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This sermon was preached by Mike Knight at the Ladybarn site of Christ Church Manchester on Sunday 1st May 2022.

BIBLE VERSES

This sermon was based on 1 Kings 17:8-16.

The Widow of Zarephath

8Then the word of the Lord came to him, 9“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” 15And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lordthat he spoke by Elijah.

KEY POINTS

• For the people of Israel;
Justice – gone. Security – gone. Prosperity – gone.
• Elijah arrives, speaks hope.
• Elijah’s provision, trusting in God.

A Widow, Chosen by God

• The widow is seen and chosen by God.
• God invites her to respond/join in.

Trust in Christ Being Enough

• Having faith in the character of God.
• We see that this provision for Elijah and the widow
was an overflow of God’s love for them, and in this to draw both of them deeper
into Himself in relationship.

Recommended Resource(s)

• Quote: “If your faith rests in your idea of how God is supposed to answer your prayers…
then that kind of faith is very shaky and is bound to be demolished when the
storms of life hit it. But if your faith rests on the character of him who is the eternal
I am, then that kind of faith is rugged and will endure.” – Elisabeth Elliot (Missionary/Author)

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