Give it(Empty)- Take it (Full)

I am now moving on to 2 Kings 4.A lot has happened since Micaiah prophesied the truth. He had prophesied that Ahab would die in the battle and he did. Ahaziah (Ahab's son) dies on Elijah's warning, as he went out to consult baal-ekron regarding his fall from the lattice. After the completion of Elijah task on earth, he gets caught up into the heavens in a chariot of fire and Elisha receives a double portion of Elijah's anointing.

Right now I have something to share with you from Elisha's encounter with a widow. [ The Widow's Oil ] The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves."2 Kings 4:1-3 This lady is in deep distress, she is the wife of one of the prophets who served with Elisha. Elisha gives her some instructions on collecting as many empty vessels as she can and blesses her with oil that doesnt end until the last jar is completely filled.

Here are the lessons I learnt from another widow's life

1. God can help us with what we already have (v2)-" 2 Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil."The widow at Zarephath shared her flour and oil with Elijah and they had enough for them and for Elijah throughout the famine. The little boy with fish and bread had enough lunch for himself, but when he shared with Jesus it became enough to feed a crowd of thousands of people. Even with this widow, she said she had nothing, oil is all she had. Well to think of it from her point of view, what can man do with a little oil. What could a big crowd do with just few loaves of bread and some fish? What could Moses do with just the staff, wondering before the burning bush? What could David do with 5 stones, compared to the giant standing before him? You know in our lives we have some things we think are not enough or are of no value,well this woman too didnt know, how could just some oil be of any help to her and her child. But then it doesn't matter "what" you have but that you have and you are giving. Everything we have is for a purpose, if we know to account it all a blessing. What can you do with just 2 $, not much in the world, but that can bring great results in God's economy, because God's child was willing to share it with God, God's children know, they've got God backing them up like David did.
2. When you give to God what little you have, get ready to take and be filled from God-It was amazing for me to notice again, that with the little that belonged to the woman for her and her family, with that little fish and bread the little boy had for himself, with that oil and flour the widow in Zarephath had for her and her son. That little that they had every time, was turned into plenty. The minimum gear that David used brought deliverance to all the Israelites. If you've got the ability to prayer and thats all you can do, lets give it to God, it will be made a cause for revivals. If you've got the ability to sing, sing aloud for the Lord and we know from the Word of God the Spirit of God is welcomed and brings about God's plan for people. If there be anything you've got and it has been just enough for you, give it to God and see God use it to bless you and multiply it to bless all. Whatever little you've got, just give it to God and see how God is able to help you share it with the World around you.
3. The level of our filling depends on the level of our emptiness- "6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing" Our emptiness for life, can only be filled by God and above that, God will fill us only till the point of our emptiness. How many empty jars can we bring to God? God is able to fill them all. There is another lesson through this too. This lady was asked to bring jars from her neighbours!!!! "3 Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few" What was she doing filling up other people's jars with oil??? But you know, oil is a symbol of anointing. When God has placed some anointing on you (for healing, for preaching, for teaching, for writing, for singing, for exhorting in worship, for children's church caring....etc...) it will flow from you when its flowing into the lives of others. The anointing with which God has anointed us will multiply and grow, not when we've been trying to save it for ourselves. Let's go use the gift and the anointing God has given us so that it may multiply. If you feel that you've not grown an inch (spiritually) since you came to know Jesus, then we better look at our lives, have we been sitting at home with our anointing and hiding it and waiting for a better opportunity to come. Well even from home, God can use us, in the most powerful weapon of all. The anointing of Prayer.
4. Separate yourself from everything and let the river of God flow-"4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side." Elisha asked the widow to close the door behind her. The work of the Holy Spirit keeps happening on the inside, the anointing keeps multiplying on the inside and the neighbours(people around us) will see the result of what God has done, when they see the many jars of oil filled. When we've given God our little gift that we have, God will be multiplying it when we meet with him personally inside, and the jars will be filled as we pour out what little we have. Thats what happens with God's people I guess, most of their anointing gets multiplied when they're spending time alone pouring out what little they have before God, its getting increased, separated from the outside, separated from whats going on around, but closer with God. And the thing is, people outside will know something special happened when the child of God went inside to meet with God, when the child of God poured out what little they had before God. Let the power of God flow through your life. Get into His Presence and pour it out before the Lord.

Conclusion: The power and anointing of God rests with all His children. Most of us have let our anointing sit in one corner and, its been so long, that it just sits there and in some cases we;ve even forgotten we were special people of God. Let's get into God's presence and close all doors which take away our attention from God and the little that we have, for God would like us to use that little, so He can multiply it so it would bless us and bless all who are around us.

The Word of God says
20For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

2 Corinthians 1:20-22

Insignificant in the world, significant in God's eyes

1Kings 19

A glorious miracle now under his belt, Elijah must have felt so bold and strong, now that he has seen God send fire from heaven to affirm Elijah's calling, Elijah's life purpose and His Word to Elijah, in spite of all that, we see Elijah very distressed now. Ahab has gone and told Jezebel all that Elijah did at mount carmel and now Jezebel seeks to kill him all the more. "3 Elijah was afraid [a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." (1 Kings 19:3) In a short moment of time, Elijah said words that were totally unbelievable, to me. Why does this powerful man of God want to die, isn't it wonderful that God is so "visible" through his life, but then I see that this was not such a great time to live in. The Israelites had rejected the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and even killed the prophets of God. Sounds like a time of anti-Christ like time. Yet in this moment, God was working in the times, with Elijah. He was the lone preacher, the lone prophet of the time.

In his despair, Elijah cried to God and was so tired he slept under a broom tree and "All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God."
After this God met him at the cave in Horeb, gave Elijah the assignment of anointing Elisha and Jehu, also God let Elijah know "18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.". This tells me that God knows ALL His people, whether other people know them or not.

Lessons I learnt

1. God examines the people of the earth-"The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them." Psalm 11:3-5 Before we can tell God of the oppressor, God already knows, He has been examining them.
2. God had been keeping track of his own people, though Elijah did not know of other followers of the Living God-"But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love " Psalm 33:17-19
3. God has His eyes on His people, to listen to their cries-"The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;"Psalm 34:14-16 There is never a time, when God is not listening to His children's cries. When Elijah cried out to God to kill him, God knew that Elijah needed food for strength and not death, so God provided him with what Elijah needed. What if God would have listened to Elijah's cry word for word!!! We wouldn't have known of the fire chariots and stuff I guess. It is good that God does not give us exactly as our heart desires, He knows what we need more than we do.

Conclusion:Whether others have noticed you or not, like those 7000 people who were yet faithful to God, God knows you. God has been keeping track of the believers in Jesus Name no matter how insignificant they have been. Those insignificant people whom Elijah didnt know, were in the message of strength from God to Elijah. It was so important for their existence to be mentioned to Elijah so that he could go on. Though these 7000 people's names are not mentioned, but they have been mentioned by God Himself at a time when Elijah had given up, Elijah wanted to die, Elijah was lonely. God knew the importance of the mention of these 7000 insignificant, unnamed believers of the Living God. Every child of God has a purpose, though may seem insignificant to the eyes of the world, they are critical in God's plan and God's eyes are always watching out for His children, no matter where they are.

Working out God's Plan

Elijah 18:1 says " 1 After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land."

Elijah obeyed God and went to meet Ahab. Here's an interesting thing happening in Elijah's life
".....Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
43 "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."
44 The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.' "
45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the LORD came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel." (1 Kings 18:42-45)

There are 2 things I noticed here, God promised Elijah about the rain. Elijah had to pray seven times and see that small hand of a cloud rise up in the horizon and then the rain poured.

1. Knowing what God has promised God is able to do-When God has promised something it sure will happen. We see this in the way Elijah persisted in prayer. Elijah had known from God that it would rain and that gave Elijah the base to build on to pray even more than ever. Has God given us a promise that He said He will bring to pass, take heart, trust the Word of God more than any thing. No matter what happens, or what the situation looks like right now, God will come through and His Promises will come true. Elijah knew that he knew that he knew, that what God has promised is true and will come to pass. If it has not, then maybe we're not hoping enough for it. Another thing of note is that, if we were to count all the verses in the bible and find the center verse, you know it would be Psalm 118:8 and it says "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man."
2. Who's report will you believe??- While Elijah prayed he asked his servant to keep bringing him back the status of the rain situation. The servant kept bringing a negative report, yet Elijah did not give up because he wasn't looking for the report from the servant but the result of the Word from God. Who's report do we readily believe. The moment we start praying for God's plan in our life, we are sure to get all sorts of reports in our lives, but above all we've got to stick onto what God says about our situation. If we've been praying for a loved one to meet our Saviour Lord Jesus and to be saved, we will find the appearance of the situation in our life and theirs going in a totally different direction, yet do not give up, God's foremost purpose and promise is that He came that all may know our Lord Jesus and be saved. We MUST (P)ray (U)ntil (S)omething (H)appens. So PUSH. Like Elijah did to bring God's Word to pass.
3. Pray in accordance to God's Word and His plan-Does praying mean praying anything we want? No. Elijah shows us that He had a mandate from God which had to happen and he prayed accordingly, without giving up hope, without being slack. Praying is a very very powerful means of bringing God's plan to come to pass on this earth. Even Jesus, when He taught us to pray "..let Your will be done on this earth as it is in heaven" Who can bring God's will to pass on this earth. Believers who pray God's will. Prayer is not ONLY for meeting our needs and blabbering our needs to God, it is bringing God's will to happen in our lives and in this earth.

Conclusion: Praying is an amazing tool, God blessed us with. Before knowing our Lord Jesus we did not know to pray. God opened the way for us to enter when Jesus died on the cross for our sins and the curtain tore in the temple and the Holy Place the Holy dwelling of God was accessible to us, because of our Saviour Lord Jesus. Hebrews 4:16 "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Elijah prayed in confidence on God's Word regarding the rain, and it did rain and that small hand of a cloud rained so heavily and so quickly became rain cloud I am sure, no one could have imagined. Why doesn't our prayers work that way? The Bible says in James 4:3 "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." Dear brothers and sisters, lets get with our Father's business. Its been a long time since we prayed for God's will to be done in our individual lives and on this earth. Pray Until Something Happens, the Something that God has planned and promised will happen, if we pray according to His plan. Its ok if right now you don't know what to pray. The Holy Spirit will help and guide us and help us pray expectantly, like a pregnant mother, knowing for sure that in 9 months she will see her baby.

Remove the doubt and confusion

Reading through 1Kings 18, I am impressed at something Elijah says. In verse 21 we read "21 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."

This statement follows up with a clear demonstration of how the people should have responded. In other words, Elijah not only posed the question, but even laid out a demonstration of what is the right choice. I wonder if we could ever dare ask someone this question. I don't think we can can we??? What if we asked someone and then didnt have any live demo to follow up with it? How come Elijah did the live demo?? Well I grazed the texts from Elijah's life that I had read so far and found that this man was trained by God Himself.

Elijah had this confidence for the following reasons

1. Elijah was in need of food and shelter (as his story unfolds in 1 Kings 17)- He learnt God to be his provider
2. Elijah needed directions for his life- He was in a situation where he was so caught up with the Spirit of God that he really really needed God to direct him else he'd just be doing many things and getting nothing done. He learnt God to be his Guide.
3. Elijah had heard from God, and that was his confidence-Each time Elijah had to take action it was based on something God had told him to do. Now Elijah had heard from God and that was what gave him such confidence to boldly proclaim God's power before 450 people who didn't even worship his God.

How could Elijah go and dare someone not even of his own faith? Nowadays pastors have hard time convincing people from Christian homes that Jesus is Lord.

We have not experienced dire need, so we don't know divine provision. We have not walked in obedience so we don't know the triumph over test. We don't have listening ears, only hearing aids, no wonder we haven't heard from God. We're too busy with our own worlds.

I ask myself, How will others know of the power of our Living God, unless they see it from our lives. (Live demonstration). More than that, how will we know our God can provide unless we are in need. Its like unless we fall sick, we will never know God our Jehovah Rapha. Unless we are so poor that we can't say where our next meal is coming from, we'll not know Jehovah Jireh.

People around us are confused on whether they should follow the "Christian's God" or their own gods or no gods at all, because we who believe in God don't have anything stark difference in our lives to show them what's different about our God.

Elijah had the entire session of sacrifice to differentiate between their god and his. He knew his was real. How convincingly do we know our God, so we can demo through our lives too? If we don't our God is an impartial God and is willing to meet with you and me to help us learn more about him. (Deuteronomy 10:16-18). This training from God is for the willing and obedient, it doesn't matter how well qualified you are, but whether you are willing and obedient to go by the Word of God. If we do, we will learn and be living examples like Elijah and all who "knew" Jesus our Lord, whether they knew Him in flesh (when He was alive) or in faith like we are.

Consequences of Obedience

1 Kings 18

The Lord commands Elijah to go meet king Ahab(1 Kings 18:1). It was the same king Ahab who's wife Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Living God. However during such time there was another devout man of God named Obadiah who had hidden 100 prophets of God in caves and had kept feeding them. At this time the drought in the land is very severe and Obadiah and Ahab have come out to look for grass so that the horses could be fed and kept alive. Obadiah and Ahab split ways in search of grass for the horses. Elijah meets Obadiah on the way and asks him to take him to Ahab. Obadiah is very afraid and tells Elijah "9 "What have I done wrong," asked Obadiah, "that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? 10 As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. 11 But now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' 12 I don't know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn't find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the LORD since my youth." (1 Kings 18: 9-12) Obadiah is scared for life to take Elijah to Ahab. Yet Ahab is determined and finally goes to meet Ahab.

In this little episode from Elijah's life, I learnt the following lessons

1. Obeying God's commands opens communication with God-When God commanded Elijah for anything, Elijah did it immediately, not waiting not killing time. Obedience to God opens more ways for us to listen directly from God. Then God no longer has to ask someone else to tell us anything, He Himself will talk to us, because we are willing to listen and obey.
2. Obeying God's commands sets the course for our faith-As Elijah continued to follow God's commands, his faith grew and as a result the miracles in his life grew to higher power. From being miraculously fed by ravens, to the neverending jar of flour and oil, to raising the dead, to calling fire from heaven and then being carried into heaven. What a life!!! If there is a command God has given us a good way to find out if we are doing the right thing or not is to check the result of our lives, has the power grown or decreased. If it has decreased lets go back and do the last thing God had asked us to do and we will be back on track again.
3. Obeying God's command may bring obstacles, obey God rather than men- When God gives a command, soon enough something will come up which will challenge your faith, challenge your obedience even. When Elijah started off to meet Ahab, Obadiah (a man of God too) met Elijah and was so scared that he did not think meeting Ahab would be a good idea for Elijah. Yet "15 Elijah said, "As the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today." No matter what staying steady on the Word of God matters. Acts 5:29 "Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! " It may be a weird command, it may look contrary, it make look disastrous, but if thats what God would have us do, lets do it. For God gives us the grace to do whatever He commands us to do.

Conclusion: The only way we will grow is by faith and obedience. Willingness. Jesus said "Luke 11:28 "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." 1 John 5:3 "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,"

Dear God, I know I haven't fully been obedient to You and have failed many a times, yet You have been so merciful to me.I thank You for your grace and mercy. Please help me to be completely obedient to you that I may see Your work in my life and that my life would turn into a blessing to others.

In Jesus Name I pray.

Amen

"Obedience surely is better than sacrifice"

Learning from prophet elijah

It has now been some time since Solomon's death, right now Ahab is ruling the Israelites and Asa is ruling Judah. "29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. 30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. 31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. "( 1 Kings 16:29) So now you know the kind of ruler Israel had. However things aren't looking down during this time. The Israelites will see their God show them His power, His love and His concern for them, through one of the most powerful prophet, Elijah.
When we think, everything is going wrong, no one can ever correct this situation, no one serves the Living God anymore.... right in the midst of all that negative, God has His choicest people working for Him. God has His important tools of ministry hidden by the brook. God's timing is amazing. If Elijah lived on planet earth at any other time, it wouldn't have made much impact, like the way it did when he lived during Ahab's reign.

1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe [a] 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."
2 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3 "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."
(1 Kings 17:1,2)

When situations are looking doomed, remember God has placed His army men and women in critical places ready for action when called to do so by the Lord. Even you are one of them!!! God has placed you and me at this time in the nations of the world so that when the time is right, we will be brought out of our " Kerith Ravine" and be sent for our assignments.

Lessons:

1. God has us hidden before our real assignment, to learn total dependence on Him- Elijah was hidden in the Kerith Ravine, where he was fed by ravens and drank from the brook. He wasn't doing anything great there, just hiding and being fed. He was all alone.The hebrew word Kerith means "the cutting ". It is the place made by a natural cutting off of the place. This is where Elijah learnt to be totally cut off from people, from society, from earning for living..from family even, being fed by ravens, drinking from the brook. And this episode happened soon after he had made an appearance before the king Ahab and warned him of drought.Cut off means nothing else is there to divert your attention from God and there is no one to provide except God. If we're in a place where we aren't doing much, just waiting, even though our heart so wants to serve the Lord, lets remember, God is teaching us to wait and depend upon Him. We are waiting for the opportune time of assignment, when God would have us face, probably even to chase out, the prophets of baals. You wanna see something ...even Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days and nights before He started His mission on this earth. Paul (Saul) was blinded by the power of God and was waiting and praying (Acts 9:10-12 ). After which we all know the tremendous ministry that came out through Paul's (Saul) work and the amazing power that shone through the life of our Lord Jesus. Such kind of immense demonstration of power can come only through lives which have been in the "cutting".
2. Waiting on God for our provisions-I was wondering at this next point. Now God had told Elijah that the rain wouldn't come unless by his word, as Elijah had declared to Ahab. Now the brook from which Elijah was drinking dried up. I wonder whether Elijah would have even thought of using the 'power' to make it rain. After all God had given him that word. Yet he did not. For God gave him different directions. He obeyed God and went to Zarephath to an old widow who would give him food and drink. I dont know what distance it was from Kerith Ravine to Zarephath, but Elijah went. We'd have to learn to use the power God gives us at the time that He wants us to use it. This can come only with total dependence on God, even to move.
3. Learning to be faithful in few things- Elijah's first encounter with a person after that "cutting" experience is with a widow in Zarephath and his first amazing task is the neverending jar of flour and oil. Wow, I just realised wasn't this the first thing Jesus did too at the wedding!!!.(John 2) and the Word of God says "11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him."(John 2:11) Elijah didn't start on the very first day calling fire from heaven, but started with the simple miracle of flour and oil. God will teach us to walk in His power little by little. Thats why the Word of God says "Matthew 25:21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'" God starts with us little by little so that we will learn to be faithful in the few things He gives us and from there we grow step by step. We cannot handle God's immense power in a split second from the day we were born again, so God teaches us to dwell in His obedience and walk in His Spirit as we learn His ways.

Conclusion: Our God is a wonderful teacher. He is able to guide us to our best potential, when we learn to listen to His every command so that the best in us is brought out. Not of our mind and our plan, but of God's plan and God's work. Only then can we be powerful in God and see God's power work through our lives, to bring healing to bring God's directions, to bring God's Word to His children who are living in these desolate times, like the time Israel was going through under king Ahab. Only then can the people see the great difference there is in the power of God and the power of man. Only then will the distinction be clear and evident to the people of the potential of our Living God and only then can we stand before the 450 prophets of baal and demonstrate how powerful our Living God is.If we haven't been able to show our God's power through our lives to the people around us I think its because we ourselves haven't experienced God's power in our own lives in staying dependent at the cutting place. Lets learn at our the Kerith Ravine where God has placed us, to find spiritual strength(food and water) through our Lord's provisions.