Elijah Is Fed by Ravens

Children's Sermon: Elijah Is Fed by Ravens (1 Kings 17:1-6)

Can you guess what I have in my hand? It is a bag of birdseed. Do any of you have a bird feeder in your yard? Feeding birds is a very popular activity. I have read that there are more than 52 million Americans who feed birds around their home. Why do they do it? Most people do it because they want to attract more birds to come to their area. Some people find it to be a very relaxing activity. It is a well-known fact that many people feed birds, but have you ever heard of birds feeding a person? Well that is exactly what our lesson is about today.

Our Bible story today is about a prophet of God by the name of Elijah. At this time there was a very wicked king in Israel by the name of Ahab. Because of the evil things that Ahab was doing, Elijah told him that there would be no dew or rain for several years until he gave the word. Because of what Elijah told him, Ahab hated him and wanted to harm him.

The Lord said to Elijah, " Go and hide by Kerith Brook where it enters the Jordan River. There you will have plenty to drink from the brook and you will eat what the ravens bring to you. You see, God told the birds to take food to Elijah every day.

Now, let's think about this for a moment. How would you feel if God told you to go somewhere and trust that birds would bring you food? It might sound a little strange, right? But that's what trusting God is all about. Sometimes, God asks us to do things that might seem odd or different, but He always has a good reason for it.

Elijah knew that trusting God was important, so he did what God told him to do and camped beside the brook. Guess what happened? Every morning and evening the birds brought bread and meat for Elijah to eat and he had plenty to drink just as God had promised him.

While Elijah was by the brook, he had a lot of time to think and pray. He knew that trusting God was the right thing to do, even when it was hard. He also knew that God was always with him, even when things seemed scary or uncertain.

One day, the brook where Elijah was staying dried up because there was no rain. But God had a plan for Elijah. He told him to go to a town called Zarephath, where a widow would give him food and water. Elijah trusted God and went to the town.

When he arrived, he saw a woman gathering sticks. He asked her for some water and bread. The woman told him that she only had a little flour and oil left, just enough for her and her son. But Elijah told her not to worry and to trust God. He said that if she made him some bread first, God would make sure she had enough flour and oil for her and her son until the rain came.

The woman trusted God and did what Elijah asked. And just like Elijah said, the flour and oil never ran out. They had enough food to eat until the rain came back.

This story teaches us a lot about trusting God. Both Elijah and the widow had to trust God even when things seemed impossible. They both had to believe that God would take care of them, no matter what.

Isn't it wonderful how God took care of Elijah? Well, it is even true that God cares for his children today. Jesus himself said, "If God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?'" (Matthew 6:29-31)

So, what can we learn from this story about trusting God? We can learn that when we trust God, He will take care of us. He might not always do things the way we expect, like sending birds to bring us food, but He always has a plan.

We can also learn that trusting God means listening to Him and doing what He asks, even when it seems strange or scary. God knows what's best for us, and when we trust Him, we can be sure that He will guide us and protect us.

Let's remember to trust God in our own lives, too. When we're faced with tough decisions or scary situations, let's pray and ask God for help. He loves us and wants the best for us, so we can trust that He will always be there to guide us and take care of us.

Let us pray.

Father, help us to trust in you and do what you tell us to do. We know that you will care for us just as you cared for your prophet Elijah. Teach us to trust you more and more each day, and help us to remember that you are always with us, even when things seem hard or scary. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.