November 5, 2023 – Our Compelling Mission
– 1 Kings 17:7-16
This message begins our new series “Great is Your Faithfulness.” We will look at the story of Elijah and his encounter with a widow from Zaraphath. Our message will focus on our call to faithfulness to God’s mission. Paul writes in 2 Corintians 5:14-15, “For Christ’s love compels us.” What is our compelling mission?”
1 Kings 17:7-16
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
7 But after a while the wadi dried up because there was no rain in the land.
The Widow of Zarephath
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there, for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” 11 As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; 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 meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.” 15 She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.