SOW THE RIGHT SEED AT THE RIGHT SOIL
1Ki 17:15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
There is this beautiful story of this widow in Zarephath. I invite you to read all chapter 17 of 1 Kings to understand all the story. Few points I can take off of this story are:
When you support a man of God, you receive miracles, not only for yourself but also for all your household.
Remember, there was a drought and a huge famine. When God said to Elijah to go to Zarephath, He appointed this widow to sustain him. Remember also that:
When God send his prophet in your life, He has already provided all things before he arrived.
The widow, despite of the famine and the little thing she was owing, went and did according to what Elijah said. She didn’t count the cost, she didn’t even think about what may happen later on, she just went and did the instructions. Many people doesn’t understand or perceive the messenger of God in their life. They just despise them. They just deny to help and serve them, thinking selfishly for their own benefits. They didn’t see the blessings beyond. Look at this story, there was a famine and a drought but when she went and did according to the saying of Elijah, she, Elijah and her house did eat many days!! How? By doing the instructions, by following without asking why, how, what….She and her household were blessed beyond measure, including Elijah that she accepted to sustain.
In a period of famine or economically drought, people may think to save. God instruct to give, and give beyond measure even if it may cost your life. In this story, she just had a handful of meal and a little oil….she may said to Elijah, leave me alone, it’s for me and my son…how can you dare to disturb us in such situation?....Don’t you have any compassion of a widow and her unique son?...But no, she just explained to Elijah her actual situation, listened to his instructions, acted accordingly and kept her promise. Elijah didn’t promise her a lot of money. He even asked her to make for him a cake first before all. In human thought, it may be judged as selfishness but Elijah knew that God will sustain him through this widow so all she had to do is to act.
What wonderful miracles she acknowledged by her own eyes (Verse 16). She chose to believe what Elijah said in verse 14, not seeing anything by optical eyes first but believing that God is faithful and what He say shall come to pass. “2Cor 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
When God send his messenger to you, to your house, to your city, to your community, learn to have spiritual discernment of what you have to do. It is God’s answer to your prayer. It’s God locating you personally. It’s God who wants to bless you more. Never think that they are there to take from you, never. God has already provided all their needs. It is you that should acknowledge and thank God to choose you. When people see strangers or missionaries or people of God, they restrain everything, pretending too much busy, too much so and so to give and invest for them. You are acting against the blessings God wanted to give to you. Never despise them.
Yes, painful period may come like in this story. The son of the widow felt sick and died later on. The situation may be tough some days and you may say why it happened? Why God allowed such things even if you accepted all instructions? It is a test for your faith to be stir up. She still sustained the man of God in her house at the moment, and it was an important point that I want to point out. Never allow the men of God to be far from you. Entertain good relationship with them, they are your coverage in time of need. Never say that you have done too much for them, it is God who sustain your blessings because you entertain people of God. Once, they are still near you, I mean in good term with you or physically, you do not have to fear and no weapon fashioned against you shall prosper. Look how Elijah operated when he saw that her son was died. He cried unto the Lord (verse 20-21). He did not call help outside, he knew what to do, what to say, to whom to talk….and he got answer as the Lord heard his voice and the son of the widow revived (verse22). Miracle happened. He raised him from death. Anything that seems to be dead in your life, family, financially, spiritually, materially…will revived when you chose to sustain man of God. When you keep good relationship with him. When you invest yourself in him, not counting the costs. Miracle will happen. Who you have in your relationship? When tough time comes, to whom you turn to? The police? The security guard? Your dog? The alarm? Your famous friend in the government? Your uncle?....the answer to this question will define the life you are going to live.
Choose to have divine connection with real people of God. Invest everything you have for them as by doing so, you invest largely in your future. The Holy Spirit in you will show you who are they that God has sent to you. If they are far, keep on continuing sustaining them. Frankly speaking, they are not in need, it is you that need to unlock tremendous blessings by doing so.
Do not misunderstand me, I am not talking about money. There are many ways to bless real people of God. By praying for them, by hosting them, by blessing them materially and financially. Do not keep what you can do as it refrains your blessings. Listen to the voice inside of you, the Holy Spirit, and if you have never done anything to sustain a man of God, begin to do it now. It is for your own benefit. You will never experience wither and dryness, even death.
What is this situation that seems to stagger or stand like a big stumbling block in your life? Your family? Your job? Your relationship? Your finances? Your health? Take a moment and think of what you have done or did not do. May be you said something rude to some people of God, may be you criticize them, may be they came to you but you decided to ignore them, may be you thought you have done already so much…maybe you are saying that you have already all you need and this message doesn’t concern you. Tomorrow is not promised to you and you have to be aware that when God wants to bless His people, He sends His prophets (2 Chronicles 20:20). Do not take life as granted, if you have the opportunity to read or hear this message, do not harden your heart, this is God’s personal message for you.
Personally, even in ministry ourselves, we keep sowing earnestly in the ministry of people who are such a blessing for us and we experience miracle upon miracle in our life, open doors that other may take years to find and to open, financial blessings, divine connections,….we understood this principle and we keep applying it. We never felt lack or abuse, we sow sometimes tearfully because it may be the last things in our hand at the moment, like this widow, but we always reap joyfully as Psalms 126:5 declare :”They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”. And as Acts 20:35 says: …”it is blessed to give than to receive…”
Let you be a doer of the word, not hearer only, for you not to be deceived – James 1:25
Stay blessed
