Answer the Call
Do you hear that? That…right there. The still, small voice that’s whispering your name? It’s the voice of God. Are you going to answer the call? Pastor and a panel discussed I Kings 17:8-16 during Wednesday night REfresh, and it BLESSED me. I’m praying it does the same for you. Let’s get into it.
Elijah, the prophet, has been camping out at the Brook Cherith. There is a famine in the land. Every morning and evening, God sends ravens to give Elijah bread and meat. Elijah drinks freely from the brook. After some time, the brook dries up. God tells Elijah to go to Zarapeth, because He has commanded a widow there to provide for Elijah. Elijah meets the widow just as God said he would.
Do you remember that there is a famine in the land? In those times, the men of the household were the providers. When they died, care for their widows often fell to their brothers or other males in their families. Being a widow with no covering was a scary circumstance. Elijah first asks the woman for a little water in a cup. Although resources were scarce because of the famine and her widowed status, the woman walks off to comply with his request. As she goes to get the water, Elijah pushes the envelope and asks her for bread as well.
She responds by letting him know that she doesn’t have bread. And she is out gathering sticks to make a final meal for herself and her son so that they can eat it and die. Her situation is dire. But remember God told Elijah that He had commanded the widow woman to provide for Elijah. God is not a liar. So why wasn’t the woman jumping at the chance to do as God commanded? Maybe she didn’t hear that still, small voice because she was dealing with all of the life issues that were on hand. Depleted resources, daily responsibilities, grief, and raising a son alone surely took up much of her mind. When faced with what looked like yet another obstacle, the widow woman had a choice. She chose to listen to the man of God.
Her life, and the life of her son, was dependent on her answering her call. Even though her resources didn’t match up with the request, she decided to follow the instructions. Because of her choice, the oil and flour in her house did not run out during the famine. God increased her resources supernaturally. She didn’t magically get a larger pot of oil or bin of flour. The ingredients that she had were enough to sustain them. Listen, if that doesn’t preach I don’t know what will. God has sustained me throughout this entire COVID-19 situation. Not by dropping a million dollars on me. It has been bit by bit. My oil and flour have not run out! Excuse me while I run around this house!
I’m positive that answering the call on my life has sustained me through this personal famine. God didn’t command the woman to feed Elijah because God needed her. The Bible says that God was using birds to do that job before the widow woman came on the scene. God commanded the woman to feed Elijah, because God wanted to move in the widow woman’s life in a supernatural way. He wanted to bless her. Getting involved in God’s plan for your life is the surest way to secure His blessing.
The widow woman gave what she had. It wasn’t much, but she offered it up to be used. She followed radical instructions from the prophet and received a ridiculous increase. Her entire life and outlook changed from one encounter.
What is God whispering in your ear? Have you answered the calling that He has on your life? Before you were formed in your mother’s womb, God knew you and had a plan and purpose for your life. It’s time to stop ignoring Him. Even when you think what you have is little, it’s big to God. He placed gifts inside of you and is expecting you to return to Him empty. You are to give all the gifts away. Don’t hold on to them. Use them. Will it be easy every day? No. But it is always worth it. I’ve already experienced miracles, signs, and wonders and I have an expectation that more are on the horizon. Don’t be left out. Answer the call. #wepreach
