Trust

How Much Do You Really Trust in God? (1 Kings 17:1-5, 8-16) Elijah God raised up Elijah to bring His people back to him (1 Kings 18:21) The name Elijah means “The Lord is my God” Elijah served God (1 Kings 17:1) Elijah possessed unquestioned devotion to and faith/trust in God He knew that God lives (1 Kings 17:1, see also 1 Sam. 19:6, Saul, 1 Kings 22:14, Micaiah, 2 Kings 3:14, Elisha, Jer. 12:16) (Do you know that God lives?) He trusted in God’s arrangement/commandment of ravens (unclean animal) to feed him (1 Kings 17:4-6) (It is against the nature of ravens to share! God wants His people to understand that He is in control) And God did as He said He would. He trusted in God’s arrangement/commandment of the gentile (unclean person) widow to feed him (1 Kings 17:8-16) (Widows are generally considered receivers of charity (James 1:27), not providers of same! God wants His people to understand that He is in control) And God did as He said He would. Both of these scenarios required trusting in God to provide day by day for an extended period of time. God promises us “daily bread”, Matt 6:11. The apostle Paul wrote to his converts at Corinth, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed ... Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day" (2 Cor. 4:10 and 16). God has already given us everything we need to succeed in accomplishing His intended work. All we have to do is trust in His faithfulness and act! (Judges 6:14, Gideon, 2 Cor. 9:8) The apostle Paul knew this to be the case which is why he wrote to the church at Philippi, "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Phillip. 4:19) The prophet Malachi wrote “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it] (Mal. 3:10) Elijah prayed with faith and God responded (1 Kings 17:20-22, 18:36-39, James 5:1718) The God of Elijah is our God too. He is worthy of our trust. Every time of hardship is an opportunity for us to demonstrate trust in God and thereby be blessed.

One who has learned to trust in God can/should encourage others to do so. (1 Kings 17:13-14) Don’t get too comfortable. Elijah’s water source, the brook Cherith dried up (1 Kings 17:7) "Cherith" is the Hebrew kerith that means "a cutting off” Security in anything but God, vanishes Where is your security? In whom or what do you trust? The widow of Zarephath Zarephath means "the place or refining" (What or who was/were refined there?) Zarephath was a Cannanite city in Phoenicia, Jezebel’s hometown! God challenged her to demonstrate her faith and the widow put obedience to God first, even above her family, and all of them were blessed as a result ("Seek ye first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given/added unto to you" (Matt. 6:33) (Has God challenged you to demonstrate your faith in a like manner?) Obedience: One of the first recorded miracles of Jesus took place at the wedding in Cana. The wine had run out, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew that Jesus could supply the pressing need. She told the servants to ask Jesus for instructions but to be sure to "Do whatever he tells you" (John 2:5). Sacrificial Giving: God told us that our giving should be sacrificial in nature (2 Cor. 8:1-4) How much we are willing to sacrifice to obey God shows how much we really trust in God