Friday, June 23, 2023. - International Widow's Day
BE GENEROUS (I)
Read: 1 Kings 17: 8-16
[8]Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
[9]“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
[10]So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.”
[11]And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
[12]So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, 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 make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.
[14]For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ ”
[15]So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.
[16]The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah. Elijah Revives the Widow’s Son
MEMORISE: Luke 6:30
[30]Give away to everyone who begs of you [who is in want of necessities], and of him who takes away from you your goods, do not demand or require them back again.
EXPOSITION
Today Commemorates International Widow's Day, The story of the Widow of Zarephath teaches us some inportant lessons on generosity. Of course, she wanted to make the last bread to feed her son and herself so that they could eat and die. Then came this man of God from nowhere; asking her to serve him first. Putting yourself in her shoe. what would you have done? In the contemporary times, when there is acute selfishness and stinginess in the heart of people, hardly would there be anyone who would have done what the woman did eventually. Out of generosity, she pushed her son's need and that of her own aside, to meet the need of the stranger. That was marvelous! She ceased being in lack throughout the famine period because she was generous and followed the divine agenda (1 Kgs. 17:8-16).
The Bible says, "Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed (Prov. 11:24,25; NLT). Some of us ought to have become very prosperous but for our stinginess and selfishness. Your unwillingness to part with the little in your hand, has made the abundance which God intends for you to elude you. The Bible teaches one of the principles of financial freedom and abundant blessing:
1. Give freely and become more wealthy;
2. Be stingy and lose everything
3. Be generous and prosper
4. Refresh others and refreshed.
Principle simply means, ways of doing things, a code of conduct against which success or fulfilment cannot be achieved.
Generosity is one of the principles of life, it is give and take, that is, cause and effect. When you do something, some things will definitely take place. A man of God told God that the financial blessings he getting is too much. that God should stop or reduce it. In response, God told him that He would stop blessing him when he too stops giving. Continuous giving means continuous and constant receiving from God.There is no two ways about it. Read Luke 6:38.
SUGGESTED HYMN FOR TODAY: CAC GHB 656
1. There shall be showers of blessing,"
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Saviour above
Showers of blessing
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy drops round us are falling
But for the showers we plead.
2. "There shall be showers of blessing:"
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys
Sound of abundance of rain.
3. "There shall be showers of blessinig."
Sent them upon us, O Lord!
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honour Thy word.
4. "There shall be showers of blessing:"
Oh that today they might fall,
Now as to God we're confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call.
Amen.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. The spirit of silent or subtle stinginess that is eating up my blessing's and financial prosperities leave my life by fire in Jesus name.
2. The gřace of giving like the Maçedonian church (2 Cor. 8:1-7) come speedily upOn my life in Jesus name.
3. Deliver Your Church o,Lord, from the evil of selfishness, Stinginess and possesşiveness that is ravaging her, and let the generosity of the early Church, thàt made them have all things in common, come upon her.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Psalms 61-64
