Serving God Takes Trust

Do you trust God? I mean do you really trust God?

Back in 1859 there was a tightrope walker by the name of Charles Blondin. He amazed the world when he walked the tightrope across Niagara Falls. The cable sagged about 60 ft in the middle and formed a sharp slope and the drop below him was nearly 200 ft. but he made it okay. He would perform this feat many more times and each time would make it a little more risky. He crossed over blindfolded, on stilts, and even wearing a gorilla suit and pushing a wheelbarrow.

One time after crossing he asked the audience, “Do you think I can make it across pushing this wheelbarrow?” The crowd applauded and hollered, “Yes, you can do it.” He pointed to one individual and asked him personally, “Do you, sir, think I can push this wheelbarrow across on the tightrope.” “I sure do,” answered the man. Then Blondin replied, “Then get in.” Needless to say, it didn't happen.

Another time he asked the same question and when the audience responded, “Yes you can do it,” he said, “Then climb on my back.” The crowds believed he could do it, but no one believed it enough to climb on his back. Only his manager trusted him enough to accept his challenge. That is real trust.

We began last week talking about the life of the prophet Elijah. Today we will continue our story in 1 Kings 17. We are talking today about serving God with trust. Elijah demonstrated real trust in serving God. He didn't just talk about what God could do. He built his life on it and showed others how to do the same.

PRAYER

The prophet Elijah was doing his best to prove that Yahweh was the one, true God. You might remember last time when he declared that God would stop the rain indefinitely—proving that God alone had the power to water the land and feed the people. But when Elijah spoke that prophecy, he was in grave danger from Ahab and Jezebel who were the nation’s rulers at that time and worshiped Baal. So, God had led Elijah into hiding at the Wadi Cherith. And the water flowing from this stream and the food that was brought by ravens sustained Elijah during the time of this drought.

1 Kings 17:7 – “After a while, the wadi dried up because there had been no rain in the land.” Now if you were with us last week remember in verse 3 where God instructed Elijah to go to the Wadi Cherith. That was where God would provide food and water for the prophet. But after some time, the stream dried up.

A wadi is a rocky waterway that runs dry most of the year but fills up during the rainy season. As time went on without rain, the stream stopped flowing. But why? Surely God who miraculously stopped the rain and sent ravens with food could keep this brook filled, even during a drought. We know that God cared about Elijah. And God certainly had the power and has the power to do all things. So, why did He allow the life-sustaining stream to dry up?

Why questions hit us all. Why did I get laid off? Why did my husband leave? Why have I gotten so sick that it prevents me from working? Why did my 401k plummet? Why has my life savings run dry?

Yet, when God is our provider, we will always have what we need. The nature of the provision may change, but God himself is our source. And sometimes what God permits us to lose or endure, points us to the truth that He is all we really need. It's a matter of learning to trust God in the good and in the bad. It's a matter of trusting God and not trusting the things that He provides.

It was Paul who said in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.”

1 Kings 17:8-12 – “Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Get up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there.” 10 So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink.” 11 As she went to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I don’t have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.”