testament book more than any other.

We had only gotten through a few chapters when I got the call from my brother, Brett, that Mom had passed.

I had visited Mommy once in California, accompanied by my sister, Roberta. My brother, Timmy bought both of our plane tickets so we could go. One of the neighbor ladies came with me and my sister to visit Mommy in the hospital. Knowing that her daughters needed to needed to hear from Mommy’s own lips about her encounter with Jesus, the neighbor asked Mommy point blank, “Doris, did you receive Jesus as your personal Savior?”

And I got to hear Mommy answer, “Yes I did!”

But after she passed, I began to doubt. Did she really meet you, Jesus? Is she really in heaven with you now?

My big brother, David was a missionary in Irian Jaya while Mommy was battling cancer. We contacted Dave overseas to let him know Mommy wouldn’t be around much longer and could he come home to see her. Mommy hung on a couple more weeks while Dave made the arrangements to travel home.

Dave was one of the last persons to see Mommy before she died.

So I decided to call Dave with my doubts. I was already crying and could hardly speak when I heard Dave’s voice on the other side of the phone.

“Dave, I need to hear something. I need you to tell me about your visit with Mommy before she died. Did she really know Jesus?” I managed to croak out into the phone.

Dave got it. He’s smart like that. “I asked Mom if I could read from the Bible to her, and she said yes. Then I asked if there was any part of the Bible she would like to hear.”

Now Dave didn’t know that I had been reading Hebrews to Mommy over the phone the past several Monday nights.

“She asked me to read Hebrews.”

Then I knew, I knew she had fallen in love with the God of her people, and her Messiah, Jesus.

“I read her the entire book all 13 chapters.”

So, all that to say I loved the book of Hebrews before Mommy died, but after she passed, I loved it even more. And I know I’ll be reading to her again when I join her one day in Glory.

And just this month, I’ve been studying Hebrews again, coming home to that familiar place I fell in love with so many years ago. Watch my blog for future posts from my, and Mommy’s, favorite book.