DIVINE INTERVENTION IN AN HOPELESS SITUATION
1Ki 17:8-16 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which _belongeth_ to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman _was_ there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.11And as she was going to fetch _it_, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. 12 And she said, _As_ the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I _am_ gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. 13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go _and_ do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring _it_ unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day _that_ the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. 15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat _many_ days. 16 _And_ the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
In the text we read, there was famine in the land.
All the waters and rivers had dried because there was no rain for three and half years.
Famine is a period of lack, lack of food, lack of water, lack of basic amenities, lack of necessities of life.
There is currently a famine in Nigeria. Even though rain is falling and there are agricultural products around us, many will testify that there is lack. There is a lack of jobs for university graduates, there is lack of basic amenities, there is lack of money for businesses, there is lack of marriages.
Can I pray for you? Every form of lack in anyone’s life shall be settled this year in the name of Jesus.
The yoke of famine shall be broken in your home, it shall be broken in your business, it shall be broken over your destiny in Jesus name.
That was the situation in Israel at this time. There was a great famine. Elijah was sent to Zarephath. To a widow woman.
This woman had a son. She was gathering some sticks at the gate to cook some food.
Elijah met her and requested for water, the woman obliged and was going to get the water when Elijah beckoned her and asked for food.
The woman turned back and told Elijah that there was no food. She can give water, but as for food, there is no more food in the house.
What she was doing was to gather woods and cook the last meal with the remaining flour in the house for herself and her son
After that, they will die.
Elijah was like; die? Why will you die? The woman told him because there is no more foodstuff, once they finished eating this last one, that is it. No food in the market, they were not expecting food or palliatives from the federal government or state government, nobody is sending them food, in short there is no hope to survive. They have come to the end of the road. This is the last meal for the family.
There are many of us in the like situation, there are many Nigerians today facing the same situation like this, one way or the other, it’s like we have come to the end of the road, it may not be in food matter, it may be in finances, it may be in marital matter, it may be in business and work related matter. It seems there is no hope, everything seems to be stagnated and frustrating. It is a hopeless situation like that of this woman.
But I have come to tell you this morning that man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. God saw this woman and her condition and God decided to intervene in her matter.
That same God will intervene in my situation and in your situations in Jesus name.
How did God solve this problem?
1. Whenever God wants to intervene in a man’s life, He sends a man to him. He could be a man of God, a pastor, a prophet, a woman, but God normally sends a man to him. God intervenes in a man’s life through man. There is a ministry of man to man.
The Lord Jesus made mention of this account.
Luk 4:25-26 25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, _a city_ of Sidon, unto a woman _that was_ a widow.
You see there were many widows in Israel yet Elijah was not sent to any except this particular woman.
I pray for you, the grace that will single you out is to join you this morning in Jesus name.
There may be many people suffering the same affliction in an institution, in a family, in a town but when grace appears, the grace will locate the person and separate him or her out of the crowd, that same grace has located you today in Jesus name.
God sent His man to the woman. The person that God will use to change your life, turn your situation around may you not miss them in Jesus name.
2. Another factor is that the woman was hospitable despite her condition and situation. There are many people facing the same challenge that will abuse the man of God, pursue him and say all manner of insults on him but the woman received Elijah and obliged to entertain him with water. Many have missed their sent angel or people assigned to help them, marry them, because of their hit temper, hostility towards strangers. Bible warns us against such behaviour
Heb 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
1Pe 4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
3. The woman was a woman of faith. She believed the man of God even though she had not met Elijah or heard about him before. When we believe the word of God through the men of God we set ourselves up for prosperity.
2Ch 20:20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
4. When God wants to meet your needs, He requires a seed. The seed is the answer to the need.
How could God send Elijah to a widow? If we were God, we would send Elijah to the government house at Asaba, Abuja, Lagos or Dangote house. But God sent his servant to a needy woman in order to help her. This is what I have discovered anytime God wants to bless people, He creates needs, the people that are sensitive and spiritual detect the need and key into it. And that is that breakthrough, whereas others will be complaining about Pastor, saying, Pastor is asking us to contribute, donate money again, haba it’s too much, he wants to kill us. They did not know that it is an opportunity to key into God’s way of prospering people. They miss it. May you not miss your opportunity in life in Jesus name.
5. Most times the seed required may be costly and expensive to give. To the woman, she was given her last meal, her last flour as a seed to a man of God. God sometimes requires sacrificial seed. Something that will cost you something, something that it will take faith for you to give it out, it is a trial of your faith. You mean in the midst of troubles, I should give this out of money? It takes faith to do that. Hear what David says:
2Sa 24:24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy _it_ of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
When you give it, the promise of God will come to pass in your life, your need will be met. Like that of the woman, when she gave her last meal, her vessels of food never dried up.
Isa 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
2Co 9:10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for _your_ food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
5. The woman gave God priority. When Elijah said prepare mine first, she did it and she had testimony. Many of us put God matter, business, church activities as last last in our schedule, we have enough excuses why we can’t pay attention to the matter of the kingdom, I am not condemning you, but whoever wants God’s best will give Him their best time, best money and above all best priority. This is what Jesus said.
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
In conclusion, This woman’s sad story changes to a glorious end. How? By the prophecy of Elijah.
1Ki 17:13-14: 13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go _and_ do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring _it_ unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day _that_ the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
Ladies and gentlemen, anytime we are in need, we are troubled, dissatisfied, oppressed, or in need of anything, all we need to do is speak this word of God to that need. Elijah spoke and the Bible recorded that truly the barrel of meal did not waste while the famine lasted.
Prayers
Prophecy towards the need, command the need to be met, command the helpers like Elijah to show up, command your store to be filled with goods, speak to your home, points, vessels in Jesus name, this week, helpers will locate you, they will show up unannounced in Jesus name.