​It happened on October 7, 2023, a special Sabbath day called Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in Torah), the eighth and last day added to the Feast of Tabernacles. In Israel, this day is celebrated with dancing in the streets and the synagogues with Torah scrolls. It marks the end of the annual cycle of public reading of Torah. The end of Deuteronomy is read, the scrolls are rewound to begin a new cycle of reading, and the beginning of Genesis is read. There is great joy and excitement on this day.
 
I imagine that Simchat Torah will never be the same in Israel because last year the Israelis were attacked by Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip in an unprovoked assault at the beginning of this day. At the end of the day twelve hundred Israelis were murdered, and two hundred, fifty victims were kidnapped. The brutality of the terrorists from Gaza is difficult to comprehend as many were raped, tortured, and terrorized.
 
The outcome of the Sabbath attack on October 7 was the beginning of a war that still rages. Other players have come into the fray including Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels from Yemen. All these terror groups are encouraged and supplied with weapons and ammunition from Iran. Whenever there are conflicts of this nature innocent people get caught in the battle and suffer from injury, loss of life, and displacement from their homes. Even last week, Iran upped the ante by sending about two hundred missiles into Israel. The threat of a regional war is very real. Those who are living in the aftermath of October 7 have been traumatized and bear the scars and injuries from their losses, both internally and externally.
 
Add to this situation the fact that antisemitism has been on the rise. This mindset is global! Chosen People Ministries published a report that confirms that antisemitism has tripled in the last twelve months against Jews living outside of Israel. It is my opinion that the growing display of antisemitism is demonically inspired. With the one-year anniversary of the attack on Israel being upon us, how should Christians respond?
 
Scripture must be the foundation of our commitment to the Jewish people. Our Messiah handpicked Jews as His chosen people. However, "...His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross by which He put to death their hostility." (Ephesians 2:15,16) According to Genesis 15:18, God's first covenant with Abram declared that His descendants would have the land of Israel. However, years of lies and prejudice have fueled hate against the Jews and Christians.
 
We are in a spiritual battle led by Satan himself. History shows how he has attempted to irradicate the Jews in every generation because God chose His people to be His instrument of redemption and blessings for all nations. He also ordained that our Messiah would come through His covenant people. As Isaiah 62:1 says, "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch." We must stand for the Jewish people and pray for them along with others who need to know the love of Jesus. The Jewish New Year, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles are upon us. Let us pray for the tender-loving mercies of God to be poured out upon all people, but especially those hurting families in the Middle East.

​The Biblical feasts are called God's appointed times. The Hebrew word for a God appointment of a feast is "Moed." When Moses had appointments with God, he would meet Him at the "tent of meeting" or the "Ohel Moed." Thus, Rabbi Jason Sobel calls the Biblical feasts "a tent in time." On Wednesday night at sundown a new Hebrew year will be upon us, the year 5785, and this is a time to go to our “tents of meeting” to connect with God.
 
I believe that the Old Testament feasts have much to reveal to the Christian Church and that it would be to our benefit to study them. In doing so, we would see that the Jewish New Year is a significant time to meet with God. Here is what it says in Leviticus 23:24, 25. "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei) you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the Lord by fire.'" The Jewish people believe that the world was created on this day and call it by the names Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year) or Yom Teruah (The Day of Blowing).
 
The blowing of the shofar at the beginning of the year is a call to intimacy for God's people. It is time for those who love God to encounter Him and to prepare for the next sacred festival called Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. There are ten days in which to do this. These ten days are called "The Days of Awe." It is significant that on the two days of the New Year the shofar is blown 100 times on each day. This is a call for God's people to prepare for the year to come to remind us that God has made an everlasting covenant with us. One hundred is a significant number in that it stands for fullness in terms of a measure, reward, and recompense.
 
There is also a connection between the number 100 and Abraham and Isaac. On Rosh Hashanah the story of Abraham being called to sacrifice Isaac on Mt. Moriah is read. It is called the "Akedah" or the "binding" in Hebrew. Abraham was 100-years old when he climbed up the mountain with Isaac. His righteousness with God stands as an example to all of us. We should ask ourselves, "Do our human failures merit atonement?" The story of Abraham and Isaac points us to a deeper understanding of God's infinite mercy and grace. He sent us Jesus as our "ram in the thicket."
 
The blowing of the shofar is meant to be a reminder of the ram caught in the thicket as a sacrificial substitute. The horn of a ram is what is blown to herald the new year. God promised Abraham a blessing of abundance because of his obedience. That blessing was passed down through the generations. God said, "I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities or their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." (Genesis 22:17, 18) In Genesis 26:12 we see how Isaac benefited from this promise. "Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him." Today we are still reaping the benefit of this promise because we are Abraham’s descendants and have faith in the Lord.
 
The mercy or grace of God should hit home for us as we go into the new year 5785. Five is the number of grace and redemption, and this year we get a double portion. As we enter the new year, let us consider blessing God by worshiping Him for sending us a Savior.

​It is said that during the month of Elul (sixth on the Hebrew calendar) God draws closer to us to help in our daily walk. The 40 days from Elul 1 to Tishrei 10 (Yom Kippur) is meant to be one of repentance so that we can return to God. The Jews blow the shofar daily as a warning to return to God in repentance. This period of time is called Teshuvah. The root word of this is "shoov" which means to return.
 
Sunday morning at our church, The Crossing, we had a demonstration of Teshuvah. Worship time was particularly beautiful and led us to the tender heart of God. He whispered into the heart of our Senior Pastor, George, who decided to forego preaching so that we could spend the rest of our time together in worship and repentance. One by one people from the congregation came forward to confess their sins for all of us to hear. The sweet presence of the Holy Spirit was palpable.
 
Wanting to be sensitive to The Spirit's leading, it was decided that we would meet every night for a week to focus on worship and repentance. Stories of past revivals reveal that they mostly start with repentance. The first night Pastor George read from Joel 2. "Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm on My holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble for the day of the Lord is coming...'Even now,' declares the Lord, 'return (Teshuvah) to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return (Teshuvah) to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and He relents from sending calamity." (Joel 2:1, 12, 13) This is our heart’s cry for ourselves and our nation.
 
We are aware that as we turn to walk on the path of repentance so that we can come closer to the Lord, our enemy wants to put a monkey wrench into our plans. God gave me a parable about how he sabotages our movement forward on Tuesday morning. I got into my car to drive to work. As I put the car into drive and applied the gas, a horrendous screeching and scraping noise was produced. I put the car into reverse and was able to move without any problems. However, the minute I tried to go forward the awful sound returned, and it was difficult to move towards my destination. My husband kindly returned home to give his assessment of the situation. He decided we would have to get the car towed to be repaired.
 
After calling AAA, a tow truck arrived. As the driver got into my car to move it forward there was no sound or difficulty. He left without my car. My husband discovered the reason for our problems afterward. On the blacktop under the car was a large black walnut that had been stashed up inside the car by a local squirrel. I actually saw the squirrel go under my car but never imagined what havoc he would create. The rubbing of the metal against the walnut was so intense that one side of the nut was flat and smooth.
 
This is how the enemy works in our lives. He attacks our souls and makes it difficult for us to move forward but easy to move backward. To stop his interference in our lives we must repent for allowing ungodly behaviors in our lives, declare Isaiah 54:17, "No weapon forged against us will prevail..." and "worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness." (1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 29:2, and 96:9) This is what will give us victory in our season of Teshuvah.

Recently I finished reading South Carolina Senator Tim Scott's book, America, A Redemption Story. In a chapter titled, "Grit and Innovation" he describes several "average Americans” throughout history who refused to accept the world as it was as they pioneered their way through seemingly impossible circumstances." (Page 54) Throughout his book, Tim Scott encourages us to step out to be creative because our country is "brimming with opportunity."
 
One of the people Senator Scott highlights is John Wanamaker, who established a department store at the corner of Sixth and Market Street in Philadelphia. Originally, he called his store "Oak Hall" as Oak was the national tree of the United States. This tree is a symbol of strength and is "often associated with honor, nobility, and wisdom." (Page 49) Hall implied greatness and grandeur. In addition, the location of the store was adjacent to George Washington's presidential home. Wanamaker wanted his patrons to be aware of the history of our country. I admit that I took particular interest in this portion of Scott's book because my parents used to take our family to this store all throughout my childhood.
 
John Wanamaker's concept for his store was like none other before it. As a devout Christian, he believed that "if everyone was equal before God, prices should be equal too." (Page 50) Up until the opening of John's store, haggling and bargaining were a part of the shopping experience. By putting a price tag on the items for purchase, every shopper was treated fairly. His motto was, "One price and goods returnable." The sales industry was transformed by the John Wanamaker method of doing business.
 
May I suggest that Father God is our spiritual John Wanamaker. He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price for our salvation. As God’s children, we are separated from Him through our sin. His great love and compassion for us brought about the plan for His Son to become the atonement for our sins. As it says in Romans 3:23, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." To rectify this situation and satisfy the justice of God, all of us must be led to repentance. God's kindness is intended to lead us to repentance, it says in Romans 2:4. Jesus Christ shed His blood and died for us on a cross. His death was for every person on the face of the earth, no matter what sins were committed. But we must complete the transaction by accepting, through faith, what Jesus did and believing that He was raised from the dead and ascended to heaven.
 
Romans 3:30 reminds us that there is only one God who justifies both the Jew (circumcised) and Gentile (uncircumcised). All are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. It is said of Abraham, the father of all who believe, that his "faith was credited to him as righteousness." (Romans 4:9) Verse 13 expands on the details: "It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes through faith." Jesus paid the price once and for all time. "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." (Romans 4:25)
 
Just like John Wanamaker, Father God has one price for all for salvation. His name is Jesus! Not only was He the “price tag,” but He is the one who paid the price for us. This is the bargain of a lifetime! How can we show our gratitude?

​Some scholars believe that the daily reading of Psalm 27 during the month of Elul is what is needed for preparation of the Jewish high holy days. In fact, they say the phrase "my light" in verse one is a reminder of Rosh Hashana, and "my salvation" a reminder of Yom Kippur. Verse five says, "He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle" which refers to Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles. All this aside, Psalm 27 is a powerful Psalm to read at any time of the year. This Psalm is one of adoration and the truth of who God is in our lives. A key to remember as we search the depths of Scripture is that adoration brings revelation and revelation brings intimacy.
 
Psalm 27 is one that brings adoration to God through declaring who He is and what He has done. We are given the key to conquering fear in verse one. "The Lord is my light and my salvation—in whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold (a place of refuge and defense) of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?" The author of Psalm 27, King David, was familiar with being hunted down. When he wrote about evil men advancing against him or an army besieging him, he was living his life running from King Saul who wanted to kill him. Despite the battle David was in, he expresses his first priority: "to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life." (Verse 4) Here is how The Passion Translation says it: "Here's the one thing I crave from God, the one thing I seek above all else:  I want the privilege of living with Him every moment in His house, finding the sweet loveliness of His face, filled with awe, delighting in His glory and grace. I want to live my life so close to Him that He takes pleasure in my every prayer." 
 
God has a perfect place for us to run to when we are in trouble. That shelter is His tabernacle where He sets us "high upon a rock." (Verse 5) Think about that picture of being placed on a high rock. This placement keeps one above their enemies, out of their reach. The result should be that we will "sacrifice with shouts of joy." (Verse 6) The Passion Translation says, “Triumphant now, I'll bring Him my offerings of praise, singing and shouting with ecstatic joy!" 
 
Next, David makes a plea to the Lord:  "Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, 'Seek His face!' Your face, Lord, I will seek." (Verses 7, 8) He remembers how he had been rejected by his family and the hurt that this causes. However, the Lord fills every void that we have in our lives. David recalls the hope he has in the Lord. He makes a request of the Lord:  "Now teach me all about your ways and tell me what to do. Make it clear for me to understand, for I am surrounded by waiting enemies...Yet I totally trust in you to rescue me one more time, so that I can see once again how good you are while I'm still alive!” (Verses 11, 13 - TPT) The classic statement in verse 13 is rendered like this in the NIV. "I am still confident of this:  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."
 
Psalm 27 ends with a word of advice that I am sure David learned through his years of battle. "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (Verse 14) The Passion Translation says, "Here's what I've learned through it all. Don't give up; don't be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for He will never disappoint you!"
 
David had a great deal of experience in waiting for the Lord. Afterall, he was anointed to be king of Israel as a young man but was not able to sit upon the throne until age 30. His waiting was not easy, as we have already noted. King Saul was after him during most of his wait. Waiting for God takes perseverance and patience. During these times of waiting, we must remember that the Lord uses them to teach and prepare us for what is ahead. We must make good use of our seasons of waiting and walk in the revelation He gives us after taking shelter in His tabernacle.

God has a special and unique blessing for us during each month on the Hebrew calendar. I am particularly fond of the one He has for us during the sixth month called Elul which begins on Tuesday evening. It is said of this month that "the King is in the field." He is especially accessible to us during the month of Elul when He desires to meet with us in our everyday affairs. For those who know Hebrew, the very name of the month reminds one of God's desire for intimacy because the Hebrew letters that form the name Elul are an acrostic for Song of Solomon 6:3. “I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine!" Even the skies declare the Lord's intentions as the stars form the constellation Virgo, the virgin. The glory of God, conveyed in nature, demonstrates His great love for us.
 
Elul is associated with the Hebrew letter YOD. This means "God has appointed mercy from His hands." He leaves His throne to be among His people to help them negotiate the affairs of life. This is a beautiful picture of the ministry of Jesus on earth and the Scripture from John 1:14. "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." "Dwelling" in this context means "tabernacle." When Jesus left Heaven, He came to tabernacle with His people for 33 years in a tent of mortal flesh. Jesus said, "If you really know me, you will know my Father as well..." (John 14:7) The disciple John clarifies the truth of the visit from Jesus in his book. 1 John 1:2 says,
"The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and has appeared to us." 
 
The significance of Elul, in addition to what we have already looked at, is that it is a time of preparation for the high holy days which begin next month. The 40 days from the first of Elul until Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, are meant for repentance and restoration. These days are called The Teshuvah or days of turning, fasting, and repentance. This season is one where we turn from sin so that we can move toward God. He wants us to seek His face. There is a promise in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 that is particularly appropriate for our times and season. After Solomon completed the Temple, God made him a promise. He told Solomon, "When I shut up the heavens, so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land, or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked way, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." When we turn toward the King of kings after turning away from sin, our relationship with Him strengthens.
 
This special time of year has a two-fold purpose: (1) A time to pursue the King who is in our fields, and (2) A time to repent and prepare ourselves for the beginning of a new year so that we can start with a clean slate. Let us take advantage of what is before us: "A Haven in Time." We must press in to receive deeper measure of the Lord's love as we repent for our sins that separate us from Him. He is here to encourage us and bring us into greater intimacy with Him. We must not let this divine moment pass us by!

​Something new came to our attention as we vacationed on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire this year. It is common for some of the homeowners to anchor a swim platform a few hundred feet from their docks. It gives swimmers a destination and a place to rest or catch some sun. The problem is that the Lake ducks also use the platforms. We frequently saw several ducks preening and sunning themselves on these structures. 
 
This year we saw artificial, but very real looking owls and coyotes on the platforms to scare away the ducks. We all had a good laugh when we saw two ducks resting on either side of a coyote. Daily, these ducks took up their restful positions with the fake animal. They seemingly know that this predator has a bark much worse than its bite. As they bravely fly aboard the platform and lay down next to the nasty-looking deterrent, they seem to have no concerns.
 
Does this remind you of the defeated enemy we call Satan? "...He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." But Peter tells us to "Resist him and stand firm in the faith." (1 Peter 5:8, 9) In addition, James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil, and he will flee." Those of us who know our power and authority in Christ will not succumb to the devil's attempts to take us down. We know the one who defeated him completely at the Cross. There is no need to be concerned about his attempt to place fear in us. In fact, like the ducks at Lake Winnipesaukee, we can lay down next to him and rest.
 
That being said, let us remember that we can give the demonic realm permission to attack us when we behave or speak in agreement with what they say. There are times when we unwittingly make a vow or judgment, or hold someone in unforgiveness, or take on self-righteousness or a haughty spirit that opens us up to a battle with the demonic. These behaviors that send a message that agrees with the kingdom of darkness can be easily rendered null and void by rebuking any offense, declaring our repentance, and asking the Holy Spirit to fill us where sins have been emptied out.
 
Whenever we experience the attack of the enemy let us remember the ducks sleeping at the feet of the ineffective coyote. We are destined to be overcomers. We should have no fear. Our confidence is in the Lord who made us with power and authority to take charge of the environment around us. Our inheritance from the Lord includes victory over our enemies.

​For the first time in 22 years a plant, misleadingly named the Century Plant or Agave americana, came to bloom this summer at Longwood Gardens. The plant originally got its name because scientists believed that it only flowered every 100 years. Longwood's Century Plant is growing in their "Silver Garden" greenhouse along with many other succulents. Botanists tell us that the plant will continue to bloom until October. The blossoms are green and yellow clusters that look similar to broccoli flowers. The staff at Longwood first noticed the flowering stalk in February. Every day during that month the stalk grew five to six inches a day. Eventually, the crew of workers had to remove a pane of glass from the greenhouse roof so that the plant could continue to grow.
 
Since the Agave plant only lives to bloom once in its entire life, it is called "monocarpic." It will die after it blooms because it dedicates all its energy to producing its blossoms. However, when it is finished blooming the gardeners at Longwood will save the flower heads and dry them to be used in the Christmas display. A new Century Plant will be planted in place of the current one, and plant lovers will begin waiting for another blooming season. The new plant will probably be an offshoot from the "mother plant" which is called a "pup." The small offshoots are tiny clones of its mother. Gardeners dig out the pup with its roots and plant it in another location so it can continue to grow.
 
The life of the Century Plant reminds me of the life of Jesus. After He quietly grew from a child into a man, He bloomed during the last three years of His life. He was sent to earth from HIs heavenly throne to display the beauty of heaven and to "plant pups" close to Himself that would be able to root and be established in new locations to demonstrate His love. This is what is says in Paul's Ephesians prayer:  "...And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:17-19)
 
After His death, Jesus left His Holy Spirit to empower us with life without Him. The residue of His bloom is to be used to display the beauty of Christ in the world around us. Jesus told His disciples this before ascending to heaven. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
 
Can you see yourself as a "pup" of the Lord? That is what we are! Each of us has been planted in a different location to demonstrate the love of Christ and bloom where we are planted.

The nation of Israel would do well to look back to the past to remember God's faithfulness to His children after bringing them out of slavery in Egypt. We have entered the month of Av, the fifth on the Hebrew calendar. Historically this month is remembered as one of crisis and destruction, especially the 9th of Av or Tisha B'Av. Calamities were brought about at this time by the curse of Kadish Barnea, the Israelite camp at the border of the Promised Land. God told Moses, "Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites." (Numbers 13:2) Twelve leaders from the nation of Israel, one from each tribe, went into Canaan to survey the land. When they returned ten of the twelve gave a bad report, warning the Israelites that the natives were "stronger than we are." (Numbers 13:3b)
 
During the month of Av, the children of Israel rebelled against the advice of Caleb and Joshua. Hebrews 4:2 tells us, "Those who heard (the message from God) did not combine it with faith." (NIV) The Complete Jewish Study Bible puts it this way:  "...But the message they heard didn't do them any good, because those who heard it did not combine it with trust." According to Rabbinic tradition, the Israelites' refusal to believe that God would give them the Promised Land occurred on the 9th of Av. How quickly they forgot the miraculous ways in which God had provided for them and protected them! Because of this they made a negative confession and established a curse upon themselves. They asked, "...Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" (Numbers 14:3) Because Joshua and Caleb believed that God would give them the land "flowing with milk and honey, the whole assembly talked about stoning them." (Number 14:10)
 
There are ramifications from our confessions—whether good or bad. Moses had to intercede for the Israelites so that God did not strike them down with a plague and destroy them completely. God instructed Moses to tell his community, "I will do the very thing I heard you say. In this desert your bodies will fall—everyone of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home...For forty years—one year for each of your forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you." (Numbers 14:28-30, 34) The curse that was confessed over the children of Israel took hold to such a degree that on the fateful day of the 9th of Av (throughout the years) destruction has occurred:  Babylon destroyed the first temple (587 BC), the Romans destroyed the second temple (70 AD), thousands of Jews were killed during the Crusades that were launched on this day (1095 AD), Jews were expelled from England (1290 AD), Jews were expelled from Spain (1492 AD), Jews were deported to concentration camps (1942 AD), Jews were removed from their homes in Gaza (2005 AD).
 
These are perilous times! Even as I write this letter, the nation of Israel is expecting a furious attack from Iran and its proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. The month of Av was originally to be one of blessings since the Israelites would have been entering their Promised Land. Even the number of the month, five, means grace. In addition, the name Av means Father. Father God longs to be gracious to all His children. Like the children of Israel, we may declare an agreement with the powers of darkness through our words and actions. If we do so, how do we reverse the curse and open the door for grace and blessings to be poured out? First, we must repent of any sin of unbelief, and then live our lives so that we mix God's promises with our faith. We must not allow the Word of God to be subservient to our circumstances! This month is a pivot point where we can select our destinations. As we remember God's faithfulness to us and look to the Cross, God will make a way for us to have victory over our enemies so that we can enter our own promised lands.

Proverbs 147:9 tells us, "He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call." I watched this proverb in action over the last few weeks. There is a small birdbath on our deck that we can see from our living area. One day, as I looked out the glass door, a raven came to visit the birdbath. In his mouth was a huge, hard piece of bread. He brought the crust to drop into the water. While he waited, he took several sips of water. Then he removed the crust from the water and ate it. I have seen this bird repeat these actions three times. The intelligence of this raven is amazing! Yet, why should I be surprised? God made him that way.
 
The raven is written about in several Bible stories. Noah took ravens on the ark with him. After the rains stopped and as the water was receding, Noah sent out a raven. "It kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth." (Genesis 8:7)
 
In 1 Kings 17 we are introduced to Elijah the Tishbite, a prophet who was not popular with Ahab, King of Israel, or others because of his prophecies of warning. The Lord sent Elijah to a brook in the Kerith Ravine to protect him. God said, "I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there." 
(1 Kings 17:4) Scripture says, "The ravens brough him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook." (1 Kings 17:6) I find it interesting that God provided for Elijah's needs in the most unexpected way. I am not sure why He used what was considered an unclean bird by Israel to bring food to Elijah. I wonder if Elijah would have known what God asked Job. "Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?" (Job 38:41) God wants us to trust Him even when what He does seems strange. He has His reasons for doing everything. Our job is to trust Him.
 
Jesus talked about ravens in Luke 12:22-26. ".... I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. Consider the ravens:  They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" Think back on what the ravens brought to Elijah. Where did that bird get the bread? Did it come from someone's table? That might be a likely conclusion. Ravens are known to be intelligent. "Treehugger" reports that "Not only can they figure our puzzles surprisingly quickly, but they learn from past experience to build on their conclusions about how to get what they want."
 
These stories of the raven should encourage us. The Lord loves us and knows what we need. Worry should not be a part of our lives. Jesus told those who followed Him, "Don't let worry enter your life." (Luke 12:29 - TPT) "Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself." (Matthew 6:34 - TPT) We need to be reminded of these words of advice from time to time. I am grateful for the visit from the raven.