When the Going Gets Tough!

Pray

Admiral William H. McRaven, a 36-year Navy SEAL veteran, gave the commencement address to the Class of 2014 at the University of Texas in Austin. He titled his talk "10 Lessons to Change the World." Here's his first lesson about how to change the world:

Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors … would show up in my barracks room and the first thing they would inspect was your bed. If you did it right, the corners would be square, the covers pulled tight, the pillow centered just under the headboard and the extra blanket folded neatly at the foot of the rack—rack—that's Navy talk for bed.

It was a simple task—mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle-hardened SEALs—but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.

If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day … By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right. And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better. If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.

We hear that story this morning, and I don’t know about you… but there are seasons of life where I hit it out of the park so to speak. Seasons, where I’m motivated, and moving fast, and getting a lot done. Times of passion and energy and determination. It’s like a scene out of rocky running up the stairs in Philadelphia… there’s times where you seem to really be on top of the world.

But then there are other moments. Slower moments. Moments in life, where it’s all you can do just to get out of bed. You ever been there before?

You see for me… just be transparent, I can do a day of cold, grey skies… I can do a few days at a time of cold grey skies… maybe even a week, that’s ambitious… I can do a week of cold, grey skies… but what happens, when its not just one week, or two, or three, but going on 4 weeks of cold grey skies. Friends, it makes it tough.

And the question becomes, what do we do when… The going it gets tough? How do we respond?

You see as I was coming into the church this week, and preparing for this message… I thought the Lord was leading us in the direction of Luke 3. We finished Luke 2 last week, and so I thought we were going to continue with the book of Luke all the way up to Easter. And then God brought me to 1 Kings. Because for you this morning, you need to hear this word… but friends, this is a message I’m living out in some ways today.

For some of us, we know what it’s like to be going along just fine and then “wham!” WE HIT A Brick Wall One moment, were (seemingly) on cloud 9, the next, were crashing back to earth. One moment, we’re getting good news, the next… bad news. One moment, where things are looking up, the next… not so much. And the question is how do we respond when the going gets tough? The world will tell you… when the going gets tough…. “the tough get going.”

Turn with me to 1 Kings 17 as we see, when the going gets tough: 1. Focus on what you have.

2. Trust God at His word. 3. Cry Out.

1. When the going gets tough… Focus on what you have

1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

2 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” 5 So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath

7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” 12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

As we look through the scripture, one thing I love about much of the Old Testament is it really spells out a lot of the details. I don’t know about you, but oftentimes, when I read the New Testament, there’s a lot of ground that can be covered in just a small amount of detail… well here, it we’re given quite a bit of the story to kind of wrestle and chew on this morning.

And these verses are broken into 3 sections. In 2 verses, we’re introduced to a man by the name of Elijah who is a prophet. In other words, he was sent divinely by God, to communicate to Israel as Israel has largely repealed against God. Saul has long came and gone as King, David came and went, as did Solomon. Israel has been divided into 2 parts. Instead of 12 tribes making up Israel, now 10 tribes make up The northern parts of the kingdom of Israel while 2 tribes, that of Judah and Benjamin will make up the kingdom of Judah. And each of these respective kingdoms would have their own respective kings until they were taken captive, Israel by the Assyrians, and later Judah by the Babylonians.

So that’s where we’re at… we’re in this season of kings, following the death of Soloman… God has tried to get Israel’s attention, and so he has sent a drought against the land. And it’s at this juncture that we’re introduced to the scripture of 1 kings 17. We’re introduced to a man, by the name of Eljah the Tishbite. Whose very name Elijah means: “The Lord is God.” and His very name would greatly represent his purpose, as God would use Elijah to confront Baalism and Idol worship. We’re told:

1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

Now for us here in Northwest Ohio, the idea of no rain has a different effect than it would for most of the country. In California, where my wife is from for instance, no rain is just like another Saturday afternoon. It’s not a huge deal. But even for Californians … no rain has major implications. You see, no rain starts to affect not only the potential for wildfires, no rain where have a great impact on livestock, the fishing industry, and something we can all relate with this morning… farming…

To put it simply… no rain in farming… and what happens to the crops? No crops…

And it’s at this point that we’re introduced to a particular unnamed widow in vs 7.

We’re told: 7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”

So, we go from the first few verses in which God uses ravens to feed Elijah… which, that’s crazy… to know Elijah goes to Zarephath where he will be taken care of. Now Zarephath is important because it’s a coastal Mediterranean city notorious for its idol and Baal worship. Baal being the God of rains and fertility who was also believed could revive the dead would prove to be useless in this story, and God would receive the glory.

But again, Elijah has to eat, and it’s at this point, that his story intercepts the story of this gentile widow. And the problem isn’t the water… he asks if she would get him a little water… ok… no problem… vs 11 but oh, by the way… 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread. And it’s at this point. the story takes a turn.

Because she replies back and says: hey that bread you want… vs 12… 12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

Now I want us to notice both of them have the same problem. Both Elijah and this woman are hungry. They’re both going through a drought. Elijah had actually asked God for this drought, right?! But unlike the woman, who were told in verse 13 is afraid, who’s fearful. Elijah… is faithful. You see, it’s the same problem, but it’s two different approaches.

You see, Elijah was told to go to Zarephath, and this woman the bible tells us has already been directed to supply Elijah with food. In other words, God already told this woman to provided food for Elijah. So, when Elijah Asks for the food, he’s probably thinking to himself, “hey god already directed this widow to provide the food.” So, in Elijahs mind, it’s good as done. But this widow, she’s not looking at what she has, she’s looking at what she doesn’t have.

You see, she was so caught up in what she didn’t have… she didn’t have bread… that she forgot the fact that she had the very ingredients to make bread.

You know what’s crazy? Do you know what’s needed for bread? Any guesses? You can make bread with 3-4 ingredients. Water (we’ve got that… check…), olive oil (or oil of some sort)… yep, check. And finally… flour… do we have any flour? Yep, we’ve got that too. If you’ve got salt and you want to add that, that’s great, if you’re not making unleavened bread and you want to add yeast, that’s fine too… You want a little poppy seed, or asiago knock yourself out… but again, flour, water, oil.

She had everything she needed. But here’s the key, she forgot to focus on what she had…

I’m reminded of a tourist named Ivan who was swimming in the ocean at Myti Beach in Greece when he was carried away by a series of powerful currents. Friends alerted the nearby coast guard, but they couldn’t find him, and he along with a friend were eventually declared to be lost at sea.

But 18 hours later, rescuers pulled Ivan out of the ocean, cold and shaken, but alive. That’s because shortly after his ocean ordeal began, he found an unexpected floatation device--a children’s ball. Just like Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away, Ivan found himself clinging onto the ball for survival, except rather than a volleyball, it was a child-sized soccer ball.

Ivan’s recovery was covered extensively in Greek national media, and several newspapers carried the photo where he posed with his grateful father, the mayor of Kassandra, and the fateful ball. The ball in the photo caught the attention of a mom who recognized it as the toy her son lost at the beach 10 days prior. Not only had the sea currents pulled the ball over 80 miles before he was able to grab onto it, but Ivan testified that the ball was only half-inflated. In Ivan’s home region of north Macedonia, people are rightfully calling it a miracle.

You see Ivan wasn’t sent a lifejacket, a floating inner tube, or even a massive fish to swallow him. Ivan was given a soccer ball. He started with what he had… and it proved to be sufficient.

Church, today… what do we have. What has God given us?

You see I’m reminded of the old gospel hymn “Count your Blessings.” We know this hymn.

Count you’re many blessings… name them one by one… count your many blessings see what God has done.

Church, we don’t start with what we don’t have… we start with what we do have. Are we doing that this morning???

2. When the going gets tough… Trust God at his word

Now we should be trusting God all the time…

13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

As we look at the scripture, we see 13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son and in many ways, this would be a leap of faith for the woman.

Afterall, up until this point Elijah has been a stranger to this woman. Also, this woman has limited resources on hand. And finally, If we pull up vs 12 again for a moment, we see this woman say: 12 “As surely as the Lord yourGod lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread… In other words, based on this statement, there is no indication of a personal faith in God on her part…

But still, Elijah goes on to say in Vs 14 . 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’

You see there’s a moment where she can choose to respond in faith to the word of God. to “What the Lord, the God of Israel says…” or not.

You see it stands to reason that up until this time the people had put their hope in false gods. Specifically, Baal. The god of rain and fertility who couldn’t seem to provide for this woman in her time of need.

And here’s the key is she could look to God in this moment, and he would see her through. He would provide.

we’re told: 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.

I came across a story this week that explains. I grew up in Newfoundland, Canada. In 1972, our seventh-grade French class decided to take a special weekend trip to the French Islands just off our southern coast. The entire weekend was going to cost each student $50—a large sum of money, I thought. I really wanted to experience a French culture, and I thought it would do wonders for my grasp of the French language. But I assumed my parents couldn't afford it, so rather than put my parents in the awkward position of saying no, I decided not to ask.

Imagine my surprise a couple of years later when my sister arrived home from school and announced that her class was taking a 14-day Mediterranean cruise. This trip was not going to cost $50, but $1,000. Then she blurted out, "Mom, can I go?" What audacity!

Much to my surprise, my mom and dad declared, "Well, we don't quite know where we'll find the money, but we will find it. Of course, you can go on the Mediterranean cruise!"

This has taught me something about prayer. Do I sometimes fail to ask God for what is on my heart? Do I think his resources are scarce? Does my failure to ask indicate that my faith is small or that I assume God is unwilling to give what is good? My sister and my parents taught me more about prayer that day than they will ever know.

You see the bible tells:

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!Matthew 7:7-11

Church, God knows what we need before we even ask. And when the going gets tough, the last thing we may want to do is ask God. But church, God our loving fathers tells us to ask him. He tells us to Go to Him. He tells us to trust Him at His word. Would we be willing to do that today?

3. When the going gets tough… Cry out

17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”

19 “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”

22 The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!” 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”

For the sake of time, we won’t spend a ton of time on this last point; but what I do want us to see is when it seems like things couldn’t get much worse for this woman, they do… The bible says that her child dies

17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. and as we just read, we know the story, we know how it ends for this woman and her son… But in these moments, there’s a great deal of pain for this woman and likely even Elijah, as the bible indicates a level of time has passed. But how does Elijah respond? What does Elijah do? The bible says vs 20:

20 Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” 22 The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.

You see Elijah asked God why he had allowed this happen, why God had allowed this pain to happen to this family in the first place. There’s nothing wrong with that. But in the midst of heartache and despair. Listen, Elijah Cries out to God.

When things don’t make sense, when things don’t feel Good…. Elijah cries out to God, and what does God do? God answers him. The Lord heard Elijah’s Cry.

I’m going to call the worship team back up at this time…

1. You’re in a season of tough. Things don’t feel Good. Season of Pain.

2. Maybe you’re in a season of uncertainty. Questions.

3. Maybe you’re in a season of doubt.