Fierce Obedience - Daring Faith
Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash
“She went away and did as Elijah had told her.” I Kings 17:15
In I Kings 17, we read about the Prophet Elijah who received a word from the Lord to go to Zarephath, stay there and a widow would be there to supply him with food.
When he arrived at the town gate, the widow was there just as the Lord had said. Elijah asked her for some water and then he asked her for a piece of bread. The widow answered, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in 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—and die.”
Elijah must have heard the despair in her voice. The woman had done all that she could to provide for herself and her son. But she was at the end of her rope. This was it. She had exhausted every resource and faced the hard reality that the end was near.
Elijah was not arrogant or abusive with his authority as the man of God. He exhibited such compassion towards the widow. He heard her. Not disregarding her dilemma, Elijah told her don’t be afraid – do what you said.
Elijah didn’t stop there. He couldn’t! He knew he must give her the word from the Lord that would be a defining moment in her life. If she would dare to follow the instructions -- prepare a small loaf of bread for Elijah, bring it to him, and then prepare food for herself and her son, the jar of flour would not be used up and the jug of oil would not run dry until the Lord would send rain on the land.
“This world is in a state of chaos. Unemployment is at an all-time high and news of the pandemic is everywhere we turn. Anxiety and depression are rampant. Hope seems nowhere to be found. People are looking for answers, searching for something or someone to trust.”
This precious momma was faced with a choice. Would she act in obedience trusting God to be true to His Word? Or, would she succumb to the destiny that lay before her?
The scripture says, “She went away and did as Elijah told her.” Because of her fierce obedience - daring to believe in the Lord, there was enough food every day for Elijah, the widow, and her family. Every word of the Lord spoken by Elijah came to pass.
The widow could have chosen to take care of herself and her son and let the prophet of God worry about himself. She could have just accepted fate as it came. But she didn’t. She chose to place her confidence in what she hoped for and assurance in what she could not see. (re Hebrews 11:1)
Just as the widow, we, too, face moments of decision where we can choose to follow our own path, our own ideas, and what we can accomplish in our own strength; or, we can choose to step out in faith, trust God, and dare to obey His word.
This world is in a state of chaos. Unemployment is at an all-time high and news of the pandemic is everywhere we turn. Anxiety and depression are rampant. Hope seems nowhere to be found. People are looking for answers, searching for something or someone to trust.
But! In Mark 11:22, Jesus says, “Have faith in God.” Not faith in our abilities, not faith in people, not even faith in faith. No! Our faith must rest in the one that spoke the world into existence. Our faith must be in God alone. You can trust Him. You can place your hope in Him.
Take the risk. Dare to obey Him! Dare to believe in Him! Dare to place your faith in Him!
Jesus taught the disciples that their worth to God was more than the sparrows – and Jesus said that God does not forget the sparrow. Jesus then went on to say that God knows the number of hairs on each head.