A Mother's Choice

Choices are based on multiple of factors. The most important choices should be maid on faith. Today we see a mother make a choice that changed her whole life. She went from hopeless to hopeful! Here situation went from despair to repair. All because she made the right choice by faith.

There has been a lot of discussion the week about a women’s right to choose. The leaked supreme court draft has the Country up in arms. Left me just say that as a black Baptist preacher i support a women’s right to chose what the do with their bodies. This who thing that its a Christian belief to right to life does not hold much water with me if you force a woman to have a child then cit off every resource that mother can get to make sure that child thrives. My pro life beliefs are child care, universal preschool, access to healthy foods and clean water, clean air and safe streets. My pro life stance is keeping child alive and thriving after they are born.

Yes there are some difficult choices we face every day. Are we able to make those decision form the lens of faith. Yes Faith Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb 11:1). As we learn in Sunday School. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. (Ro 8:24–25). This choice demonstrate how the faith we have in God will bring us hope in hopeless situations.

This woman being a widow is even more significant than her just being a woman. First we can summarize this women became a widow an early. text will determine her son was young. If she was in typical child bearing years she was a young widow.

Elijah is told by God go to Zerapheth and there a widow has been told to l sustain you, Look at verse 8 again 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.” (1 Ki 17:8–9). Before Elijah had even arrived the woman had heard from God. Yet between the time of Elijah arrival and the Lords command. She had given up hope. He flour barrel is about empty. and he olive oil is low. Have you ever been down to you last? Many times i can say between the time I heard from the Lord and the actual time he showed up things were critical. But God showed up on time. James said 2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (Jas 1:2–4).

So first we must trust God while we wait

1. The replenishing of the food (17:8–16)

a. Elijah’s request (17:8–12): Elijah finds the widow and asks her for bread and water. She says that she has no food left except a handful of flour and some cooking oil.

b. Elijah’s reassurance (17:13–16)

(1) The prediction (17:13–14): Elijah tells her that there will always be plenty of flour and oil in her containers until the famine has ended.

(2) The provision (17:15–16): The widow cooks Elijah his meal, and everything happens exactly as Elijah said.

Be Obedient to the Word of God

The request is make a cake for the man of God first. How odd is that. We know its enough meal to make a cake for her and her son then death is the likely outcome.

Yet ELijah said make the cake for me first then for you and your son. So she had to make little cakes. She had to stretch that little bit. Everything hinges on the words of the prophet. HE SAID MAKE ME THE CAKE FIRST Verse 13 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.’

(1 Ki 17:13–14).

Either you will trust the Lord or not. So many make this about giving to the man of God. Its about being obedient to the word of God. Our will be tested in multi able ways. We must do what the Lord says do! No matter how difficult it is, No matter how strange it seems. If the Lord said do it do it!

You will need the Lord again.

Her sons death