“Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: ‘Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan.’ … Then the word of the Lord came to him: ‘Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.’” -1 Kings 17:2-3, 8-9
To be called to an unfamiliar place where God’s people live is one thing. To be called to a place where not a single follower of God can be found is another.
In Elijah’s case, God was telling him to go to two places where he would be the only worshipper of the Lord for miles. After Elijah prophesied to King Ahab of a long and severe drought, God called Elijah to leave Gilead for several years.
His first stop was the Kerith Ravine, a remote and sometimes desolate place. Here, God told Elijah to drink from the brook and that his food would be supplied by ravens. Elijah was alone, his only water source was a brook that was known for drying up, and his food would come from birds that were considered unclean by God’s people (Leviticus 11:13-15). Since the land was facing a prolonged drought, it seems strange that God would call His prophet to a place like Kerith.
But Elijah’s journey wasn’t finished. The brook indeed dried up, and God told Elijah to go to Zarephath. Zarephath was at least civilization and not the wilderness, but it was not a town a worshipper of the Lord would likely go to. The inhabitants of Zarephath were Baal worshippers—enemies of God. Elijah went from being isolated to being surrounded by his enemies. On top of that, the person who would provide for him there was a widow. Women were at the bottom of the socioeconomic scale in Elijah’s time; widows were at the bottom of the bottom.
God had taken Elijah to places far outside of his comfort zone, and he was on this bizarre journey for three years.
The places where God calls His people are sometimes places of discomfort. Whether it’s a place that challenges our endurance or a spiritually dark place in need of the gospel, a stop along the path of following God often refines us to more fully trust Him.
For Elijah, the places served as preparation for him. He saw how God used the most unlikely means to provide for him, and Elijah’s faith in the Lord grew. That faith is what he needed to challenge the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and call down the fire of God.
When God calls His followers to an uncomfortable place, it is ultimately for our good and the good of others. Elijah trusted God enough to go to the Kerith Ravine and Zarephath, but he trusted God even more after those places. Hundreds of people witnessed the power of God through Elijah on Mount Carmel. How many people will know the power of God if we trust Him to take us to desolate and dark places?