Thank you for stopping by to read the Weekend Sermon this week. I hope that you are all having a very good week.
As you probably know, we are in a series of messages about the life and ministry of the prophet Elijah. In last week's message, we learned that Elijah spent much of the drought period with a widow in the town of Zarepath. She didn't have much food left, but Elijah told her that if she shared what she had with him, she, her son and the prophet would all have enough to make it through the hard time. She gave what she had to the Lord's servant, and it happened just as Elijah said that it would.
Several months passed, and Elijah was staying in the upper room of the widow's home. One day, the widow's son grew ill, and he became progressively worse until he died. Of course, the widow was extremely distraught. She wondered why this had happened since she'd helped the prophet of the Lord.
Elijah took the body of the dead lad up to his upper room. Elijah called on the Lord to restore the young man to life, and the boy came back to life. The widow gave praise to the Lord for the miracle that was done for her and her son.
I understand that the Lord did this mighty miracle because the prophet asked Him to do it. Elijah's ministry was verified at many times by great miracles. We have seen that, and we will see more of that as we continue in this study. There is something else that I want us to focus our attention on today. That is the feeling of the widow as her son grew sick and died. She wondered why God was allowing this to happen after all that she had done to help the prophet of the Lord.
In life, we are going to have a lot of ups and downs. Nobody that I know has a life where only good things happen to them all the time. Those of us who believe in the Lord Jesus, strive to live lives that are pleasing to Him. I believe that it is our natural reaction to believe that if we do what is right and honor God, that He will not allow bad things to happen to us. We feel just like the widow in our lesson today.
Here is what I get out of this story. First of all, just because we are doing good and serving the Lord doesn't make us immune to bad things. We have the wrong motive for following the Lord if we are serving Him to get something from Him. Job had the right attitude about serving the Lord. He had terrible things happen to Him, but He did not turn on the Lord. Job said that "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" Job served God because it was the right thing to do. That is what our attitude should be even though it is hard. That is why there are stories in the Bible about good people going through hard times so that we will know how to live in this world in the way that the Lord desires of us.
The second thing that I get out of this story is that God does care, and He will often do great things for those who call upon His name. Elijah prayed. God listened, and a miracle occurred. We are called in the book of James to be people of fervent prayer just like Elijah. When we call out to the Lord in trust with faith, great and mighty things will happen. However, if they don't, we need to accept God's will and continue to trust that He knows what is best for us.
In all things, we have this promise. Jesus is always with. He will never leave us and He will never forsake us. Even if the worst happens to us in this life, we have the promise of the Lord Jesus that He has gone to prepare a place for us so that we can be with Him forever and forever. Amen.
Prayer Requests
Please continue to pray about my job situation and my selling my house. Thank you.
Continue to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic around the world.
Pray for peace in Ukraine. Syria and Yemen still need our prayers. Pray for all of those places that you know are experiencing conflict.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Mauritius and Maldives. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.
Next week, we will continue with our series about Elijah. I will post the verses on Monday, and I will try to post something midweek. May God bless you all.
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