Before You Go • Daily Devo 168
He's not done with you yet. Word Count: 1,108
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Today’s Devotional Scripture: 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. - 1 Kings 17:12-16 KJV
The Message For Today (September 21, 2024):
Audio Version Of This Devotional: Before You Go Audio
Before you decide that it's over and you begin to make preparations for the end, remember the Lord your God. Before throwing in the towel and writing the eulogy on certain situations, and in certain circumstances, remember that God is able.
Here we see in the scripture where Elijah is advised by the Lord to go. He has left the brook, and he has left the crows in the valley that he has been in for three years. It's time for him to move, and the Lord says to him, go to this place, and there is one who is preparing a meal for you.
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. - 1 Kings 17:9 KJV
The problem is this woman didn't know that she was preparing a meal for Elijah. Once Elijah and her come into contact in 1 Kings, chapter 17, she is essentially preparing to die. She's preparing to leave. She has grown weary. She is tired. She's ready for her son and herself to die. This is years of famine in the earth. This is years of no wheat. This is years of things being a little more expensive than normal because of resource issues, because of lack of food to eat.
So we see her preparing to die. She has given up. She's ready to go, and the Lord sends her Elijah and tells Elijah that the Lord sent her for him. Isn't it funny that God can give you a person who you need in your life while also giving you to that person as well? As we continue to through scripture, we see that she is preparing her last meal for herself and her son. We see that Elijah says: make me thereof a little cake first. All right, cool. Before you do what you're going to go do, make me a little cake first.
An unusual request that by all natural means almost seems insensitive. It seems uncaring. Why would you tell this woman who was preparing her last meal to feed you before she eats her last meal and her son just die? Remember that to the natural man what God does will never make sense. It takes one who lives by the spirit to understand the things of the spirit.
What we see here in this scripture is someone who sees a situation, has accurately observed that, yeah, things are bad, but knows in his heart he has the solution to help her. Not that he has food. What he has is the power of God to bless her situation:
if she trusts the Lord
if she's willing to do the unusual,
if she lives by faith and not by sight.
So when he says to her, “but make me thereof a little cake first”, that's the test that she has to pass for what becomes the blessing in her situation. What she knew to be her last meal before this test became the first of many meals after passing the test. She indeed made him, based on the word of the Lord from the mouth of Elijah, she made him a cake and the scripture says in verse 15, they did eat many days.
What if this situation that you're facing isn't unto death?
What if it is right before God turns everything around?
And at the lowest point and in the least favorable circumstances, what if God is moving on your behalf?
But you have to trust him before you go. Before you write off this last season as a loss. Pass the test, live by faith and not by sight. Trust in the Lord. Walk with him. Allow the word of the Lord to permeate your heart and strengthen you today as you go forth in your journey. For God is moving on your behalf, even when you don't see it. Even when you may be preparing for your last meal.
Maybe you've grown weary, maybe you are tired, and maybe you are a little overwhelmed. Don't give up and don't give in. Before you go, remember God.
Closing Devotional Prayer
My prayer for you: Father, in the name of Jesus, thank you for the mighty woman of God. Thank you for the grace and for the glory. You are Alpha and Omega, Lord, the beginning and the end. There is nothing that you cannot do. There is nothing that you cannot handle.
I thank you, Lord, for the grace and for the glory. You are Alpha and Omega. Please, Lord, shift this situation. Break everything that's not like you. Allow the peace of God to go forth over this woman of God as she prepares for her day. Open up her heart and her mind to the possibilities.
I pray, God, that she has the courage to listen to divine instruction and to follow the prompting of that still, small voice which tells her to go. Allow the grace of God to permeate every bit of her heart and mind and let her find her faith on this journey of perseverance and long-suffering. I thank you, Lord, for the blessing. I thank you, Lord, for the turnaround.
I thank you, O God, for keeping her with your mighty right hand. You are the Lord, our God, and beside you, God, there is no other. I thank you, Lord, and I pray in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.
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