2024.05.22 - Faith Of The Widow Woman

2024.05.22 - Faith Of The Widow Woman

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

12:48 PM

1 Kings 17:9 Arise (accomplish, be clearer, confirm, decree) , get thee to Zarephath( refinement, from a word which means purge away) , which belongeth to Zidon (to catch, fish, chase, hunt, this was also where Jezebel was from) and dwell(sit down, judge, ambush, settle, establish) there: behold, I have commanded(put in order, appointed),  a widow woman there to sustain thee. KJV

• o        This woman did not know her calling until Elijah showed up
• o        God had commanded but man brought her the message
• o        There was a miracle done  in Heaven that was loosed on earth by faith and received in her heart, then accomplished 
• o        This was preached on 2024.02.07

 

WHAT WE HAVE

(Remember what God had commanded Elijah - I have commanded)

1 Kings 17:10So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. KJV

• o        There was not even mentioned a moment of hesitation in the request for water though 
• •        They were in the middle of a drought water must have been precious - but even though it was precious, she HAD WATER and was willing to give it to "the work of The Lord" 
• •        Revelation 3:8I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength , and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. KJV
• •        What seems like a small decision can shape the whole of your future 
• •         

 

WHAT WE DON’T HAVE

(Remember what God had commanded Elijah - I have commanded)

1 Kings 17:11And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my  son, that we may eat it, and die. KJV

• o        She didn’t have enough, the focus in her mind was not on what she had but on what she did not have enough of . . . 

 

1 Kings 17:13And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah. KJV

 

WHAT WE HAVE THAT WE CAN'T GET BACK 

(Remember what God had commanded Elijah - I have commanded)

1 Kings 17:17And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.

18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?

19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?

21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.

22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.

24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth. KJV

• o        It wasn't just her son, it was her way of life, her dreams, hopes, security, future, it was in essence what was most important to her in this life.
• •        The thief cometh not but to steal, kill and destroy, 

 

• o        Water was not part of the promise of Elijah because she already had the faith to deal with the water situation, she didn’t hesitate . . .
• o        The bread was a bigger issues because she had measured and knew there wasn’t enough - she could see it and was relying on her eyesight rather than her faith sight, but all along in both areas God had commanded

 

Where was Jesus - He was living in her upper room, He was in the High Place in her life, 

• •        When we are with Him He WILL call us to increased faith
• •        When we are with Him we are not excluded from life's problems or suffering.