Being Led in Different Ways

These were very similar situations. They involved how God was going to meet the needs of one man: Elijah. In both cases, he needed food. God promised to provide for him, but He acted in two completely different ways.

First, God sent Elijah to a brook where ravens brought his food at His command. When the stream ran dry, we might imagine that the ravens would continue to bring food. God also could have sent rain, or opened some other source. But instead He sent Elijah to another location, in far-off Sidon.

When he arrived, Elijah “saw a widow.” She seemed like a very unlikely candidate. She had almost no food and knew nothing about taking care of Elijah. But she was the one to whom God gave the second command.

God’s directions in these two situations could hardly have been more different. This gives us a picture of just how differently He can work in different times in our lives. He may answer a prayer, meet a need, or give a direction one way on one occasion. But this does not mean that He will act in the same way again. In fact, He often will do something completely differently.

The Bible tells us that His ways are higher than our ways, that His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). This is why it is so important that we have a personal relationship with God. He wants us to know Him and to look to Him in each situation, not to formulas.

In your life, don’t put God in a box. Let Him speak to you and guide you. Don’t limit Him. And don’t be surprised if He leads you in surprising ways.