Good Morning Sunshine! Your Obedience Will Open The Door To God’s Provision!

I’M BACK!

Dear Devotional Family,

I thank God for the last two months of surrender and submission to Him. It has been a season of quieting myself before the Lord, and I am so glad to be back with you to share the Word once again. My prayer is that while I was away, you took full advantage of the devotions already available to you through this ministry, letting the Word continue to speak and strengthen you.

God is truly Amazing, and there is no one else like Him! I am humbled and grateful that this is the fifth year of our devotional ministry. To God be the Glory, what began as a simple act of obedience with 40 people has grown into a global ministry, where thousands of people all around the world are reading and receiving the Word of God through these devotions.

Thank you for being such a faithful part of this journey. Your presence, your prayers, and your hunger for God’s Word bless me deeply. My desire remains the same: that each one of you will draw closer to God and be rooted more firmly in His Word, so that you can share the Word with someone else.

Blessings and love,
Dr. Jean

Now Let’s get to the Devotional!

1 Kings 17:2–4 (NIV) ~ “Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: ‘Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.’” 

A young woman once told me about a day she missed her train because she lingered just a few minutes too long at home. The moment she arrived at the station, she saw the train pulling away. Later, she learned that the person she was meant to meet had been waiting in that very train car with an important opportunity that could have opened doors for her career. “If I had just left when I was supposed to, I would have been right on time,” she said with regret. That missed moment taught her that timing matters, and sometimes, being in the right place at the right time depends on moving when you’re told.

Obedience is not a suggestion in the kingdom of God; it is a lifeline. For Elijah, one act of obedience set the course for his survival, his ministry, and his testimony. The Word of the Lord came, and Elijah responded. Quick obedience opened the door to provision. Notice the order in the text, first came the Word, then came the command, then came the promise! God never issues a command without also attaching provision. The instruction may not make sense in the moment, but it always carries the seed of sustenance within it.

Elijah could have hesitated. He could have debated with God about leaving his current place. He could have questioned how ravens, unclean, scavenging birds, could possibly bring him food. But he didn’t. Scripture simply tells us that he went. That simple act of obedience became the hinge for his survival in the drought. Quick obedience matters because provision has an address. God told Elijah exactly where to go: “the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan.” If Elijah had gone west, or delayed, or settled somewhere more comfortable, he would have missed the place where God had commanded provision to meet him.

The lesson is clear; delay can be disobedience. When God speaks, He expects a response that matches the urgency of His instruction. Delayed obedience can cost you the timing of your blessing. Think about the widow at Zarephath later in Elijah’s story (1 Kings 17:8–16). Her quick obedience in baking bread for the prophet unlocked the miracle of oil and flour that never ran out. Obedience doesn’t just open the door for you; it often opens the door for others as well.

Obedience often looks like risk. For Elijah, leaving meant walking away from what was familiar into the unknown. But risk in God’s hands is never wasted, it becomes the soil where miracles are planted. Sometimes you want the provision without the obedience. You want the ravens to bring bread, but you don’t want to go to the brook. You want the blessing without the step of faith. But God has tied provision to position. Where He sends you, He sustains you.

Quick obedience is also an act of trust. It says, “God, I believe You know better than I do.” Proverbs 3:5–6 tells us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding. Leaning on your understanding often delays your obedience. What if Elijah had delayed and argued with God? The brook may still have flowed, and the ravens may still have flown, but Elijah would have been in the wrong place to receive. Your disobedience doesn’t cancel God’s faithfulness; it only causes you to miss it.

In your life, God may be asking you to move, whether physically, spiritually, or emotionally. Quick obedience is not about rushing blindly; it is about aligning swiftly with God’s direction. Think of Peter casting the net again in Luke 5:5. He said, “But because You say so, I will let down the nets.” That one act of obedience produced a catch so great that the nets began to break. Obedience often precedes overflow.

Elijah’s obedience didn’t just provide food and water; it prepared him for the next chapter of his calling. Private obedience will strengthen you for public ministry. Before Mount Carmel came Kerith Ravine. Ask yourself today, where is God calling me to obey quickly? What “ravens” are already on the way, but waiting for me to get to my “there”? The quicker you obey, the quicker you encounter His provision. Remember this truth; when you obey God quickly, He will cause even the “dirty bird” to carry clean bread to your table. What doesn’t make sense in the natural will reveal God’s supernatural care for His children.

Let’s Pray: 

Father, I thank You that Your Word is alive and active, and that it speaks direction into my life. Lord, forgive me for the times I delayed obedience or ignored Your leading because it didn’t make sense to me. Father, teach me to move swiftly when You speak, knowing that my provision is tied to my position. Just as You led Elijah to the brook, lead me to the exact place where Your blessing has already been commanded. Father, remove from me the spirit of hesitation that questions Your timing. Replace it with a spirit of quick obedience. Father, I ask You to align my ears with Your voice so I can discern Your instructions clearly. Father, give me courage to trust Your unusual methods. If You can use ravens to bring bread, You can use unexpected people and situations to bless me. Help me not to miss my “there.” Keep my feet from wandering outside of Your will. Strengthen me in the hidden seasons of obedience, knowing that they prepare me for greater assignments. Father may my obedience not only bless me but also unlock blessings for others around me. Father, teach me to see obedience as worship, an act of love and surrender to Your perfect wisdom. Surround me with reminders of Your faithfulness so I do not grow weary in waiting for provision. Father, I dedicate my will, my steps, and my decisions to You. Guide me to align them with Your purposes daily. May my obedience testify to others of Your power and encourage them to follow You with trust. I declare that I will move quickly when You speak, trust You when I don’t understand, and receive every provision You have ordained for me.  In Jesus Christ Name, Amen! 

Nugget: “Provision is waiting at the place of obedience, move quickly, for your ‘THERE’ is already prepared.”

Blessings…

Love, Dr. Jean