It has been much too long since my last post. I apologize. My wife is cancer free now, but she had a major setback with infection causing her to have two more surgeries. That has taken me out of pocket for these last few weeks. Infection is finally gone and with your prayers she should begin to regain her strength. She will apparently not have to undergo chemo. PTL! She is still quite tired and weak, however, so be sure to keep on praying for her. Thanks.
Now back to our story: We left off with Elijah staying in the home of the widow God led him to at Zarephath. Elijah, the widow, and her son were enjoying the fruits of Elijah’s labor in the truth of God. They were experiencing the miracle of the bin of flour and the jar of oil never running out. God was blessing them beyond measure because of their faith and trust in Him and His Word. It was a joy to behold.
But then something happened—the son died. “Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him. So she said to Elijah, ‘What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?’” (vs. 17-18). The widow had to be asking herself, “What happened? Where is God? Did I do something wrong? What is going on?” It is at moments like this that God’s resurrection power shows through—times when we are driven to be totally dependent on Jesus.
It was at this time that Elijah’s faith would shine. “And he said to her, ‘Give me your son.’ So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. Then he cried out to the LORD and said, ‘O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?’” (vs. 19-20).
He did not stew or fret or pound his fist in the air blaming God. No, he simply took the boy upstairs to his room, got on his knees, and prayed. He turned to God for wisdom and help. He was walking by faith.
His trust was in the Lord. He knew that only God had the answer. He knew that only God had the power, the resurrection power, to meet the situation head on and bring the son back to his mother. So he prayed and trusted God. He relied only on God.
“And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, ‘O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.’ Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived” (vs. 21-22). Elijah obeyed God. He lives God’s Word as sure as he speaks God’s Word. He did as the Lord directed and God revived the boy and brought him back to life.
Now might be a good time to point out that the word “Zarephath” comes from a Hebrew word meaning, “to melt,” or “to smelt.” As a noun, it means “crucible.” Zarephath is the place of the cross. It was here that God first raised someone from the dead. The two always go together. No cross; no resurrection. So when you experience a cross, rejoice, because that is when God’s resurrection power is close by.
The stories of Elijah go back and forth between what God was doing in the world through Elijah, to what God was doing in Elijah to prepare him for those things. In my previous posts, we saw the things God did to get Elijah in a place where he was totally dependent on Him. He weakened him; He removed his strength and his ability to provide for himself, so that Elijah would be totally dependent on God, which would be the place from which Elijah’s greatest power would flow.
The channel of God’s blessing is often our weakness. Are you experiencing something that renders you weak? That is not a sign of God’s judgment. It is a sign that God is working the power of His resurrection in you. When you are weak, it is an opportunity to depend on Him. When you are weak, it is an opportunity to hope in Christ and a time to demonstrate to everyone that you have a hope that goes beyond this life. When you experience the cross; it is a chance for God to pour out the power of His resurrection.
God saved the world through an innocent man dying in weakness. If He is going to bring that power into your life, into your family and your world, He will not do it in your strength; He will do it in your weakness. Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). It is when you share in “the fellowship of His sufferings,” that you can walk in “the power of His resurrection” (Phil. 3:10). “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10b).
The son was restored: “And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, ‘See, your son lives!’” (v. 23). In Elijah's moment of weakness, God acted in strength and answered his prayer. Even the widow recognized that God was the one at work.
When I was in college, I was involved with the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. They always said, “Share the gospel clearly and leave the results to God.” That is what Elijah did. He did God’s work and made His Word clear, then he left the results to God. God provided the miracle and God also led the widow to respond in faith. She clearly saw that Elijah stood for God and that his word came from God: “Then the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth’” (v. 24).
For Elijah it was a time of waiting on God and a time of trusting in God. God was working through him to make him into the man God intended—a man of faith; a man of character; a man after God’s own heart. For three and a half years God was molding and shaping Elijah for the mission He had for him.
He wants to do the same with you. Being built by God takes time. What He wants from you is for you to have faith and trust in Him. He wants you to let Him make you new, to change and reshape you into the person He wants you to be—a man or woman after God’s own heart. Amen.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Friday, August 1, 2014
The Case of the Endless Bin and the Bottomless Jar
Had a lot going on with my wife's surgery and all, but I am back. Barbara is doing well, though she is still a little weak and tired. To be expected. Please continue to pray for her recovery. The good news is that there was no sign of cancer in the lymph nodes, so she is cancer free. PTL
We left Elijah staying "by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan" (1 Kings 17:5). He was waiting out the drought and famine until the Lord moved him to pray for its end. Meanwhile, "the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook" (v. 6), just as God commanded.
But then a funny thiing happened: the brook began to run dry (v. 7). As we read on, God says to Elijah, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you" (v. 9). The Lord continues to choose unlikely characters to provide for Eliijah's needs during the drought and famine. First the ravens, who are scavengers, God commands to bring him bread and meat. Now a widow is commanded to provide for his needs. My, how mysterious are the ways of God.
Being "in tune" with the Spirit of God, Elijah "arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, 'Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink'" (v. 10). With no more water to drink, it was time to exercise faith and look to God for direction.
Paul said: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). And he added in Romans 8:5, “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” Elijah was a man who walked according to the Spirit. He truly walked with God.
When you take the time to read the Word of God and you spend ample time on your knees in prayer, God will reveal Himself to you. Spending time with God is how you get to know Him better and learn to walk more constantly with Him.
As you grow closer to the Lord your life is “in tune” with His Spirit. Being “in tune” with the Spirit of God is what I like to call “flying closer to the flame.” It is simply my way of saying “walk in the Spirit.” Walk in His power. Let Jesus be your guide.
When you are faithful to “walk in the Spirit” every day, God takes care of you. He meets your needs, just as He did for Elijah. When you trust in the Lord and live by the power of His Spirit, He will never leave you hanging. He will never say, “So the brook dried up. Now what will you do?” He will never say any such thing. What He does is He provides a new avenue for meeting your needs. For Elijah, first the brook and the ravens; now the widow at Zarephath. In the same way, at every bend in the road, God will meet your needs.
Elijah trusted God explicitly, even though it meant going right into the heart of enemy territory. Zarephath was a town on the Mediterranean coast about seven miles south of Sidon. It was a territory controlled by Ahab’s father-in-law, Ethbaal (Jezebel’s father and homeland). In this way, as God provided for the widow, her son, and Elijah during the famine by a miracle, the power of God was shown in the area where the false god Baal was worshiped. My, how God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.
God is always faithful. Elijah found everything just as God had said. He was immediately met by a widow, so he spoke with her: “And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.’ And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand’” (vs. 10b-11).
This widow was given a great honor by God. In her humble home she was to host the man who stands before God and at whose word the clouds are sealed or opened. She was to host the man whose prayer would bring fire down from heaven and who would not even die before being taken up into heaven.
A widow such as her could not even hope for such honor. She had not even dreamed of such distinction. She was but a poor widow, so poor that she had no servant and no fuel in her house! She was a widow with a son, and both at the point of death! But praise be to God that His ways are not our ways. He is a God who brings unlikely things to pass. How little we know about the intentions of His heart toward us! He has great things in store for us. We need only be faithful.
As Elijah spoke with the widow, a new challenge arose. He had presented her with a test—to bring him food to eat. “So she said, ‘As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die’” (v. 12). It was actually a ministry opportunity.
Elijah responds with a request: “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth'" (vs. 13-14).
This is the test. This is God’s will spoken plainly. Will she follow this directive from God? God’s servant faithfully speaks the will of God. It is up to us to follow His will and live by His Word. It is up to the widow to trust God and follow His will by making a cake for Elijah first. If she does, God will honor her faith with a supply of flour and oil that would last as long as the drought lasted.
"So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah" (vs. 15-16). She passed the test. She took Elijah at his word. She obeyed and everything came to pass just as he had promised. She had an endless bin of flour and a bottomless jar of oil!
God’s provision here stands as a testimony to the availability of God’s full provision to all who believe and obey. At each new bend in the road, Elijah and this widow watched as God faithfully fulfilled His promises. And God always does what He says He will do. He will leave no stone unturned in fulfilling His promises. You can count on it!
As you step out in obedience to the voice of God by faith, your faith grows. All along life’s way, God builds you up in Christ as you obey Him and consistently follow His direction. Listen for that still small voice and follow His lead, wherever that may be. Amen.
We left Elijah staying "by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan" (1 Kings 17:5). He was waiting out the drought and famine until the Lord moved him to pray for its end. Meanwhile, "the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook" (v. 6), just as God commanded.
But then a funny thiing happened: the brook began to run dry (v. 7). As we read on, God says to Elijah, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you" (v. 9). The Lord continues to choose unlikely characters to provide for Eliijah's needs during the drought and famine. First the ravens, who are scavengers, God commands to bring him bread and meat. Now a widow is commanded to provide for his needs. My, how mysterious are the ways of God.
Being "in tune" with the Spirit of God, Elijah "arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, 'Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink'" (v. 10). With no more water to drink, it was time to exercise faith and look to God for direction.
Paul said: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). And he added in Romans 8:5, “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” Elijah was a man who walked according to the Spirit. He truly walked with God.
When you take the time to read the Word of God and you spend ample time on your knees in prayer, God will reveal Himself to you. Spending time with God is how you get to know Him better and learn to walk more constantly with Him.
As you grow closer to the Lord your life is “in tune” with His Spirit. Being “in tune” with the Spirit of God is what I like to call “flying closer to the flame.” It is simply my way of saying “walk in the Spirit.” Walk in His power. Let Jesus be your guide.
When you are faithful to “walk in the Spirit” every day, God takes care of you. He meets your needs, just as He did for Elijah. When you trust in the Lord and live by the power of His Spirit, He will never leave you hanging. He will never say, “So the brook dried up. Now what will you do?” He will never say any such thing. What He does is He provides a new avenue for meeting your needs. For Elijah, first the brook and the ravens; now the widow at Zarephath. In the same way, at every bend in the road, God will meet your needs.
Elijah trusted God explicitly, even though it meant going right into the heart of enemy territory. Zarephath was a town on the Mediterranean coast about seven miles south of Sidon. It was a territory controlled by Ahab’s father-in-law, Ethbaal (Jezebel’s father and homeland). In this way, as God provided for the widow, her son, and Elijah during the famine by a miracle, the power of God was shown in the area where the false god Baal was worshiped. My, how God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.
God is always faithful. Elijah found everything just as God had said. He was immediately met by a widow, so he spoke with her: “And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.’ And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand’” (vs. 10b-11).
This widow was given a great honor by God. In her humble home she was to host the man who stands before God and at whose word the clouds are sealed or opened. She was to host the man whose prayer would bring fire down from heaven and who would not even die before being taken up into heaven.
A widow such as her could not even hope for such honor. She had not even dreamed of such distinction. She was but a poor widow, so poor that she had no servant and no fuel in her house! She was a widow with a son, and both at the point of death! But praise be to God that His ways are not our ways. He is a God who brings unlikely things to pass. How little we know about the intentions of His heart toward us! He has great things in store for us. We need only be faithful.
As Elijah spoke with the widow, a new challenge arose. He had presented her with a test—to bring him food to eat. “So she said, ‘As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die’” (v. 12). It was actually a ministry opportunity.
Elijah responds with a request: “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth'" (vs. 13-14).
This is the test. This is God’s will spoken plainly. Will she follow this directive from God? God’s servant faithfully speaks the will of God. It is up to us to follow His will and live by His Word. It is up to the widow to trust God and follow His will by making a cake for Elijah first. If she does, God will honor her faith with a supply of flour and oil that would last as long as the drought lasted.
"So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah" (vs. 15-16). She passed the test. She took Elijah at his word. She obeyed and everything came to pass just as he had promised. She had an endless bin of flour and a bottomless jar of oil!
God’s provision here stands as a testimony to the availability of God’s full provision to all who believe and obey. At each new bend in the road, Elijah and this widow watched as God faithfully fulfilled His promises. And God always does what He says He will do. He will leave no stone unturned in fulfilling His promises. You can count on it!
As you step out in obedience to the voice of God by faith, your faith grows. All along life’s way, God builds you up in Christ as you obey Him and consistently follow His direction. Listen for that still small voice and follow His lead, wherever that may be. Amen.
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