December 13th, 2022

When Feelings Fail

Sermon by: Harrison Chokka
Summarized by: Stefani Lisk
 
Building faith can be a challenging task. How do I move forward when my feelings won’t catch up to my faith? We have some answers for you, but first, dial in… our sermon for this week came from a long passage of scripture.

​1 Kings 17
7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”
12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 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 sends rain on the land.’”
15 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. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

In the beginning of 1 Kings 17, the Israelites, who were God's people, had turned away from Him and were worshipping the false god Baal. This was considered evil in the eyes of the Lord. The Israelites, in this case, can be seen as a metaphor for humanity as a whole. Just as the Israelites worshipped idols, people today may worship other things such as power, money, and pleasure. Despite this, God remains faithful to His people, even when we are unfaithful to Him. This is a reminder of His unwavering love and mercy.

1 Kings 17
1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."

The lack of rain represents a difficult situation for the Israelites. Rain their lifeline and is essential for their livelihood and sustenance, so its absence is a significant threat. In this passage, God is depicted as cutting off the lifeline of the Israelites in order to show them who is truly in control, ironically by exerting his power over the storm God, Baal who would claim to bring rain. This may seem harsh, but it serves as a reminder that God is the one who ultimately controls the flow. We may believe that we are in control, that it’s only because of our grind that we have got to where we are, but in reality, it is God. This lesson is an important one for us to learn; because [we] need to know who controls the Flow, and it’s not us.
 
In some cases, God may cut off the flow, so we know who controls it. This is not necessarily a punishment or judgement, but rather an act of mercy. For example, if someone loses their job or experiences some other difficult situation, it may be because God is trying to redirect them on a different path. This can be hard to accept at first, but in the long run, it can lead to greater peace and happiness. It can also help us to develop a deeper trust in God and a better understanding of His plan for our lives.

​1 Kings 17
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.”

 It is important to pay attention to the line "I have," as it reminds us that God is the one who provides for us and opens doors for us. We should not underestimate God's power and control over our lives, and instead trust in His plan for us. This can help us to have faith and to rely on Him in difficult times. 

​Elijah is directed by God to go to Zarephath and stay with a widow who will provide him with food. When Elijah arrives, he asks the widow for a drink and some bread, but she replies that she only has a small amount of flour and oil left, and that she and her son were planning to eat it and then die.

1 Kings 17
10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”

It may not seem like a difficult request. However, the passage takes place during a drought, so the widow is struggling to survive. In this context, Elijah's request may seem almost unfathomable to her. This highlights the difficult situation that the widow is facing and the extent of her need.

1 Kings 17
12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

​The widow’s feeling are completely valid, she has nothing.

1 Kings 17
13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 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 sends rain on the land.’

​In this moment, God uses Elijah for a lesson on faith to show the widow that He is in control of the flow. Elijah tells the widow that the jar of flour and jug of oil will not run dry until the Lord sends rain on the land.

1 Kings 17
15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her.

The widow experiences a miraculous provision of food after following Elijah's instructions and trusting in God. This serves as a reminder of God's power and His ability to provide for us in times of need. However, it is important to note that faith is not a feeling, but rather an act of obedience. The widow may not have felt like God was in control, but she believed it and acted on that belief. This story shows us that when we trust and obey God, He will provide for us and help us through difficult times. Faith is not about how we feel, but about our willingness to follow God's lead.

​1 Kings 17
13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.

​The story also shows us the principle of putting God first in our lives. It is easy to say that we trust in God and believe that He is in control, but when I do everything, it becomes easy to forget. If I have no rhythm and no reminder, I’ll end up in charge. By incorporating disciplines and practices that remind us of God's control and provision, such as starting our day in devotion, tithing, and prioritizing prayer and worship, we can trust that God will take care of us and provide for us in all circumstances. This is especially important when it comes to areas of our lives where we may feel lacking, such as time and money. By putting God first, we can trust that He will guide us and provide for us in all things.

Malachi 3
10 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 there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty.

This is the only time in the Bible that God explicitly tells us to test Him in this way. By doing so, He is showing us that He is in control of the flow. So test God, because You won't run dry. 
 

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