Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Apr 9th, 2013 Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl

Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 4 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Proverbs 9; Psalms 41 – 45

Scripture Memorization for March – John 1:1 – 18

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Psalm 34

Read the “0409 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

The Study of Women in the Bible

This Week – The Widow Of Zarephath, Who Gave Her All.

“And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.” (1 King 17:8-15)

The great famine that Elijah prophesied would affect many lives, not just wicked King Ahab. When Elijah became hungry, and the ravens fed him no more, God provided another food source, a widow, who’s name is not mentioned. She didn’t have a storage shelter filled with food and water, she just had a great need. I always wondered what she thought when Elijah first ask her to give him some of the last of her food. She knew this was the last meal she and her son would eat before their death, and yet she gave. God kept his promise and supplied food for Elijah, the widow, and her son, and they lived. I wonder why God did not continue to supply Elijah with food through the ravens or some other way. Instead, He sent Elijah to a poor woman. It seemed that she would not be a likely candidate to provide food for anyone, but God graciously allowed this woman to become part of His plan. God caused the little that she had to accomplishing much.

WARNING!! Things are tough now, but be warned they will get tougher. The prices of everything are going up (except our paychecks). Our country, as a whole, is in a drought. With less rain there will be less food, which will drive up prices even more. There are so many people out of work, but will we give? You say ,“We have no way to pay the bills”, but the work of the Lord must go on. It takes money to keep the doors open at the church. People are dying and going to hell every minute.

“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.” (Malachi 3:8-9)

Fret not. All is not doom and gloom with God. God promises to take care of His children when we obey Him.

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:10)

“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.” (Psalms 37:25-26)

God is no respecter of persons. He took care of and greatly blessed the widow and her son; He’ll take care of, and bless us as well.

Prolong your life. If your not tithing, I challenge you to start. To you who are tithing, don’t stop.

GIVE.

Thank You

1 John 5:13