1 Kings 17:7
“And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.”
In the beginning of Elijah’s ministry, God had him decree to Ahab that there would be a famine for several years. God told Elijah that as soon as he told Ahab about the famine that he was to go hide by the brook Cherith, for in that place there was water to drink and some ravens that God prepared to take care of him.
In the verse above, we see that the brook dried up. It seems as though the prophet had no hope, but God sent him to the widow of Zarephath. It was this widow whom Elijah told to make him a little cake, but she only had a handful of meal and a little oil in a cruse. For the rest of the famine, Elijah was cared for by that handful of meal and a cruse of oil. Though the brook dried up, there was still oil to supply his need.
Everybody, at some point in their life, will experience their brook drying up. You must understand that when the brook dries up, there is still some oil. The oil is always symbolic of the Holy Spirit power. You may right now be in a time of your life when your brook has dried up, but let me remind you that there is still some oil in your cruse that can help you through this time.
When the brook of personality dries up, there is still some oil. Your personality will only take you so far, but let me remind you that there is still some oil when it dries up. You may have tried everything you know with your personality, but there is still some oil that can help sustain you when the brook has dried up.
When the brook of methods dries up, there is still some oil. You can run to every conference and read every book to learn every method of how to do God’s work and still be dry, but there is still some oil that will sustain you if you will yield. There is nothing wrong with methods, but don’t forget the oil.
When the brook of education dries up, there is still some oil. You may have tried everything you learned to solve your problems, but there is still some oil. Education can certainly be helpful in life, but there will come a time when education will fall short. In the times when education falls short, let me remind you that there is still some oil.
When the brook of man dries up, there is still some oil. You may look to a leader who seems to always have an answer for you, but one day that brook will dry up. When man has let you down or fallen into sin, there is still some oil to sustain you through that dry time.
Friend, all of these things and more will help, but they will eventually dry up. You must always remember that there will always be oil. Instead of trusting these things, why not trust the power of the Holy Spirit in the first place? It is God’s power that supersedes all of man’s methods and ideas. You can put your trust in your brook, but eventually your brook is going to dry up.
Has your brook dried up? Do you feel that you are dry and have nothing more to offer? Then turn to the Holy Spirit, for He will never dry up. He always has the power to finish the job in the way God wants it done. When your brook in life dries up, always remember there is still oil.