I Wonder Series

Introduction:

With every mess that we find ourselves in that we cannot fix on our own, there is this inward desire to see God come through for us, to rescue us, to provide that miracle that we so desperately need. And if I were to ask God about His timing, He would tell me that He does what He does “right on time.” Me, being the impatient person that I am, I would say God. “it seems to be that you wait until the last minute.” So, I began to study why does God see it one way, and I see it another way. And as I began to search the Scriptures, I discovered some great truths that I have been sharing with you.

We have looked at three miracles so far. The first one, God sent an angel to Peter in prison the very day of his execution to set him free. In our second miracle, Jesus was walking into a city the very moment that the town folks were taking the body of a young man to the cemetery to bury him and Jesus feeling compassion for the young man’s mom raised Him back to life. And in last week’s miracle, God’s presence in the ark parted the waters of the Jordan River so the Israelites could enter the Promised Land.

So, in the first miracle, an angel was the instrument that God used to accomplish the miracle. In our second story, it was Jesus, Himself, who performed the miracle in person. And in our third miracle, it was the presence of God in the Ark of the Covenant that parted the Jordan River. Today, we are going to see that God uses people like you and me to be the instrument that brings about a miracle in someone else’s life. So, let’s look at our Scripture passage and see what we can learn.

Scripture Reading:

1 Kings 17:8-16 (NKJV)

8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying,

9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you."

10 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."

11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand."

12 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."

13 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.

14 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.' "

15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.

16 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.

Background Information:

Elijah, God’s prophet who at God’s instructions, told King Ahab that there would be a drought for 3 ½ years. God provided for Elijah during the drought, and when the brook Elijah drank from dried up, God told him to visit a widow woman in Zarepath, and she will take care of you. Elijah was going to be the instrument that God uses to bring about the miracle for the widow woman and her son and to provide for the prophet during the drought.

Point #1

I WONDER HOW MANY MIRACLES WE ARE MISSING OUT ON IN THE WORLD TODAY BECAUSE OF GOD’S PEOPLE NOT BEING OBEDIENT TO WHAT GOD HAS TOLD THEM TO DO.

9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you."

During the drought, God had provided for Elijah by the Brook Cherith which was probably a brook in the section of Promised Land that ½ of the tribe of Manasseh possessed. So, during the drought, Elijah is still living in his homeland. But then, the stream dries up, and God tells Elijah to go to Zarephath, a place that according to Obadiah 1:20 would be considered a Canaanite land. So now, God is asking Elijah to leave his homeland.