He ars from God vs. 10

God says to Elijah I have commanded a woman in Zeraphath to provide for you

Hears God's commands

Apparently God is reasonable certain she will cooperate

Something that mus happen on a regular basis

She knows Ahab and Jezebel have just made legal the darkest spiritual ever in Israel's history, instituted idol worship as the state religion, and this royal couple represent two of the most corrupt and anti-God rulers in Israel's history

She knows that Zeraphath is Jexebel's home turf, whcih means she is stuck living close to those who support this evil ruler

She knows that the nation is living in famine conditions

She knows the nation is experiencing a terrible drought

She knows she has little resources available - gathering a few sticks....vs. 10

She knows that she and her son are one meal away from starving to death.....

She knows she has little control over her enviroment, the political rulers, the weather, the demands made on her by God...

Yet, she still serves God and cares for her son.....

I have nothing to give you! vs. 12

Fear - vs. 13

to have a sense of dread about coming events, to be apprehensive and anxious about things......

Elijah says

Stop fearing -

Take courage -

- stop fearing and start trusting
- easy to see how the
circumstances would knock
her off the rails

Present tense command - keep on living in the courage that God provides to face difficult times

Her strategy for facing her fears

Listen to God's voice

Heed the encouragement of Godly leaders - if you are afraid to act, or don't know what to, seek the Lord's perspective

She had no idea that the Lord was using the famine and drought to bring judgement on two of the most evil leaders in Israel's history, and thatGod was using her to sustain His voice to the nation during this time....

All she know that she was starving and was one meal away from death

But....she acted anyway, she obeyed anyway, she provided for the prophet anyway.....)

(Illus. Experiencing God - God is always at work around us)

She is provided for

Elijah is provided for

Exactly as God said it would be

15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

She is living in obedience today...

But yesterday.....she did not always obey

and she asks the all to popular question when facing death or difficulty

Is God mad at me?
Is God getting even with me?

Psalm 103:12 - as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. Is 43:25

Heb 8:12 -
For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” - no longer recalls them, or brings them up...

Micha 7:19 - Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea.

God forgives you....

God no longer brings it up.....

Leave it "there"....

Now I know......

Thank God for mothers who evaluate what they hear.....they just don't take a so-called prophet at his word without authentication....

Now I know....

That God has not forgotten me in my troubles

That God will send me the voice of His perspective

That God will bless obedience to His commands

That God is not out to get me

That God does have authentic voices in the workd I can trust

Mothers we honor your faithfulness to God today...

And join Jesus in affirming the fact that God showed up to this mother's of faith...Luke 4:25-26

25 But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a severe famine came over all the land; 26 and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

God showed up in the lif eof this mother, and He will continue to show up to you.