Building Your Faith-Begins With Obedience Week 5
1 Kings 17:12–16 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16 - And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
So, Elijah encounters this widow during a time of famine.
And during a time of famine God asks her for the last thing she has before promising provision.
And that’s where some people would have Stopped reading at right there.
We ask God for everything, and the one thing that He ask us for, which he gave us in the first place, we go into a rage, a fit, and start tripping.
We start taking about: God gave me five senses, and if that’s true, and I know that it is true, then why don’t we use the five senses that he has given us.
Because this is not about generosity, it is about trust order.
If we say that he is a way maker.
If we say that he supplies all of our needs.
Why do we have wait until it manifest before we believe.
Watch this: Faith does not wait until it sees supply.
Faith moves when it hears instructions.
The widow’s faith was built:
In scarcity.
In obedience.
In surrendering.
Her miracle wasn’t delayed by famine, in fact, it was unlocked by obedience.
Faith moves first. And then God responds next.
We must obey, even when it’s tight.
Son in this passage, the prophet Elijah encounters a widow in Zarephath during a severe famine.
The drought had already been declared earlier in the chapter because of the wickedness of King Ahab. Now both Elijah and this widow are facing extreme lack.
But when the faith and obedience perspective kicks in, things begin to happen.
Here is a Nugget. Faith Begins Where Resources End
The widow says: I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse, that we may eat it, and die.
She is down to her last meal. Not extra. Not surplus. Ok, she wad broke!!!!!!!
Faith does not start when you have plenty.
Faith starts when what you see says, this is the end.
From a natural perspective:
She had insufficient supply.
She had a child depending on her.
She had no promises yet
But heaven was already moving toward her.
Sometimes, my Brother’s and sisters, the miracle is already in motion before we even know we’re part of it.
Also there Obedience Often Precedes the Miracle
Elijah tells her something shocking: he says Make me thereof a little cake first.
This sounds unreasonable.
It sounds insensitive.
It sounds risky.
But notice something powerful:
God did not multiply her meal first.
He required obedience first.
This is the order of the Kingdom:
First Instructions.
Second Obedience.
Third there is Provision.
Ok let me say this Faith is not just believing.
Faith is acting on what God says — even when it contradicts what you feel.
Faith Requires prioritizing.
Elijah says, Make me first. This is about priority.
When she put God’s word first (represented by the prophet), she was declaring: I trust God more than my fear.
Faith is shown in what you do first:
First fruits.
First time.
First obedience. When God is first, lack cannot have the final word.
If you notice that the Miracle was Sustaining, Not and Explosive
Verse 16 says: The barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail.
Notice what did not happen: The barrel did not overflow.
The oil did not flood the house.
The famine did not end immediately.
Instead, the supply did not run out.
Sometimes faith doesn’t bring overflow — it brings endurance.
Sometimes obedience doesn’t give abundance , it gives enough.
And in a enough is a miracle when you’re in famine.
Her Obedience Saved More Than Herself
Verse 15 says: She, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
Her one act of obedience:
Sustained her, her Son, and the prophet.
Here is a shout for you. One obedient decision can feed a whole household.
Faith trusts God’s word over visible reality.
Obedience moves before the evidence appears.
Provision follows priority.
Sustaining grace is still supernatural.
Your obedience affects more than you.
Pastor, notice something else:
This miracle happened in Gentile territory — Zarephath.
God showed that He is not limited to location, race, or economic status. He will sustain whoever obeys Him.
She was not part of Israel’s elite
But she was obedient.
And obedience opened the door for daily bread.
Closing
A farmer planted seed during drought while others waited. When rain finally came, his crop grew first.
Faith sows before the clouds gather.
