God Will Take Care Of You

God will take care of you

1 Kings 17:8-16

Elijah and the Widow

1 Kings 17:8 - 16 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.” So he 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.” And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 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.” 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. 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.’” 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.

2 Kings 4:1-7

Elisha and the Widow’s Pot of Oil

2 Kings 4:1 - 7 A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.” So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

Introduction: Have you ever felt like your back was up against a wall, the situation was hopeless? There was no way that you were going to make it. It seemed like you had nothing to look forward to but disappointment, despair, and defeat. You just wanted to throw in the towel. Such was the case of two widows who discover the truth that God will take care of His own. The first widow, along with her son, was confronted with starvation and was preparing their final meager meal when the prophet Elijah confronts her. The second widow deeply in debt and facing having her two sons taken into indentured service to her creditor asks Elisha for help. In both situations the women found out that God is the God of the Impossible. He can and will help you if you will first...

I. Look at what you have to offer.

A. So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

B. God is going to do a miracle. But He wants us to offer what we have. God can actually create something out of nothing. But He wants us to first see what He has given us and wants us to offer him what we do have.

C. Both widows did not have wealth or assets. Notice what they say:

1. “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.”