Good morning! This morning I want to take a few minutes to talk about Elijah from the Bible. Within the passages of the book of I Kings, Elijah is portrayed as a very obedient man. “Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.'” (I Kings 17:8-9)

If God instructed you to go find a widow, you’d probably think that was just crazy! So often, He will ask us to do things that on the outside don’t look right – but there is always a greater purpose.

In this case, Elijah’s obedience paid off! “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, ‘Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.’ As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.’” (I Kings 10-11)

This is where the story gets more interesting, because the widow doesn’t have any bread and she doesn’t have enough flour and oil to make more.

“For thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth.’ So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through Elijah.”
~ I Kings 17:14-16

God’s plans are never just about you. You see, at the time Elijah came to her with what sounds like a simple request, the widow and her son were about to die of starvation! But because Elijah followed the Lord’s word and because she was obedient as well, the flour and oil never ran out! God multiplied her resources.

Are you lacking faith in your relationships, finances, career or business? If so, you might not be following the directions the Lord has set before you. Some of those directions come straight from the Bible!

Here is a quick outline of what the Bible directs you to do in each area of your life:

• Finances: Pay off your debt and stop spending like a fool!
• Work: Work with excellence and diligence. Are you lazy or distracted at work?
• Health: Are you eating the right foods and taking care of yourself?
• Marriage: Love your spouse like you love Jesus
• Kids: Encourage, correct, encourage.
• Vision: Create one! A man with no vision, will perish.
• Yourself: Shut down your excuses, humble that ego, repent and follow directions!

If you aren’t following these directions, you are being disobedient. Which means you are not only missing out on the grace and provision Elijah was granted, but you are not able to bless the people around you, either. There are people out there who will not become who they are meant to be, if you do not become who you are supposed to be!

Did you just find out you are being disobedient? The good news is that everyone gets off track sometimes. I went broke, was embezzled from, had a nervous breakdown, a near-fatal heart condition, in my past all because I was not following the basic directions He has outlined for us again and again and again in the Bible.

Where have you been rebellious? Let me know in your comments below and Like and Share this checklist while you are at it!

In great faith,