TODAY’S MANNA TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2018. TOPIC: DOWN TO THE LAST PENNY

TODAY’S MANNA

TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2018

TOPIC: DOWN TO THE LAST PENNY
TEXT: 1 KINGS 17:8-16
1) THE KEY VERSE: 
“And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die” (1 Kings 17:12).
2) THE TEXT:

(1 KINGS 17: 8 – 16 KJV)
“8. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
9. Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
10. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12. And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
15. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.”
3) THE MESSAGE:
i) It is easy to be generous when things are going well and there is enough to spare. Anyone who makes a request at such time may be fortunate to have it granted.
ii) But when things become tough, doing good is hardly considered by most people because the human nature is prone to be concerned with oneself and not others.
iii) The case of the widow under our textual glare was even worse.

a) Apart from being a widow, there was national economic crisis; with no hope of getting support from anyone. 

b) She and her son were at their wit’s end. She was getting ready for the worst – eat the last meal and wait for death.
iv) It was at this time that Elijah appeared and made a demand on her already strained and spent resource. But this hard request brought breakthrough for the woman. 
v) Sometimes, the finite, human nature thinks God is inconsiderate when He makes demands during hard times. Some think sincere pastors and prophets are insensitive to their members’ plight when they demand support for the work of God. So, they prefer to wait until a favourable time before they can support God’s work. This is unbelief. 
vi) Real faith and love for God is demonstrated when we are willing to give to God even in difficult situations. 
vii) He must always be considered first before our personal needs. This act of faith is vital for breakthrough. 
viii) Our obedience to God must be primary. Our giving to Him must be accorded the highest priority. Our service and devotion to His cause must be uppermost because whatsoever we possess comes from Him.
4) THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: 
Radical faith gets radical results.
5) BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: 
ISAIAH 5-8
Good morning😁😁😁