The phrase “consider the ravens”  kept appearing in articles, devotions, and teachings I read and heard. Coincidence? I think not. I try to pay attention when this happens. Usually, it means God is trying to get my attention and teach me what I need to learn.

Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 

~Luke 12:24 AMP

This Scripture sticks in my head as I grapple with my fears and doubts. A long-standing struggle with trusting God with my finances has plagued me. This makes no sense since God has consistently provided for me every month. Yet, while paying some bills, my head pounded with a migraine over my stress about what to pay and what not to pay (yet). A Voice I know well spoke to my soul and stopped me in my tracks. Stopped me from all activity.

“Do you understand my faithfulness?” God asked.

 “Oh, Lord.”

As I write this, tears collect at the corner of my eyes. The pain of the voice sucked the air from my lungs. How could I doubt my Lord’s provision when I have experienced nothing but His full and never-failing faithfulness, including all things financial?

My disobedience hurts when I come face to face with it. I needed to change my thinking and strengthen my faith. As Jesus instructed, I considered the ravens. Ravens seem unlikely creatures to use as examples. They are dark, solitary, flesh-eating creatures. Yet, God uses them in multiple incidences in His Word.

• “Then it came about at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth” (Genesis 8:6-7 NASB).
• “‘And it shall be that you will drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide food for you there.’ So he [Elijah] went and did everything according to the word of the Lord, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook” (1 Kings 17:4-6 NASB).

Jesus used ravens as an example of His unfailing provision. Interestingly, He used these ominous birds in His illustration, as opposed to a peaceful dove or a sweet sparrow. Ravens are birds of prey and kin to the vulture. I’m still pondering this contrast.

But through these verses, I saw the steadfastness of God’s faithfulness. I had not made God the one true King over everything in my life. I still thought I ruled my finances. Therefore, I repented of this mindset. Jesus needs to be Lord over all areas of our lives.

Think of an area in your life where God is not King and where you are not trusting Him. As Jesus said, consider the ravens and trust how much He values and cares for you.

Father, I am grateful that You still love me when I mess up and have things all wrong. I can certainly, beyond the shadow of a doubt, trust You to take care of every single one of my needs, no matter what it is. Lord, may I never again question Your faithfulness. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2025: Consider the Ravens: Angela Dolbear: All Rights Reserved