Both as worship leaders and as worshipers in the congregation we often fall into the rut of giving God all our praise only when we feel His blessings. Yet God is pushing us and prodding us as he did with the simple story of Elijah and the widow. At the beginning of this story we see that God had provided for Elijah miraculously for a while by a hidden stream and had sent the birds to bring him food. But one day Elijah got fresh instructions from God. He could hardly believe his ears. "Go to the village of Zarephath and I have told a poor widow to take care of you."
That might have been a very humbling instruction for the prophet, who had shaken the kingdom. Elijah obeyed, but when he arrived he discovered this widow was not only poor, she was so destitute that she was gathering sticks to make a fire and cook her last meal for herself and her son. Then Elijah came and asked her to cook that meal and give it to him by faith!
That is where God's challenge comes to us today. Maybe we are not physically in such a place as this widow , but spiritually we are feeling that there is only enough for just one more step and then we will die. Nothing has be blessed in our work. There is no sign of blessing even among anyone we know. There is nothing left and God has seemed far away. yet what she did have, like us, is just a little more. There is just one little bit left in our spiritual cupboard. God sees that little bit and He comes asking for it to be given away!
If we really still put our trust in God, we only have one answer to give him. "Here is my all. I am giving it to who you send me Lord. Lord, you are enough for me."
Faith in worship is not about those times when we can see the blessing and where it is so apparent that God is present. Worship in action is about those moments when we have just a little left and God asks for us to give that away too. Will we trust him with our all? Will we choose to really worship today?
That might have been a very humbling instruction for the prophet, who had shaken the kingdom. Elijah obeyed, but when he arrived he discovered this widow was not only poor, she was so destitute that she was gathering sticks to make a fire and cook her last meal for herself and her son. Then Elijah came and asked her to cook that meal and give it to him by faith!
That is where God's challenge comes to us today. Maybe we are not physically in such a place as this widow , but spiritually we are feeling that there is only enough for just one more step and then we will die. Nothing has be blessed in our work. There is no sign of blessing even among anyone we know. There is nothing left and God has seemed far away. yet what she did have, like us, is just a little more. There is just one little bit left in our spiritual cupboard. God sees that little bit and He comes asking for it to be given away!If we really still put our trust in God, we only have one answer to give him. "Here is my all. I am giving it to who you send me Lord. Lord, you are enough for me."
Faith in worship is not about those times when we can see the blessing and where it is so apparent that God is present. Worship in action is about those moments when we have just a little left and God asks for us to give that away too. Will we trust him with our all? Will we choose to really worship today?
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