Sometimes God makes it clear that it is time for something new.

I don’t know about you, but I am not in love with change and most major changes in my life (outside of having kids- which I relished) have been accomplished despite me dragging my heels, kicking and screaming.

No matter how much we may love or hate change, there are times when there is just no other way if we want to remain in God’s will.

There are many ways that God may lead us in a new direction, but one of those ways is an alteration to our environment. We may lose a job, our home may no longer meet our family’s needs, we may become aware of an opportunity that we had previously been unaware of.

In the case of the prophet Elijah, a brook dried up.

In 1 Kings 17, Elijah had delivered a message to King Ahab. It was not good news and the king didn’t take it well. God immediately told Elijah to run for his life. He did so and ended up in the wilderness near a brook.

During his time in hiding, God had provided for his prophet in a surprising way. Ravens brought Elijah bread and meat twice a day, and he drank water from the natural source of H2O.

We don’t know how long Elijah was hiding in the wilderness, the Bible just says, “after some time…” the brook dried up. (1 Kings 17:7)

This was a defining moment for Elijah and it would take courage and discernment.

God told Elijah to leave where he was, walk all of the way through Israel, where he was a wanted man, and into a foreign country and stay there.

I wonder if Elijah wanted to say, “Umm, God, wouldn’t it be easier to just keep putting water in the brook where I am now? This other plan seems terribly dangerous! It’s not comfortable at all. I don’t like it! What if the king catches me and kills me?”

No matter his own feelings on the subject, Elijah chose to obey God. It’s a good thing that he did because it not only saved his own life, it saved the life of a very special widow and her son.

When we obey God, no matter how outlandish the instruction is, we open the door for God to do miraculous things through our lives, and that is an adventure not to be missed.