1 Kings 17:7-24<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.\u00a08\u00a0Then the word of the\u00a0Lord\u00a0came to him:\u00a09\u00a0\u201cGo at once to Zarephath\u00a0in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow\u00a0there to supply you with food.\u201d\u00a010\u00a0So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, \u201cWould you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?\u201d\u00a011\u00a0As she was going to get it, he called, \u201cAnd bring me, please, a piece of bread.\u201d\u00a0 12\u00a0\u201cAs surely as the Lord your God lives,\u201d she replied, \u201cI don\u2019t have any bread\u2014only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil\u00a0in 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\u2014and die.\u201d\u00a0 13\u00a0Elijah said to her, \u201cDon\u2019t 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.\u00a014\u00a0For this is what the\u00a0Lord, the God of Israel, says: \u2018The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the\u00a0Lord\u00a0sends rain\u00a0on the land.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 15\u00a0She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.\u00a016\u00a0For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the\u00a0Lord\u00a0spoken by Elijah.<\/i>17\u00a0Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing.\u00a018\u00a0She said to Elijah, \u201cWhat do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin\u00a0and kill my son?\u201d\u00a0 19\u00a0\u201cGive me your son,\u201d Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed.\u00a020\u00a0Then he cried\u00a0out to the\u00a0Lord, \u201cLord\u00a0my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?\u201d\u00a021\u00a0Then he stretched\u00a0himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the\u00a0Lord, \u201cLord\u00a0my God, let this boy\u2019s life return to him!\u201d\u00a0 22\u00a0The\u00a0Lord\u00a0heard Elijah\u2019s cry, and the boy\u2019s life returned to him, and he lived.\u00a023\u00a0Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother\u00a0and said, \u201cLook, your son is alive!\u201d\u00a0 24\u00a0Then the woman said to Elijah, \u201cNow I know\u00a0that you are a man of God\u00a0and that the word of the\u00a0Lord\u00a0from your mouth is the truth.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cShe went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.\u00a016\u00a0For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the\u00a0Lord\u00a0spoken by Elijah.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0What God said through Elijah of course came to be.\u00a0\u00a0What had to happen for this miraculous blessing from God to come through?\u00a0\u00a01)\u00a0<\/b>Elijah had to be able to hear from God.\u00a0\u00a0With some exceptions, those who hear from God are those who seek God continuously.\u00a0\u00a0Those who seek God, every day, are they who best recognize His voice and His moving.\u00a0\u00a0Elijah was in continual communion with God and so he was sure when he heard from God.\u00a0\u00a0He knew God\u2019s voice.\u00a0\u00a02)<\/b>\u00a0Elijah had to be obedient to God.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a03)<\/b>\u00a0Elijah had to have faith in God and to live it out.\u00a0\u00a04)\u00a0<\/b>Elijah had to carry out God\u2019s instructions, he had to not give up but to persist in doing all that God told him to do.\u00a0\u00a05)<\/b>\u00a0The widow had to listen when the word from God came.\u00a0\u00a0She had to listen to God\u2019s spokesman.\u00a0\u00a06)<\/b>\u00a0She had to believe in God and trust God.\u00a0\u00a07)<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0She had to be obedient to the message from God.\u00a0\u00a08<\/b>) She had to live out the plan completely and not give up or change it.<\/p>\n
God uses prepared people.\u00a0\u00a0Elijah was actively and closely serving the Lord.\u00a0\u00a0The widow was able to do what God asked her to do.\u00a0\u00a0They did their part.\u00a0\u00a0They were prepared by God.\u00a0\u00a0It is the same with us.\u00a0\u00a0In the blessings that God brings us we have a part.\u00a0\u00a0When God says go and do then we need to go and do.\u00a0\u00a0God blesses all of mankind in different ways. (Matthew 5:45<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0He watches over and protects those who love Him.\u00a0\u00a0(Psalm 145:20, Psalm 33:18-22<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Sometimes God moves in a way to bless just one of us, or simultaneously all of us. (Genesis 9:8-11, John 3:16<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Of course, truly, when He blesses one of us it is usually for more than just us. (Matthew 8:13-14, Ephesians 2:10, Hebrews 13:16<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0God\u2019s people love Him and are obedient to Him. Not perfect, but fully so in heart and intent.\u00a0\u00a0(John 14:15, 15:14; 1 John 5:3<\/b>).<\/p>\n
Yes God put His plan in motion and He knew all the steps of the plan.\u00a0\u00a0He knew that what He said would happen.\u00a0\u00a0He knew that Elijah and the widow would do their parts.\u00a0\u00a0He knew that His plans always work.\u00a0\u00a0His plan worked for Elijah, it worked for the widow and His plans also work for us.\u00a0\u00a0Trust and obey, for there\u2019s no other way, to be happy in Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0Praise God!\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s do what God says and in that is the greatest joy.\u00a0\u00a0Other than the blessing of God\u2019s love, mercy and grace, there is no higher blessing than to be a blessing, to be used of God.\u00a0\u00a0In being so, we please God and complete the love that He has sent forth to live in us.\u00a01 John 2:3-5<\/b>\u00a0\u201cWe know\u00a0that we have come to know him\u00a0if we keep his commands.\u00a04\u00a0Whoever says, \u201cI know him,\u201d\u00a0but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.\u00a05\u00a0But if anyone obeys his word,\u00a0love for God\u00a0is truly made complete in them.\u00a0This is how we know\u00a0we are in him.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0He loves us and watches over those who are truly His!\u00a0\u00a0Stay close to God!\u00a0\u00a0He will direct your path.\u00a0\u00a0(Proverbs 3:6<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Love God! Obey God!\u00a0\u00a0Praise God!<\/p>\n
Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/i><\/p>\n
Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Numbers 6:24-26<\/b>\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0Lord\u00a0bless you and keep you; 25\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0turn His face\u00a0toward you and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
1 Kings 17:7-24\u00a0–\u00a0Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.\u00a08\u00a0Then the word of the\u00a0Lord\u00a0came to him:\u00a09\u00a0\u201cGo at once to Zarephath\u00a0in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow\u00a0there to supply you with food.\u201d\u00a010\u00a0So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[1865,100,2148,101,94,1874,88,17],"class_list":["post-2265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-genesis","tag-john","tag-kings","tag-matthew","tag-micah","tag-numbers","tag-proverbs","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2265"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2265\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2266,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2265\/revisions\/2266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}