Basildon Healing Mission
(Eastside World Outreach Ministries)
Reg Charity 1115487
Famine times
1 Kin 17:1 ELIJAH THE Tishbite, of the temporary residents of Gilead, said to Ahab, As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before Whom I stand, there shall not be dew or rain these years but according to My word.
Times of famine often seem to come into our lives when we have the greatest need, none more so now than the needs of the Orphans, Aids and the Widows in all parts of our ministry.
There is a great financial need and a famine of investment and prosperity in the land.
1 Kin 17:2 And the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
1 Kin 17:3 Go from here and turn east and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan.
But God has not placed a situation before us and quicken our hearts and spirits to this calling without giving us a solution. In that we may be in the famine now but God will make a way to sustain us, we need to be at all times listening to his Holy spirit and following his direction.
1 Kin 17:4 You shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.
1 Kin 17:5 So he did according to the word of the Lord; he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan.
1 Kin 17:6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook.
The Lord will lead us on the right paths if we seek his will, where he will supernaturally provide for us. That which when seen in the natural is impossible, God will make possible. But we must live by faith and not by sight and look to God as our provider. Eventually the funds may dry up like Elijah’s brook due to lack of investment.
1 Kin 17:7 After a while the brook dried up because there was no rain in the land.
1 Kin 17:8 And the word of the Lord came to him:
But even in those circumstances God knew He had a need and God was able to take His need and turn it into an opportunity to test the faith both of Elijah and the Widow.
1 Kin 17:9 Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.
We need to be listening to the voice of the Spirit and be able to follow it.
In this situation Elijah, was desperate as the brook had dried up so he had a need He was in famine and God was showing Him a way out. I believe he must have lifted his situation up to the Lord, the Lord did not end the famine as Elijah’s need grew, because the famine that he was in was working it’s purpose out in God’s Kingdom as we shall see here with Elijah.
1 Kin 17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her, Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
The Widow must have known that Elijah was a mighty prophet of God, to immediately drop what she was doing to go and serve him. Also she must have had a strong faith to show such service to the prophet.
1 Kin 17:11 As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.
1 Kin 17:12 And she said, As the Lord your God lives, I have not a loaf baked but only a handful of meal in the jar and a little oil in the bottle. See, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son that we may eat it--and die.
This woman was also affected by the same famine that was affecting Elijah, she too was in lack. Only the woman could not see beyond her situation, she could not see the plan of almighty God in this or see God’s purpose in all of this. The woman could only see the end for her son and herself, she was at the end of her endurance, the end of her self she was in the situation where she could see no future no way out she needed God.
Maybe the Widow had been praying and God had answered her prayers and sent Elijah, to help her. How do we know what form our help will take when we seek the Lord, that’s why the Jews have still not accepted Christ today because He did not come as they were expecting.
1 Kin 17:13 Elijah said to her, Fear not; go and do as you have said. But make me a little cake of [it] first and bring it to me, and afterward prepare some for yourself and your son.
This also must have been a first for her, for Elijah, was reveling to her the plan of God which was going to take the little she had and multiply her investment.
1 Kin 17:14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: The jar of meal shall not waste away or the bottle of oil fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.
Now the woman must have had a strong faith in order to accept what Elijah, was saying to her. Elijah’s reputation as a profit of God must have influenced her trust in Him.
For the woman had just enough for herself and her son and now she was being asked to give from that little, which would give her a lack to Elijah. So by giving to Elijah, the woman now was having to make a further sacrifice, not only was she facing death but now she had to give away from the final meal she had left. Even though through the famine her faith had taken a battering she knew, that there was only one who could help her in this great time of need. It was not Elijah, but God, she had to put everything she had left into God’s hands. The woman had to trust the word spoken to her by Elijah, was from God and act upon it this is faith. This is what God asks from us, to put our trust in Him and not to look to Man but to look to God. The Churches are all looking to us, The Basildon Healing Mission Leaders, we know there is a need and we are seeking the Lord for all your needs. But in order to receive you have to Give, and sacrifice into the Kingdom we cannot expect to be blessed and receive from God if we ourselves are Judged unworthy of that trust
Matt 24:45 Who then is the faithful, thoughtful, {and} wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household to give to the others the food {and} supplies at the proper time?
Matt 24:46 Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is that servant whom, when his master comes, he will find so doing.
The ministry that God has placed you in, you must remain faithful to it at all times.
Even the little that you can give to each other will make a difference because if you give from your little to many then when the many give back to you from their little you will be blessed with an abundance. Remember God is the God of multiplication, he cannot always multiply from one source but he can from many sources.
1 Kin 17:15 She did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days.
God blessed her faith, if you have a want then give to him who also has a need and God will bless you. Support each other for we are one body of believers under
Jesus – Amen.
1 Kin 17:16 The jar of meal was not spent nor did the bottle of oil fail, according to the word which the Lord spoke through Elijah.
Remember God is faithful He will sustain you through the famine times.
when the famine has served it’s purpose He will cause it to rain prosperity on all your needs so we will no longer be in lack but in abundance.
Jesus can take the little you have and increase it through our small faith Jesus can reach the world.
But then famine has a purpose to test our faith as with the Widow do not give up, Look to Jesus the author and finisher of our Faith.
God Bless
Bishops Tony and Marilyn
Our mission - About us - The ministry - Prayer page - support this work - Contact us - Further Links Home
