You Become A Source Of Encouragement To Others

From every indication, the effects of the drought were being felt by this family (the widow and her son). When Elijah asked her to make bread for him. She clearly stated that she had just a little oil and flour.

1 Kings 17:12 (NKJV)

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.”

Now, because Elijah was confident that this season was being directed by God’s word, Elijah could boldly deliver a word of encouragement to the widow.

This was God’s word through Elijah to the widow;

1 Kings 17:14 (NKJV)

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.’”

1 Kings 17:16 (NKJV)

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.

When you permit God’s word to determine the seasons of your life, always remember that your obedience will benefit many as well. God is faithful enough to back His word. Amen!

Choose to avail yourself so that God can use you as a channel to reach out words of encouragements to His children here on earth. Amen!

God Is Glorified

1 Kings 17:24 (NKJV)

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.”

God is interested in using you here on earth as a vessel that manifests His glory.

Elijah prayed for the widow’s dead son, and he came back to life. I believe this widow knew all along that there was something different about Elijah. When they first met, Elijah instructed the widow to make bread for him first before making bread for herself and the son.

1 Kings 17:13 (NKJV)

And Elijah said to her, “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.

  

Secondly, the oil and the flour used in making the bread did not run out.

1 Kings 17:16 (NKJV)

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.

Amazingly, there is no record of her acknowledging that these occurrences are only possible through God. I guess she was just watching and the enemy was looking for the slightest opportunity to steal her testimony. But remember, the ways of God always prevail. It was n’t until, her son died and God raised him from the dead through Elijah that she openly testified that Elijah was a man of God and that his God truly speaks – all for God’s glory. Amen!

When God Word determines the seasons of your life, it is all for His glory. Let God be glorified!

Service Is Guaranteed

When God’s word determines the seasons of your life, he strategically positions you to be a blessing to others through services. When Elijah went to Zarephath as instructed by God’s Word. He met the widow and her son and over a period of time of staying together, the widow’s son died. God used Elijah to pray for her son who eventually came to life. Amen!

This is very significant because the shift in the seasons of our lives could be for selfless reasons. Yet, we may never know the outcome of a season if we do not boldly step into it as instructed by the Word. So, when it comes to living in the right seasons of our lives, always remember that God has the bigger picture. He values your service to others so endeavor to avail yourselves.

In this case, it was raising the dead. In your case, it might be preaching the message of salvation, or feeding the hungry, or visiting the homeless, etc.

Another season might require that all the resources are directed towards you. Amen. When the word came to Elijah earlier in this chapter, the ravens brought bread and meat to Elijah every morning and evening. And a brook was available for his personal consumption.

I encourage you to remain vigilant to the Word and respond accordingly. Service is guaranteed; you will be served or you will serve. Amen.

Protection Is Guaranteed

1 Kings 17:2-3 (NKJV)

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,  “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.

Emphasis Mine

God is interested in our protection as well. When the drought was declared, He instructed Elijah to get away from where he was, turn eastward and hide by the brook Cherith.

Elijah was His son, so are we and God took special interest in his protection. He does the same thing today.

I want to expose this truth to you. The word of God and God himself serves as a shield over us. There are many scriptural references to this truth. Let’s examine a few together.

-Psalm 28:7a (NIV)

The LORD is my strength and my shield;

-Proverbs 30:5 (NIV)

"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

-Psalm 18:30 (NIV)

As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.

-Psalm 33:20 (NIV)

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.

The purpose of all these scriptures is to let us know how important the word of God to us is. It has potential to protect. It did for Elijah. God’s Word for you can determine your protection as in the case of Elijah. After declaring a drought, the word of Lord comes to Elijah instructing him to hide by the Brook Cherith. It was a word from God to Elijah that protected him. Depend on God’s word for your protection.

Satisfaction Is Guaranteed

1 Kings 17:7-8 (NKJV)

And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,

Emphasis Mine

It was after the brook dried up that another word came to Elijah. Prior to this when the Word of the Lord came to Elijah, the ravens brought him bread and meat every morning and evening and he drank water from the brook. Amen!

God is interested in the satisfaction of His children. He wants to meet your needs to a place where nothing is missing and nothing is broken either. He wants you satisfied. One of the reasons why He transitions you from one season to another is so that you are strategically positioned to get all your needs met. I can guarantee you that we are one Word away from getting our needs met. If we will just yield to Him and be vigilant to hear from Him when he speaks, we would not go to Him in prayers with a very long list of requests. Some of the requests can be handled by simple obedience to a word we received from Him. Can you imagine what would have become of Elijah if he did not receive another word from the Lord? He would have had enough to eat and nothing to drink. Sooner or later the thirst will supersede the hunger and the food which was meant to be a blessing will no longer be regarded as a blessing. Amen!

It is imperative to allow the Word of God to lead you into the next season of your life otherwise blessings may appear burdensome and of less value, because we prefer something over another not because what we have is not good but rather not relevant for the moment.

God will not just let you eat and not drink in the process. He desires to see you satisfied. Your satisfaction is His interest.

Another point worth noting here is that we ought to trust God when He speaks to us, just like Elijah did. When the word leads the seasons of your life, you will not suffer any form of deficiency. Do not fear to move on with God with the mindset that you might miss out. Let me encourage you “no one misses out on anything when they depend on God solely”. It will be mockery of His character as a faithful Father to think that he will not bring every good thing to you. When Elijah went to Zarephath, his needs were still met, this time, through another avenue. Amen!

Supernatural Provisions Are Guaranteed

Elijah had declared a drought over the land.

1 Kings 17:2-3 (NKJV)

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,  “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.  And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

It is noteworthy that when the drought was declared over the land, Elijah did not have secondary plans for his wellbeing (where to stay or what to eat or drink). It took the word from the Lord to Elijah in order to transition from where he was into his supernatural provisions.

Elijah was able to drink from the brook and eat what the ravens brought to him. Vs 4 and vs 6.

This was supernatural provision.

When the brook dried up (Elijah’s assigned source of water), it took another word from God in order to transition into another source of supernatural provision. This time around, the instructions were different compared to the first.

1 Kings 17:8-9 (NKJV)

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,  “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”

Although the drought was ongoing, Elijah’s needs were still being met through this widow as God had instructed him. Amen!

Are you trusting God for provisions or supernatural provisions? Could it be that your provisions or supernatural provisions are wrapped up in one instruction from the word? Could it be that your disobedience to His word is the reason why you are not experiencing increase? This is not meant to make you feel condemned, however, to encourage you to do a self-inquiry and make the necessary adjustments. Your provisions and supernatural provisions are wrapped up in the word. Choose God’s word today. Amen!

Directions Are Guaranteed

We are introduced to Elijah who told King Ahab;

1 Kings 17:1 (NKJV)

…As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”

Emphasis Mine

1 Kings 17:2 (NKJV)

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,

Emphasis Mine

1 Kings 17:8 (NKJV)

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,

Emphasis Mine

On 3 different occasions, the word of the Lord is mentioned and in every season, the purpose of the word that came was specific

In the first verse, the word of God spoken was a declaration over a situation. In verse 2 and 8, the word of the Lord that came were specific instructions for Elijah. In all 3 verses, the word of God changed the direction of activities for the season. Amen!

Elijah declared that there will be no rain as surely as God lives after which the Lord instructed Elijah on where to go right after the drought was declared. Then, when the brook dried up, the word of the Lord came to Elijah again instructing him to go the village of Zarephath.

As we read this chapter, many things come to light;

1)     Selflessness – Elijah comes across as someone who understands that His life is not his own. Meaning, his very existence was for God. Elijah was so dependent on God to a place where he only moved from one point to the other based on the word. Unless we develop a selfless attitude, it will be impossible to abandon the direction of our lives to God. Amen!

2)     Focus – It takes a certain level of spiritual attentiveness and alertness to hear the voice of the Father. We can agree that Elijah remained focused evidenced by his attentiveness and alertness to spiritual matters. When God spoke, he heard and acted immediately. Also, at no point was Elijah confused neither is it recorded that he panicked because of the unfavorable conditions surrounding him at the time. Therefore, his obedience to God was not dependent how favorable or not the conditions were, around him.

3)     Trust - His trust in God was expressed through his obedience to God’s word/ and instruction for the season. In verse 5, the Bible says “So Elijah did as the Lord told him…”,  In verse 10, after the instruction from God to Elijah, the Bible records “So he went to Zarephath…”. Amen! So he trusted God consistently.

It is best for you to allow the seasons of your life to be determined by God’s word. That is the lifestyle of the Godly. Let go of control over your life. Surrender your entire being to his leadership and direction and you would not regret it.

When God's Word Determines The Seasons Of Your Life - Introduction

The Word of God will help you navigate God’s kingdom with ease.  It is vital to our walk with Him that we make Him and His word the center and the very reason why we live the life He has given us.

Job 12:10 (NIV)

 In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

1 Kings 17 introduces us to a character by name Elijah. Elijah was a prophet, as we read this chapter, our emphasis is on the truth that the word of God determines the seasons of our lives. Meaning, it determines the beginning and the end of each season or phase of your life; it determines the activities that happen within that window when the change occurred; it will sustain you for as long as the season last. Amen!

It is very detrimental and will be a disfavor to your spiritual and physical well-being to navigate through life without the Word. It is risky to live a spiritually dull life such that you are unable to recognize the current season of your life and the things the Lord is doing or instructing you to do.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

Two things for us to pay attention to in this verse; time and season. It is important to get both the time and the season correct. You might get the season right but the timing wrong. So it is imperative to remain vigilant enough to know when the seasons change without which, even with good intentions and actions, you just may be doing the right thing in a wrong season. Amen!

I will use this opportunity to expose you to the fact that even a well-meaning person can miss the timing and season. It took the spoken Word of God to David in order for him to know that it was not his duty to build the house of God, but rather, the responsibility of his son, Solomon according to God’s instruction.

1 Chronicles 28:6 (KJV)

And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.

Emphasis Mine

Later on, Solomon confirmed what David said in the following scriptures;

1 Kings 8:17-18 (NLT)

Then Solomon said, “My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.  But the Lord told him, ‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good, but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build the Temple to honor me.’

As we can see, when it comes to times and seasons, it does not matter how well-meaning you are. When you miss the season and the time, the impact of the activities you perform at that time may not serve a relevant purpose before God and man.

So, together, let’s learn from the man of God Elijah, how imperative it is to allow the Word of God to determine the seasons of our lives. Amen!

Prayers For You

Father, we have been privileged to understand your system; the kingdom of God. In the times and seasons in which we are now, you are providing opportunities to your children to get closer to you and know you for who you really are to us. We say thank you for teaching us the many steps to take into living godly lives. We have come to an understanding that in order to live godly, it requires some purposeful actions on our part.

Father, this season, we have been enlightened about the significance of living purpose-driven lives, we have been reminded that our actions should be in line with what the Father approves and that will not only stay at a place godliness but we will increase in godliness.

Father, thank you for teaching us to be children who learn and come to a knowledge of the truth.

As we continue to grow, we will keep the faith, we’ll purposefully become vessels of honor. We will add value to others. We will develop a personal relationship with you to a place whereby we will have personal encounters and testimonies of our relationship with you.

Father, our desire is to pursue undivided fellowship with you and fellow brethren. We began this journey from salvation with the spirit and we will continue in the spirit. We choose to persist in prayers and the word and develop an uncommon desire to grow in the fruit and gifts of the spirit.

Father, thank you for the gift of life, for the privilege to be alive. For as long as we live we will use our lives to be blessings to the people around us, for your glory Father. Thank you.

Develop An Uncommon Desire To Grow In The Fruit And Gifts Of The Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such, there is no law.

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NKJV)

 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

So much needs to be said here about the fruit of the spirit and the gifts of the spirit which cannot be covered within 5minutes. However, I will say this, develop an uncommon desire to grow in the fruit and the gifts of the spirit. We had established that the godly lifestyle is the spirit led lifestyle. The spirit has so much to offer; in this case fruit and gifts. Set some time aside and begin studying on the fruit and the gifts of the spirit. There are 9 fruit and 9 gifts of the spirit. It is worth mentioning that Galatians 5:22 mentions “the fruit” of the spirit not “fruits”. Meaning with the spirit of God within you, you cannot have one fruit apart from the other. You might be more generous with some over others. All you need to do is continually work on them in order to get to a place of maturity. Amen.

For the gifts of the spirit, do not be ignorant about their existence. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12: 1 says this “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:” They are available for you. Note that it says gifts – so there is nothing you can do to get them but to live godly and earnestly develop an uncommon desire to receive them. Know about them in detail, desire to get them and the Father will honor your requests. Amen.

Your growth in the fruit of the spirit will benefit you. The gifts of the spirit given to you will benefit the body of Christ.  The fruit of the spirit, the gift of the spirit and the power of the spirit within you will together produce the anointing. Amen.