Can God?

1 Kings 17:1-24 CAN GOD REALLY MEET YOUR NEED?

My brothers and sisters, I want you to listen to me real close this morning. There’s something that ties each and every one of us together, something that we all share no matter where we come from or what we've been through. And that, my friends, is needs! Yes, I said it—needs! Every soul in this sanctuary today has needs, and I ain’t just talking about wants or desires, I’m talking about real, honest-to-God needs!

You see, there are times in life when the bills are due, the pantry is bare, and it feels like you don’t have two nickels to rub together. Those are material needs, and we all know what that's like. But it doesn’t stop there. Sometimes, the tears roll down, the heart feels heavy, and you can’t seem to find your peace. Those are emotional needs, my friends. And let’s not forget about the physical needs—when the body is weak, the pain is real, and the health is failing.

But this morning, I want to talk about the times when the soul is thirsty, when the spirit feels dry, and when it seems like the heavens are made of brass. Those are spiritual needs. What do we do when needs arise? Our first instinct might be to worry, to let anxiety creep in. But the Word of God tells us, "Be anxious for nothing," Philippians 4:6, and "Do not worry about your life," Matthew 6:25-33.

What about those times when we’ve done all we can do? When we’ve exhausted every resource, when we’ve knocked on every door, and all we have left is our own inability staring us in the face? What do we do then?

Let me tell you something profound yet simple. It’s an answer straight from the mouth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He said, “Have faith in God,” Mark 11:22. That’s right! Have faith in God! I’m here to tell you this morning, we serve a God in Heaven who is faithful and true, who can and will take care of His children!

Now, when our needs show up, doubt tries to sneak in. The devil whispers in our ear, “Can God really meet your needs?” And if we’re not careful, we might start believing that lie. But I came here today to confront that doubt and to declare, “God Can!” God can meet your needs, whatever they are!

So this morning, as we dive into this message, I want you to hold on to this truth. God can and God will meet your needs. Let’s journey through this chapter and see why we can trust our mighty God to provide!

I. THE MANY SIDES OF OUR NEEDS

(Often our needs arise from strange and varied sources. Three are mentioned in this passage.)

A. V. 1-7 An Uncommon Service - Elijah's broke didn’t dry up until he was obedient to God. He was just doing what he was told and then his need came. (Ill. There are times when you seem to be doing everything just like you are supposed to be doing it. You are paying your tithes, you are going to church, you are living right and still there are troubles and problems that plague your life. Why does that take us by surprise? Jesus said it would be this way, John 16:33. Whoever got people to believing that once we came to Jesus for salvation that all our troubles were behind us, pulled off the greatest lie of the ages. In truth, instead of being a hedge against trouble, your salvation often opens the door for problems in your life. The truth of the matter is that we can expect life to a time filled with trouble, Job 14:1. Instead of standing around with our mouths hanging open when trouble comes, we are supposed to rejoice, 1 Pet. 12-13, At the very least, we shouldn't be surprised!)

B. V. 9-12 An Uncontrollable Situation - These verses reveal a widow woman who was suffering need because of the wrongdoing of others. Because of the sin of Ahab, Jezebel and the nation of Israel, God sent a drought that affected the area where this widow lived. She was just caught up in an unfortunate situation. - you ever felt like trouble just be finding you?

C. V. 17-18 An Untimely Sorrow - In these verses, we find a woman who has given much to the Lord and she has received much from the Lord, yet she is thrown into a time of grief over the untimely death of her only son. Her world, which seemed to be on track, derailed and filled her with sorrow and pain. (Ill. Ever been there? It seems like things couldn't get any better. The Lord has been blessing and you have been enjoying the best that God has to give and then the bottom falls out and all of your hopes and dreams come crashing down around you. It hurts! But, we shouldn't be surprised when things take a turn in this direction. After all, if it could happen to faithful, holy Job, then it could happen to any person in this room, Job 1-2.) (Ill. Let's face it, our troubles have a way of overtaking us when we aren't expecting them. They sneak up on us and they body slam us and leave us dazed, hurting and confused. I just praise the Lord today that our troubles do not have the last word in this matter!)

I. The Many Sides Of Our Needs

II. THE MANIFEST SUPPLY OF OUR GOD:

Just because it caught you by surprise does not mean that it caught God by surprise.

In fact, He knew it was going to happen before the foundation of the world. I'll go a step further and say that He even orchestrated this event in your life to help you become more like Him, Rom. 8:28 All things work together...Since God knew about, and since He even had a hand in it, He has also made some preparations for it. You see, your need is merely the evidence of God's supply for you in waiting.)

A. V. 3-4 God's Past Preparations - Thousands of years before Elijah needed a drink of cool, clear water, the finger of God traced out the path of this little brook. God knew that His servant would need this provision and God made away for Elijah long before the need ever arose. Ill. The name of the brook was "Cherith". This is a word which means "cutting." Isn't it good to know that God made a way to "cut" Elijah's thirst before Elijah ever got thirsty? (Ill. No where is God's past provision more clearly seen that in the area of our salvation. Before there was ever a sinner to save, God has already given up His Son Jesus to be the means of salvation for all who would place their faith in Him. God met your salvation needs before you ever had any! If God can meet this greatest of all needs, and He did! Then He will have no problem taking care of you!)

B. V. 6 God's Present Supply - In this verse, we see Elijah being fed by the ravens. God knew that His man needed to eat and God supplied the necessities of life for the man of God. Notice that God's methods were at the same time miraculous and ordinary. They were miraculous in that God used ravens to bring food to the prophet and ordinary in that He used a common fowl of the air to get His will done.) C. V. 14 God's Promise For Tomorrow

English Standard Version Chapter 17

8 Then 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.” 10 So 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.” 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 And 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.” 13 And 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. 14 For 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.’ ” 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.

(Ill. Elijah's demand and the widow's response. Elijah tells her not to worry, because the Lord will give her what she needs out into the future!) (Ill. The future is always uncertain and we never know what kinds of needs may arise as soon as tomorrow, but we have the precious promise of the Lord that He is with us, Heb. 13:5, that He knows the way we take, Job 23:10 and that He will look out for us all the way home to glory! I may not know what will come in the morning, but I do know One who has already been to tomorrow. He knows what will happen and He has already made preparations for my arrival, John 14:2. No matter where the road of life leads, no matter what problems arise, God is always ready with the necessary means to meet the need of His children.) (Ill. Israel at Marah - Ex. 15. Ill. Hagar in the wilderness - Gen. 21:19. If God would do it for them, He will do it for you - Acts 10:34.)

I. The Many Sides Of Our Needs

II. The Manifest Supply Of Our God

III. THE MARVELOUS SECRET FOR GETTING YOUR NEED MET

(If the secret can be summed up in one word, I would have to say that the word would be "faith"! This faith must manifest itself in four areas of life and they are illustrated here for you and me.)

A. V. 3 There Must Be Faith In The Will Of God - "One thing about God's will, you can never see God's will before it happens. You can only see at the end of it." ~ Ray Lewis Elijah

Elijah had just confronted the King of Israel and now God is sending him into the wilderness. It must have been a little confusing, but God's people must learn to place their faith in the will of God. (Ill. Often, God's will and our will are 2 entirely different animals. But, the secret of getting your need met by God is trusting that God knows what is best for your life and by being willing to submit to His will even when you don't understand it. God can bless and use a surrendered life.) (When the mist of life hides the God of glory from view, you must rest assured that He is there and that He is faithfully executing His plan for the ages, and for your life!) B. V. 9 There Must Be Faith In The Ways Of God - (Imagine how Elijah felt when his brook dried up and the ravens quit bringing food and God comes along and sends him to a widow so she can keep him up. Widows were poor, they weren't known for putting on the dog. But, Elijah knew that God knew more about taking care of prophets than Elijah did and he just went.) (Ill. If you try to sit around and worry about what's happening in your life and if you spend your time trying to figure out what God is doing, you will go crazy. You can't understand God and you can't figure Him out! If you could, He would cease to be God and you would become God. You were God, then you could fix your own mess and you wouldn't need Him anyway! We must have faith in the great truth that God knows what He is doing and we must learn to trust God's ways, Isa. 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.") C. V. 13-16 There Must Be Faith In The Work Of God - (Put yourself is this widow's place. She is at the point of starvation, she and her son have enough food left for one final meal and they plan to lie down and starve to death. Then, here comes the preacher! He tells her to feed him first. It must have been a real trial of faith for this woman to make that great a sacrifice, but she placed her faith in the Work of God. Notice, verse 13, she is told to "go and do...", verse 15 tells us that "she went and did..." This is key, but is often missed by people when they face a trial of life. If you have submitted your life to the Lord and are faithfully engaged in carrying out His will in the world, you are on the Lord's pay roll and you are His responsibility. Too often we forget to Whom we belong, 1 Cor. 6:20; Matt. 6:25-33.) D. V. 14 There Must Be Faith In The Word Of God - (Ill. This widow woman entered this valley of testing with the greatest promise ever to be given to anyone. Did you see it? Don't miss this! Verse 14, the prophet gives her the promise in the form of a seven word statement, "thus saith the Lord God of Israel..." When you have God's word on an issue, that issue is settled forever! This woman had the promise of God to back up her faith. Now, we all know that "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Therefore, when we read the statement of David in Psalm 37:25, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.", then we can place our faith in that! Folks, the devil will lie to you, the world will lie to you, your family and friends will lie to you, but you can rest assured that while the universe stands and there is a great God in Heaven He will never lie to you! And if God said that He would look after your need, then you can take that to the bank of eternity and know that it will draw interest forever. You can place your faith in the Word of God.)

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

Isaiah 41:10

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Philippians 4:19

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Romans 8:28

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Psalm 23:1-4

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

Isaiah 40:31

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

James 1:5

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

2 Chronicles 7:14

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

E. V. 17-24 There Must Be Faith In The Wonder Of God (Ill. The context. This faithful widow's son died suddenly and she went to the man of God for help. Now, as far as I can determine, this is the first account of a resurrection in the Bible. Elijah had never seen one, nor had he heard of one, but he believed that God could produce one by His great power. Here is one of the great keys to getting your needs met by God. It is simply coming to the place where you just believe God is big enough to handle your problem. It is reaching the place Paul came to when he made the matchless declaration found in Ephesians 3:20, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us," When we get beyond "God could and God might", and we come to the place where we become confident that "God can and God will", then we will see business pick up in that area of seeing our need met. Those who see God consistently come through for them in strange and miraculous ways are people who know God can and will.) (Ill. Daniel, the 3 Hebrews, David, Noah, etc.)

(Ill. Does the word "faith" sum up your life? It should! We are to be a people of faith, Hab. 2:4. Faith looks beyond the present pain and sees a God who can and will. Are you there yet?)

Conc: I know this message hasn't been earth shaking and deeply profound, but I hope it has opened our eyes to the truth that if God can do anything, then God can meet your need! Since we know from the Bible that God can, why not bring your needs, your burdens and your worries and fears to Him this morning and find out that not only can He, but that He will also!

Maybe you need is that of salvation, you can come and have that need met today. Maybe yours is a material or physical need. You can come and find the assurance that God will take care of that too. Maybe you need is emotional in nature, God can handle that! Whatever the need bring it to God! Satan and the flesh say, "Can God?" Those who walk in faith rest their head on the precious promises of the Word of God and in blessed assurance reply back, "God can, God can!"