Letters from Cherith
Have you ever prayed to God and felt as though He was distant? Have you ever prayed for a particular thing, only to feel like your prayers were falling on deaf ears? Have you ever prayed with tears streaming down your face (the infamous ugly cry), diligently waiting for an answer, yet hearing nothing? Instead, you hear silence. You feel as though God is far away. You feel abandoned by God. You feel rejected. You feel as though your prayers just reach the ceiling of your bedroom and never make it to heaven’s door. I know we have all been there. I call these moments “Cherith.”
In 1 Kings 17:3, God calls Elijah to a location called Cherith. This word can be translated into English as “separation.” The original Hebrew word means “cut off.” God called Elijah to this desolate place to have an encounter with Him. God separated Elijah from what was “normal” for him and called him into what I would describe as a wilderness season. There, Elijah learned to fully depend on God for his survival and overall well-being. First Kings 17:6 says, “The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.” Elijah had no other choice but to trust God for his sustenance in Cherith. The brook that Elijah drank from represents ultimate surrender and reliance on God. This moment of separation and isolation prepared Elijah for the next season of his life.
Have you ever reached a point in your life where all you could do was trust God for your sustenance?
I have had my fair share of “Cherith moments” in my twenty-something years of living; moments where God separated me for Himself. Moments where it felt as though all hope was gone, and my only option was to trust in God. My very first encounter with the word “Cherith” was during my sophomore year of college. I discovered the story of Elijah in Cherith, and it deeply resonated with me. During one of my elective art classes at Mount Mercy University, I began writing to God in my planner. I titled these entries “Letters in Cherith.” In those pages, I told God everything that was on my mind from prayer requests, to revelations, to sorrowful moments. During that season of life, God became my sustenance.
Cherith represents God’s sovereignty, providence, and faithfulness. The Bible reminds us in Psalms 141:2 that our prayers rise to God like incense. No prayer and no tear is ever wasted in His presence. Therefore, if you are in a “Cherith” moment, I encourage you to journal about it. Tell God what is on your mind. He is your Father and your friend. As I have continued to journal about my own Cherith moments, my faith and trust in God have only grown stronger.
Frankline “Franky” Tshombe
Children’s Church Leader
