Grace - 2.
We are talking about grace and what it means. Grace is God’s empowerment we experience to fulfill our destiny. We are saved by grace, by His empowerment. Grace does not mean getting away with your sin. God’s mercy is what protects you against the judgment of sin but His grace empowers you to stop sinning. I want to show you another aspect of God’s grace.
1Kings 17:8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
1Kings 17:9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
1Kings 17:10 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.
1Kings 17:11 And 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.
1Kings 17:12 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.
1Kings 17:13 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.
1Kings 17:14 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.
1Kings 17:15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
1Kings 17:16 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 this story we see Elijah the prophet. He prophesied to Ahab the king that it would not rain for three years. During this famine God had him stay at the brook Kidron. After a while, the brook where he was staying dried up and God sent him to a small town to meet with a widow. Let us see how grace sustained them through the famine.
First of all we see that God had a plan. When the brook dried up God had already chosen a widow to look after the prophet. In our time people are looking to avoid difficult circumstances. They try to avoid anything that might be a threat to their securities of money and property. Grace will sustain you while the famine will deplete the false securities that you have raised up around yourself. We don’t see Elijah panic when the brook dries up. God commands him to go to Zarephath. The name Zarephath means, “refine.” When circumstances come your way they will help you to be refined, and grace will introduce you to God’s provision. Grace will provide you with people that look like the wrong people, but grace comes in a people that can fulfill His purpose
As Elijah gets to the town he finds the widow and asks her to fetch him some water. As she leaves to fetch him water, he asks her for something to eat. Here the whole story takes a turn for the worse, or so it seems. Not only is she a widow, meaning that she had no husband to take care of her, but she tells him that she has only a little bit of flower and oil. As a matter of fact it looks like she has just enough for one meal. Her expectancy is to eat it as her last meal and then wait to die. What kind of a provision is that for the man of God? I wonder if Elijah wondered if he found the right widow? Surely God would send him to someone that had enough for both of them. Grace does not always look like it is what you need. Grace sometimes comes disguised in a famine. Grace sometimes comes disguised in brokenness and even death. You see the grace that was on Elijah's life was the grace that would be over her life. He came looking for a meal but the grace of God that was on him would provide a meal for the widow. The grace on your life today is the grace that will cover your children and your family when they get to a place of lack.
Thirdly, we see that he commands her to go and make a cake for him first. How selfish you might think. Not really, because he tells her that the flower would not deplete and neither would the oil until God sends rain on the earth. To her it was a complete step of faith. When she gave to him first, grace multiplied her possessions and she moved from a place of need to a place of abundance. When we honor the word of God grace will be released over us and cause a multiplication that will change our circumstances from lack to abundance. Just as she honored the word of God from the man of God, we will experience the same thing when we step out in faith. Grace is God’s empowerment to do something that will release abundance over your house.
Lastly, I see that not only did she and Elijah and her son eat all the days of the famine, but her household did as well. I believe there was some family members close by that didn’t have an answer to their need. Maybe she fed them as well. Grace will release over you such abundance that you will have enough and enough to bless others. Abraham found grace in the sight of the Lord. God promised him that he would bless him and make him a blessing. Grace always operates in abundance.
There is enough grace to save you. There is enough grace to heal you. There is enough grace to restore you. There is enough grace for your family and what they might need. Honor God’s word and grace will change your circumstances!