🩷🧡🤎At a time in his life, God commanded Elijah the prophet to relocate to Cherith, east of the Jordan River, and dwell there. He informed him that the ravens would feed him and that he would get a supply of clean drinking water from the brook. And so it was.
💖Cherith became a sweet and serene resort where Elijah merrily holidayed daily as he dined on the sumptuous dishes—bread and meat—served by the most unlikely chefs: the ravens, who faithfully delivered them twice daily. He also drank the cool and refreshing water of Cherith’s flowing stream.
❤️He must also have enjoyed the quietude, as well as the sights, sounds, and amusement of watching the diverse games and creeping creatures that came out of Cherith’s lush bushes to the brook to drink its pure water.
🩷🧡🤎WHEN CHANGES CAME CASCADING DOWN
We have no idea how long the prophet lived in Cherith, but after some time, the brook gradually began to dry up, and eventually, there was no longer any water for Elijah to bathe in or even drink. Somehow, the Scriptures are silent on when the ravens ceased coming. It is likely that they stopped soon after the brook dried up because, if they had continued coming, God would not have ordered Elijah to proceed to Zarephath, his next point of miraculous supply and supernatural sustenance.
💙The crucial lesson at this point is this: when things changed and the “holiday” finally ended, Elijah did not turn rebellious or express the slightest feeling of disappointment. Neither did he entertain the thought of turning away from God. Instead, he remained submissive to God and faithfully awaited His next word of command.
🩷🧡🤎WHEN “THE HOLIDAY” IS PAUSED IN YOUR MARRIAGE
Just as Elijah was divinely led to Cherith, so were most spouses led into the marriages they are in today. For several years, or even whole decades, their experiences may have resembled Elijah’s holiday days at Cherith: flows of supernatural supplies, extraordinary favour, conception of children without prayers, easy delivery of each child in the labour room without complications, breathtaking breakthroughs, and so many other blessings.
🩶But when, after all these things, they begin to experience the adversities of life, one of the spouses may become offended and even secretly entertain the idea of forsaking the marriage. This is childish, immature, and blatantly wrong!
🩷🧡🤎MARRIAGE IS FOR THE BRAVE
Marriage is for the brave because it takes bravery to truly love and to do so to the very end, as our marriage vows demand of us.
🩷🧡🤎FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE
Marriage brings you and your spouse together with hearts overflowing with optimism, positivity, and glorious dreams. You look forward with great expectations to the best, the sweetest, and the merriest experiences. Yet, none of us has the power to control life or what will happen as the future unfolds.
💚But the truth is this: no matter what life brings your way, you have what it takes to conquer it and prevail.
🩷🧡🤎WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ELIJAH
Just as Elijah did not murmur, complain, grumble, turn sour, or become a traitor when the brook dried up and the ravens no longer came, so must we not despair or, worse still, rebel against God when the storms of life come tumbling down on us and our dear marriage partners.
💜When adversity strikes, that is the time to demonstrate our love and commitment to each other and to show our allegiance to God, who blessed us with marriage in the first place and has given us many years of blessings as spouses.
🩵When adversity strikes, beware of trying to help yourself out by choosing divorce, as some have done to their own hurt!
🩷🧡🤎WHAT GOD ALLOWS, HE’LL SOLVE
When Elijah was suddenly hungry and without food or water, he did not bother trying to figure out how he would survive. He simply rested his heart in God and kept his eyes on Him. In fact, we are not even told that he started praying frantically to know what he should do. His heart was at rest in God (Psalm 37:7a).
💙And did God leave him to find his way out of the situation? No! God spoke and commanded him to go to a widow in Zarephath. Again, an unlikely chef was to feed him. And just as he had done with the ravens, Elijah did not complain about God sending him, a male prophet, to live under the roof of a widow, a single lady.
🩷🧡🤎STOP COMPLAINING; LISTEN FOR THE NEXT ORDER
Just as Elijah did not grumble but rested in God and listened for what He would say, so must you and your spouse stop sorrowing over the new distresses that now plague your marriage. God is fully aware of them.
🤎Give Him thanks for everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and trustfully look to Him for His direction for you and your spouse. He will surely speak to you if you faithfully wait and listen for His next order.
🩷🧡🤎CONCLUSION
Remember Job? When troubles drenched his life, family, home, and marriage, what did he do? He refused to relinquish his trust in God. He held on to his integrity. Did God fail him? No! He will not fail you and your spouse either as you trust Him to the end. Hallelujah!
💖Let’s sing this verse before we close:
🪘🎼🎶”Holy Job was richly blessed/
He lost it all but stood the test/
For Job was steadfast in his misery/
God gives to me he takes away/
Blessed be the name of God this day/
And he was doubly blessed for his fidelity.”🪘🎶🎼
🤎Be faithful to God even in the face of your present marital troubles. As you do, you will surely see His glory!!! 🩷🧡
💕♥️Tonight’s Bedroom Assignment: Re-read this devotional together just before bedtime and discuss it with open and sincere hearts.
✝️Altar Call: Jesus Christ is calling you! Come to Him today in genuine repentance. Believe in Him and be saved!
🧪⚗️Scientific Info To Boost Your Marriage:
🔬”Spouses should brush their teeth twice a day for TWO MINUTES ⏰ with fluoride toothpaste to maintain basic dental hygiene and fresh breath, though staying “kissable” all day often requires extra steps like tongue scraping, flossing, or using mouthwash after meals.”🔬
📢HALLELUJAH!
🎷PRAISE THE LORD!
🚨Please, share the LINK of this devotional message to at least TEN of your married friends and contacts!!🚨