Subject: Can't Lose Faith Can't Go Hungry

Text: I Kings 17:8-16

And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, (I Kings 17:8)
Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. (I Kings 17:9)
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 the sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. (I Kings 17:10)
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. (I Kings 17:11)
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. (I Kings 17:12)
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. (I Kings 17:13)
For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, util the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. (I Kings 17:14)
And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. (I Kings 17:15)
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. (I Kings 17:16)

Men of God need some encouragement, it is not easy to remain steadfast and unmovable, while doing the will and work of God; the first two parts of this message, Can't Lose Faith Can't Go Hungry, would likely fit with an anniversary for a pastor or just for an aid in overcoming the general doubt in the life of a Godly leaders. The third part of this message, it is helpful to all believers in their effort to do God's will. It is hard for us to see it, but God has work for all of us, and his work, don't require all of us to be preachers; however, seemly it is getting to point where people won't work to do God's will, unless they preach. Many called, but a few chosen. God gave many talents and he intended for us to be productive with each, and that means that the preacher, and non-preacher, all need faith and trust in God.
God had a rather demanding work, for the widow woman in the lessons text, and it would require that she have a deep faith in God and in Elijah, the prophet. The woman was a widow woman, and she had no man to care for her and on top of that, she had a son that was in poor health. I am sure that God could have chosen others ways to feed Elijah, but this was his choice and on top of that, it gave the woman an opportunity to share in God's plan to feed the man of God. It had to be difficult, with almost no food for her self, her son, and for the prophet, and a man she didn't know. Out of the goodness of her own heart, she feed him. It was only human, on her part, she stated her position, and made it clear, she thought about her self and her son, first. This is a good lesson for us to see how real life can impact our faith necessary decisions. She overlooked and overcame the possible impact on her life and the life of the son, and she did God's will and followed his command in faith. She used her last bit of food, and God gave her more, and more, and she, and her son didn't go hungry, and she received the added blessing; it was the healing, and restoration of her sons life.