When God Doesn't Make Sense

When God Doesn’t Make Sense

I Kings 17:1-16

I. Go Where God Says Go (v. 1, 3-9)

A. Be faithful where God has planted you (v. 1)

1. Be faithful to God when it is popular

2. Be faithful when it is not popular

B. Be faithful when it is plentiful and when it is dry (v. 2-7)

1. God is the God of plenty

a. He provided water in the drought

b. He provided bread during famine

2. God is the God of little

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness’, therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” – II Cor. 12:9

C. Be faithful to be in the place God wants you

1. God does not leave a choice of where the prophet was to go

2. Elijah simply went even if it did not make sense.

II. Go When God Says Go (v. 2, 7, 8-9a)

A. God will let you know when it is time to go (v. 7)

1. Elijah had to obey and go when God said go (God sent him to the desert in a drought)

2. There would be a consequence if Elijah refused to go

1. Out of God’s will

2. Out of God’s provision (Zarephath)

3. Out of God’s victory (Mt. Carmel – Chapter 18)

B. God will often say go when and where it does not make sense (v. 9a)

1. Elijah didn’t try and figure it out

2. Elijah went by faith

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” – Hebrews 11:1

III. Go Where God Provides (v. 9b-16)

A. God will never lead without provision (v. 9-11)

“God was not going to provide for Elijah except where He told him to go.”

1. He provided a widow

2. He provided faith (faith in the seeming impossible)

3. He provided food and drink even in the famine

B. God will lead to places that challenge our fear and discouragement ( v. 12)

C. God will always provide the impossible (v. 13-16)

1. Elijah challenged her fear with faith (v. 13)

2. Elijah proclaimed the faithfulness of God (v. 14)

3. The woman trusted God and God’s man and God provided supernaturally. (v. 15-16)