Read 1 Kings 17:7-16
Life-Lesson: God teaches us to move by faith, trusting Him
when sight fails.
Advanced Training at Zarephath
God’s
leading may surprise you.
1.
Sometimes God only reveals the next step
God
leads his servants step by step.
3 tests: fear,
first impressions, and impossibility
Why does God want us to live by faith?
a) Living by faith proves to us that God
is real.
b) Our faith is increased and we see God
as our true Source.
c) We learn how to listen to God and obey
Him.
The key to
living by faith is not in a method. The
key is to hear, obey and trust God. – Loren Cunningham
2.
God works head of us with full awareness of our needs.
God
is great enough for any circumstance or test.
3. God reduces us to teach us to trust.
If we never have needs,
how can we learn to trust Him? If we can
do everything without His help, how can we learn to depend on Him?
Depend on the LORD; trust Him, and He
will take care of you. Psalm 37:5 (NCV)
At
no point in our lives can we ever arrive at a position where He will allow us
to cease to be dependent on Him. -
Tom Westwood, Meditations on Elijah and Elisha
4. God often requires an act of faith prior
to His provision.
Elijah has to get the
woman to move in faith even though she is down to her last bread. He provoked faith in her, and God covered
them both. Nothing happens for this
woman until she moves in faith.
Luke 6:38 – you be a
grace dispenser; you must be the miracle you want to receive for yourself; if
it is only about you being blessed, you will miss it
Many
Christians never prove God’s faithfulness in this category; they remain
financially self-sufficient, never stepping out on a limb, never doing anything
out of the ordinary. Instead, it seems
they ask their bank accounts, “will you allow me to do this for God?” – Loren
Cunningham
I come
across a number of people that God is calling, into ministry or into a mission
assignment, and it is huge. Or God
begins to reveal Himself to a church, and they immediately look in the bank to
see if they have enough in the bank account.
And then some say, “Well, there’s no way we can do this.” And my answer would be, “Well, God doesn’t
intend for you to do that. He intends
for you to let Him do it. Do you believe
Him enough to let Him do it, and would you step out in faith and let God do it?” And some say, “Well, we don’t have the money
at hand.” And I say, “If that’s the way
you’re going to function, you’re never going to experience God.”
Whenever God
encounters us, it has God-sized dimensions, and it is usually one step beyond
where we have last been with God.
If all He
ever did was let you work by your ability, you’d never know His. So if God’s going to make Himself real to you
and others, He’s got to ask you to do some things that your abilities have no
capacity to fulfill. You will come to
know Him as He makes Himself known to you.
-
Henry
Blackaby
Life
Lesson from the Kitchen
1.
God’s leading is often surprising, don’t
over-analyze it.
2.
When provisions are scarce, look up.
3.
God’s promises often hinge on our obedience,
so don’t ignore
your part.
4.
When circumstances stretch you, don’t doubt
God – He is not stretched.
5.
When God challenges you to give what you
have
today, trust Him.
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