Encouragement

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So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.
-1 Kings 17:15-16(NKJV)

A few years ago, one of my brothers was diagnosed with an aggressive strain of leukemia. His initial prognosis was pretty hopeless. All we could do was pray for a miracle. God answered our prayers and when the doctors did his final exam, they found absolutely no traces of disease. They started calling my brother, "The Miracle Man."

There is only one true "Miracle Man" and He is Jehovah Jireh. When your only hope is a miracle, only God can provide what you truly need. 1 Kings 17:8- 24 tells the story of a woman who needed two miracles that only God could provide.

When the prophet Elijah first saw the Widow of Zarephath, she was gathering sticks to make a fire. The prophet asked her for water and food. She explained that she didn't have any bread and only a little flour and oil which she was going to prepare for herself and her son, so that they could eat and die.

Elijah told the woman not to fear, but instead to make a cake for him and then for herself and for her son. He shared with her what the Lord said - "The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth." The widow followed Elijah's instructions and as he said, the flour was not used up and the oil didn't run out.

After some time, the woman's son became sick and died. The woman cried out to Elijah who prayed to the Lord. He heard Elijah's cries and revived the widow's son.

We can learn from the widow's story:

Do Not Fear
Whatever the situation you may be facing, fully turn it over to the Lord. As long as you trust in your Heavenly Father, you can always have hope. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:7, "And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation." (See 2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

Listen To Those Who Are Encouraging You
God sent Elijah to a non-Christian to give her hope. As a believer, He will send you hope and encouragement through others as well. When you're going through a trial, surround yourselves with those individuals who will speak life to you.

Be Obedient
The Widow of Zerephath didn't ask Elijah any questions. She didn't call her friends to get their opinions. She didn't ask family members what they thought. The widow recognized that Elijah was a man of God and she did everything he told her to do. What is the Lord saying to you? It may not make sense in the natural, but we serve a God who can make the foolish seem wise. (See 1 Corinthians 1:25)

As a believer, you can believe in miracles and expect them. Don't ever give up hope. The Lord may not work out the situation exactly how you want Him too, but He will miraculously work it out for your good.

My Challenge to You This Week:
Do you expect the Lord to work miracles in your life? Some practical things you can do as reminders are: change your computer screen saver to "I believe in miracles

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