Today is the start of our stewardship series which is normally done this time of the year. Our stewardship series is always about the use of our spiritual gifts, the use of our time and the use of our resources. This morning I want to start off the series by looking at the topic, “Stewardship: Giving In Times Of Little”.
In the scripture passage read earlier we see the biblical account of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. In this biblical narrative, the context is set in a time of drought and famine in the land. There was not much to go around, especially if you were poverty stricken like this poor widow.
We do not know anything about the widow in terms of her name, age, education, what type of house she was living in, or how long she has been a widow. However, the biblical text makes it abundantly clear that she had little, next to nothing as an indication of the times she was living in.
The difficulty of the times not only affected her, but it also affected the man of God, Elijah. He too was in desperate need of food and shelter; the basic amenities of life. As such, under the directives of God he was instructed where to go and find food and shelter.
The times facing the Israelites seems so similar to what many persons in our island and the world are facing. Job cuts, unemployments and the financial sector crisis. We hear the financial analyst and experts predicting crisis for 2009 and beyond. We hear that things are getting very tough on households with limited resources. We hear that the dollar is sliding. We hear of terms like stimulus funds, which are funds pumped into the economy to stimulate growth and employment. At the end of the day, all we hear is that we are in serious financial times.
Yes, we are facing some serous times ahead. However, I believe that there are some interesting, counter cultures, lessons we can learn from this biblical account of Elijah and the widow as they faced their crisis; some lessons that will certainly help us and give us the assurance that God is still in control and will supply all our needs, despite the analysis of the times. The Bible states that…
“my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NIV)
From the text we learn that in times of little…
1. We Are To Still Give Obediently
The bible tells us that the word to Elijah from God was…
"Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." (1Kings 17:9 NIV)
Not only was the word for Elijah, but also the word was for the widow. She was instructed by God to GIVE, despite the little she had, unto Elijah, and we see the poor widow doing exactly what God had instructed her to do nothing more and nothing less.
In these crucial times or times of little, many persons will tell you and in some cases many of you will be tempted not to give or to refrain from giving. However, God’s financial stewardship says you are to still give, and to do so obediently.
What this widow did was what God has been instructing us to do along, give back to him.
And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying, Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD” (Ex. 35:4-5)
And we see the church doing just the same, obediently giving back to God.
“Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made” (1Cor. 16:1-2 NIV)
Despite the little the widow had she was obedient to the command to give. As such, because she did what God had asked her to do she experienced…
a) The Provision Of God
The bible tells us that with respect to the little she had it never run dry. Listen to what the bible says about the little…
“For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ’The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land. She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family” (1Kings 17:14-15 NIV)
God fed the widow and her son, as well as Elijah, everyday during the drought and the famine, and the barrel never run dry. God revealed himself to the widow as JEHOVAH JIREH – The God Who Supplies. God can and will reveal himself to you if you are obedient to His word.
b) The Power Of God
The text tells us that…“ there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family” (1Kings 17:14-15 NIV)
Not only did she now know God as a supplier, but she was able to see at firsthand the power of God. The Power of God to take little and multiply it; the power of God to go against the experts & analysis and provide in time of drought; the power of God to prove you and I wrong that we shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord.
The widow was able to experience all of this because she gave obediently to the Lord, despite the little she had.
From the text we learn that in times of little…
2. We Are To Still Give Faithfully
The bible stated that…“For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ’The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land. She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family” (1Kings 17:14-15 NIV)
The widow gave of the little she had, day after day. In other words, day in & day out she gave what God had asked her to give and day in & day out God blessed her faithfulness. She did not give one time and stopped, she gave everyday and God keeps providing everyday.
In times of little, we are tempted not to be faithful in our giving. We are tempted to give now and then or when we feel like, because we feel we have a good reason not to give. However, God is challenging us to be faithful in our giving, and to give regularly and consistently, and not be unfaithful in our giving.
From the widow we learn that, despite the little and the circumstance…
a) God Expects Faithfulness
When God blesses us, He expects us to be faithful, because he has been faithful to us. As such, our circumstances do not change God’s command to be unfaithful. Amidst the economic cry of unfavourableness for this year, we may be tempted to be unfaithful to God. However, God expects faithfulness in our giving, because He wants to show us how much of a faithful and supplying God He is.
It is no wonder the word to us from Malachi 3, states that we are to test him by being faithful, and he will prove his faithfulness.
“Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10 NIV)
Captain Levy, a believer from Philadelphia, was once asked how he could give so much to the Lord’s work and still possess great wealth. The Captain replied, “Oh, as I shovel it out, He shovels it in, & the Lord has a bigger shovel.
You cannot out give God
b) God Honours Faithfulness
Because the widow was faithful to the instructions God gave her, God honours her and provided for her. In Malachi 3 God instructs us to honour him with our tithes and we will see him honouring us by opening up the heavens and blessing us.
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10 NIV)
Jesus’ very own words to us is this…
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38 NIV)
When you honour God, even in times of little, God honours you more than you can imagine, and that’s what he did with for this widow. However, God not only honoured her by providing for her, but God honoured her by having her actions recorded for all of history to read.
From the text we learn that in times of little…
3. We Are To Still Give Willingly
The bible stated that with regards to the widow…“ She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family” (1Kings 17:14-15 NIV)
The more you think about the circumstances of this woman, and the times she was facing (drought and famine) the more you would think that this woman was not the best choice to supply Elijah’s needs.
However, despite the circumstances she was willing to give, because we see her doing just that; GIVING HER LAST.
The widow gave willingly because…
a) God asked her to give
We are told that God asked the woman to give of her little, in verse 9…
"Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." (1Kings 17:9 NIV)
Whenever God ask you to partner with Him, it is always to your benefit. You will never come out of it holding the short end of the stick. God asked her to give, and her response was to give willingly.
The bible has something to say about giving cheerfully in 2Corithians 9
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2Cor. 9:7 NIV)
God desires us to give willingly...cheerfully...happily. In so doing, there are great blessings & joy that comes with such giving. CHEERFUL AND WILLFUL GIVING, even in times of little.
b) God asking you to give
The text tells us that every person should give, because God loves a cheerful giver.
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2Cor. 9:7 NIV)
I believe we can’t have it any plainer than that, God wants us to give, give cheerfully and give despite the times of little.
The question for us to consider is, are we going to make the economists or our circumstances dictate to us on how we should give or respond to God’s instruction for us to give?
I pray that we will be obedient to the command to give, because when we give it will be given back to us “[in] good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap." (Luke 6:38 NIV)
Powerpoint and sermon outline/handout can be acquired by e-mailing white_logos@yahoo.co.uk
