Elijah and Elisha Lesson 2

Elijah and Elisha

1 Kings 17-19

Lesson 2

I love this story.

a. Little bird flying south.

i. There is a little bird flying south for the winter. But he got a late start, so he got caught in a snowstorm. The storm was so bad that ice formed on his wings and he couldn’t even fly. He went down for a crash landing, and couldn’t get back up. He thought, “Great. Now I’m going to freeze to death.” But then suddenly a cow came and took a dump on him. At first, the little bird this had gone from bad to worse, but then he realizes that the manure has warmed his wings and is thawing them. He got so excited that he started to chirp and sing. But this attracts a cat; who comes and eats him.

b. We can learn 3 lessons from this story:

i. Lesson 1: Not everyone who drops manure on you is your enemy.

ii. Lesson 2: Not everyone who digs you out is your friend.

iii. Lesson 3: When you’re in manure, sometimes its helpful to keep your little chirper shut.

The lesson of complete dependence

a. Always taken care of himself

i. Elijah was a man, like any man, who had always taken care of himself.

ii. God took that away.

iii. God put him in a place where he had to depend on the special provisions.

iv. God had to provide for the food he ate and the water he drank.

Brook of Cherith

i. “Cherith” in Hebrew means literally “to cut down.”

ii. Elijah, I’m going to cut you down.

iii. I’m going to remove any strength you have in yourself.

iv. I’m going to teach you to depend completely on me.

v. Truth: Before God can use us, he must first break us.

c. Sometimes God does this to you, and you can’t figure out what he’s doing.

i. Somebody lets you down.

ii. Something or someone you’ve depended on gets taken away.

iii. And you are facing the prospect of a future without that something or someone

God was doing this to Elijah.

i. This is God’s way of preparing Elijah so he could use him.

ii. In the same way God is at work in your life.

iii. God is removing false idols in your life.

iv. Teaching you, to totally depend on him.

v. “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply.” A. W. Tozer

vi. God is at work in your disappointment and your pain.

vii. He is removing your idols.

viii. Removing your false sources of trust and joy and hope are making you depend on him.

ix. Truth:The greater your weakness, the more chance for God to display his power.

1. Elijah’s strength was his greatest enemy.

2. God sometimes make you weak so you can find your strength in him.

x. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT) — 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

Rejoice in your weaknesses.

a. Beware of your strengths.

i. Those are places you are most likely to forget God.

ii. So, where has God made you weak?

iii. Can you rejoice in that, and look to God to see what he is doing in that, and just trust him and follow him?

iv. The path to greatness with God goes through the valley of brokenness and pain.

v. “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply.” A. W. Tozer

vi. The Christian God is the God who helps the weak.

vii. Every other god rewards the strong.

viii. Matthew 5:3 (NIV) — 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3 NIV

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.