Why God Waits Until the Last Minute to Provide Your Miracle | Jonathan Evans

Does God wait SO LATE? HE SHOWS UP AT THE END. God will wait until the end for his greater glory, for when he decides to end the wait. But you got to understand that this is how God works. BUT IT'S GOOD TIMING, NOT FOR YOU, BUT IT'S HOW HE WORKS TILL THE END BECAUSE HE'S HE'S SETTING YOU UP FOR A MIRACLE.

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." 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." But she said, "As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar.

And behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son that we may eat it and die." Then Elijah said to her, "Do not fear. Go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first, and bring it out to me.

And afterward, you may make one for yourself and for your son. 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. It was the best of times.

It was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom. It was the age of foolishness. It was the epic of belief. It was the epic of incredulity. It was the season of light. It was the season of darkness. It was the spring of hope. It was the winter of despair.

We had everything before us. We had nothing before us. This is a famous phrase from Charles Dickinson of the tale of two cities. The reality is we all know that life has its ups and its downs. If you live life, you know that life be life-ing. And it takes YOU THROUGH ALL OF ITS INS and outs.

AND THAT IS JUST THE FACT OF LIFE. REMINDS ME OF THAT SHOW growing up. I don't know if you remember that show, The Facts of Life. Let me let me see if you really remember it. Come on, Eartha, help me out. 
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 He takes the good, he takes the bad, he takes them both, and then you have Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Let's do one more time. I want to hear them again. He takes the good, he takes the bad, he takes them both, and then you have 
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 Okay. Okay. And just in case you didn't grow up on that, um let me just do a church one.

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 I've had some good days. I've had some hills to climb. Okay, that's enough. That's enough. THAT'S ENOUGH. Y'ALL DIDN'T KNOW. Y'ALL DIDN'T KNOW. Y'ALL YEAH, I KNOW. Y'all didn't know. Y'all didn't realize. You thought it was just Anthony. You know what I'm saying? 
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 That's enough. That's enough. The reality is WE'RE TAUGHT IN OUR LIFE THAT that is just the fact of life.

That it goes up and it goes down. And many of you have experienced it. Let me just see if you've experienced the joy of childbirth in your family, raise your hand. If you've experienced loss in your family, raise your hand. All throughout the room, you see the facts of life.

If you're in a season of purposefulness, raise your hand. You're living in your purpose. If you're in a season where you feel like it's purposeless, raise your hand. You're still trying to find your way. These are the facts OF LIFE. IF YOU'RE IN A SEASON RIGHT NOW OF ABUNDANCE, let me see your hand.

If you're in a season now of drought, let me see your hand. See, all throughout the room, in our church today and even online as you watch, it's the facts of life. Here in our scripture reading today, we're experiencing A FACT OF LIFE WITH THE WITH ELIJAH AND THE WIDOW called a drought.

And we want to know, IN A DROUGHT, HOW DO you experience the provision of God? Can there be overflow in a drought? And when I was reading and studying this and I looked at 1 Kings, the beginning at chapter 17 verses 8 and 9, it says, "Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying, 'Arise.

Go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon. And stay there, and behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.'" Now, I don't know IF YOU KNOW IT OR NOT, BUT WHEN I WAS STUDYING THIS, I WAS THINKING that's crazy. You're in a drought, and the word of the Lord comes TO YOU AND TELLS YOU TO GO TO ZAREPHATH, which is located in Sidon.

And in a drought, God has a widow there who's going to provide for you. I didn't understand it. I didn't I couldn't quite get it that that WORD WOULD COME TO ELIJAH AND THAT HE WOULD obey that word. AND SO WHILE I WAS STUDYING THIS, I SAID TO MYSELF, "I WISH ELIJAH WAS HERE so I COULD ASK HIM MYSELF WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH HIS MIND when he received that word."

Oh, look. What do you know? There he is. I guess on this Sunday we get to just go ask him. HEY ELIJAH, WHAT'S GOING ON? I'M JONATHAN. JONATHAN, uh uh King Saul's boy. No. No. NO. NO. NO. TONY EVANS' SON, BUT YOU WOULDN'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THAT. OKAY.

Pleased to meet you, Jonathan. Hey man, WHERE ARE YOU GOING? ME? OH, I'm headed to Zarephath in order to see a widow about some food. Yeah, I'm struggling with this. You're headed to Zarephath, which is in Sidon, to meet a widow about some food in a drought. THAT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME.

IT SOUNDS CRAZY. WELL, I guess it does sound a little crazy when you slow it down and say it like that. But yeah, that's right. Okay. I'm still trying to get this straight. So you're not going to pause on it, pontificate about it, try to figure it out.

You're not going to ask a bunch of questions, try to justify it in your own mind, this crazy command that you've received from God. Why would you do that? Because the Lord told me to. You see, I have history with God. I did it because he said so.

Okay, hold on. Hold on. You can't just walk away with the gangster walk. Hold on. Hold on. You mean to tell me that you obeyed that command simply because he said so? Because he said so. Because he said so. Because he said so. 
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 I wonder what it would be like IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IF CHRISTIANS OBEYED God because he said so.

Do you understand the faith of Elijah? To obey THAT WORD SIMPLY BECAUSE GOD SAID SO? HE'S IN A DROUGHT, AND GOD TELLS HIM TO GO TO ZAREPHATH, which is IN SIDON. SIDON SIDON IS A PLACE OF BAAL WORSHIP. Sidon is a place of Jezebel. SIDON IS A PLACE THAT'S TOTALLY AGAINST GOD.

AND THEN HE SAYS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GO THERE AND I'M GOING TO PROVIDE FOR YOU BY THE POOREST person in the land, a widow. A widow in Sidon would be the FIRST PERSON TO RUN OUT of resources in a drought. And God's command to him IS DO WHAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE BECAUSE I SAID SO.

How are YOU GOING TO TELL ME TO GO TO A PAGAN land and be provided for by the poorest person? THAT MAKES NO SENSE. AND ELIJAH DID IT SIMPLY BECAUSE God said so? I need y'all TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD WILL GIVE AN ABNORMAL command because he's trying to set you up for an ABNORMAL PROVISION.

WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW GOD SPEAKS. HE DOES NOT SPEAK LIKE YOU THINK HE WILL. HE SPEAKS LIKE YOU THINK HE WON'T. ALL THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, I MEAN, HE TELLS NOAH TO BUILD AN ARK AND HE HAD NEVER SEEN RAIN. HE TELLS ABRAHAM AND SARAH, "YOU'RE GOING TO CONCEIVE EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE ABOVE CHILDBEARING YEARS."

All throughout THE BIBLE, HE TELLS JOSHUA, "THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO DEFEAT JERICHO, just walk around it a few times." HE TELLS GIDEON, "WE'RE GOING TO BEAT THOUSANDS, BUT I'M GOING TO STRIP YOU DOWN TO 300." ALL THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, GOD DOESN'T SPEAK LIKE YOU THINK HE WILL.

He speaks like you think he won't. AND SO WHEN YOU'RE IN A DROUGHT, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU CAN'T DO IS THINK THAT YOU CAN JUST take the human route. BECAUSE WHEN GOD SPEAKS, HE SPEAKS DIFFERENTLY. He's that voice in your head that keeps nagging at you AND PUSHING YOU AND PRODDING YOU BY THE SPIRIT TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND STUDY SOMETHING YOU HADN'T ORIGINALLY STUDIED.

HE'S THAT VOICE IN YOUR HEAD TELLING YOU TO RELOCATE to a place you didn't even know WAS ON THE MAP. HE'S THAT VOICE IN YOUR HEAD TELLING YOU TO FORGIVE THE PERSON YOU SAY IS UNFORGIVABLE. AND HE KEEPS ON TELLING YOU, OR MAYBE he's that voice in your head to tell you it's your turn to lead the church.

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 If you're looking for comfort, YOU'LL WALK AWAY FROM YOUR CALLING. THE TWO DON'T GO TOGETHER. WHEN GOD SPEAKS, HE DOES NOT SPEAK LIKE YOU THINK HE WILL. IT'S the uncomfortable voice. It's the ONE THAT MAKES YOU JUSTIFY. IT'S THE ONE THAT PULLS YOU APART one for another BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY WOULD YOU keep even thinking about the thing that doesn't make sense?

SEE, MANY OF US THINK THAT VOICE IN OUR head is is God's voice. You know, the voice that's telling you what you already want to do anyway? No, that's your voice. That's why it sounds like you. 
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 What we try to do IS GET GOD TO FORGE HIS signature on our desires.

And God is not speaking like you think he's speaking. IT SAYS IN ISAIAH 55, "AS HIGH AS THE HEAVENS ARE ABOVE THE EARTH ARE HIS WAYS FROM YOUR WAYS, HIS THOUGHTS FROM YOUR THOUGHTS." HE'S NOT SPEAKING THE WAY YOU THINK HE'S SPEAKING. HE'S UPROOTING YOU FROM HOW YOU'RE THINKING.

BUT HOW IN THE WORLD was Elijah able to do WHAT A LOT OF TIMES, ESPECIALLY IN HARD TIMES IN A DROUGHT, WE'RE UNWILLING TO DO? He told you. I got history with God. I know how this works. You see, Elijah has history with God. He knows it doesn't have to make SENSE TO BE SET UP FOR a miracle.

HE UNDERSTANDS HOW GOD WORKS AND HOW GOD SPEAKS. AND A LOT OF TIMES, WHEN it's the most DIFFICULT AND WHEN YOU'RE spending the most time justifying, but you can't shake the voice. Oh, that's because God is talking. And he's been knocking on some of our doors for weeks, some for months, some for years, some for decades.

And because he's unchanging, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, BUT IT WON'T CHANGE. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Cuz he's trying TO GET YOU TO GO TO THE WEIRD PLACE, TO THE PLACE THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, TO ZAREPHATH FOR A WIDOW. LITTLE DO YOU KNOW, that's where your provision is in this drought.

But he has A HISTORY WITH GOD THAT TOLD HIM, YOU KNOW, THAT HISTORY IN 1 KINGS CHAPTER 17 verse 4 that preceded verse 8 through 16? Do you KNOW THAT GOD TOLD ELIJAH TO go to the Brook of Cherith? And when he gets there, God's going to provide for him with a raven?

HE HAD ALREADY BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT. THAT MAKES NO SENSE. GOD'S GOING TO SEND a bird to provide me a meal in a drought? And that's not even the crazy part, guys. The crazy part is in Deuteronomy 14 verse 11 through 14, it gives you the list of unclean birds.

These are the list of unclean, unlawful birds. Do you know what's SMACK-DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT LIST? ANY kind of raven. THIS MEANS THAT GOD IS AWESOME. HE WORKS IN WAYS YOU NEVER THINK he can work. HE WILL USE AN UNCLEAN thing to come clean things up.

SO IF HE WORKS IN WAYS YOU DON'T THINK HE HE CAN WORK, THEN HOW CAN YOU EXPECT HIM TO SPEAK IN WAYS THAT ARE NORMAL TO YOU? HE'S SETTING YOU UP FOR SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT. This means that he can use the wicked even to store up for the righteous.

Don't you know in Exodus 12, when the Hebrews were leaving, the Egyptians gave them silver and gold for the journey? THE SAME PEOPLE THAT HELD THEM CAPTIVE GAVE THEM A COME up so they can leave? DID YOU KNOW IN NEHEMIAH 2:8 that the king of Persia gave Nehemiah the wood to rebuild Jerusalem?

Did you know that the Canaanites, THE HITTITES, THE JEBUSITES, AND ALL THEIR EIGHT COUSINS WERE BUILDING THE LAND UP for God's people? DID YOU KNOW THAT God used the devil to think that he can WIN WHEN JESUS DIED, only for Jesus TO BE RAISED SO THAT YOU CAN BE SAVED?

GOD OVER AND OVER AGAIN WILL choose the raven in the world TO BLESS HIS PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. And Elijah has this understanding. HE'S WHAT I CALL A VETERAN IN THE FAITH. IS THERE ANYBODY IN HERE WHO'S had a history with God? YOU'VE SEEN HIM WORK A MIRACLE AND MAKE A WAY OUT OF NO WAY.

YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY WHEN I ASK a question, I'm just setting you up. Because then if you do, and you online, too, go. I know it's uncomfortable. I know it sounds abnormal. You would have let this go a long time ago because it doesn't even make sense. But you keep thinking about it, and you can't shake it.

Because God is talking. He doesn't need you to be comfortable. He needs you to experience your calling. Even in a drought, because you're asking for provision, and he's going to do it in his way. And it's going to be unorthodox. It's not going to be regular. AND SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IN THE STORY IS WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT.

IN VERSE 9, IT SAYS that he arose. And then in verse 10, it says, "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 when HE SAW THE WIDOW, HE CALLED OUT TO HER AND SAID, "PLEASE, give me a little water in a cup and let me drink."

AND AS SHE WAS GOING TO GET THE WATER, he called out to her again and said, "Please, bring me some bread in your hand." And when she heard this, SHE LOOKED BACK AT HIM and said, "As the Lord your God lives, I don't have any bread, only a little bit of flour in a bowl and some oil in a jar.

And even now I'm gathering sticks so that I can go in and prepare it for me and my son so that we can eat and me, guys. It seems like it's pretty tense over here. What's going on? Uh wait a minute. Who are you? I know. I know you got a lot going on.

People just showing up in your life. Um but my name is Jonathan. Oh, well, Jonathan, he wants all of everything that I have. And and now he shows up as I'm preparing to die. Pause. Some of you have history like Elijah. But many of you are the widow.

Many of you are in a season like the widow where you're almost out of resources. You don't have anything left. You're at WHAT WE WOULD CALL IN THE CHURCH THE BREAKING POINT. You're you're literally AT THE PLACE IN YOUR LIFE, IN THE DROUGHT, OR IN YOUR MARRIAGE WHERE YOU'VE DECIDED YOU'RE GOING TO WALK OUT OF THE DOOR.

YOU'RE LITERALLY IN THE PLACE IN THE DROUGHT IN YOUR FINANCES WHERE YOU'RE AT THE BREAKING POINT. YOU'RE IN A DROUGHT EMOTIONALLY WHERE YOU'RE ABOUT TO RELAPSE, OR MAYBE YOU'RE IN A DROUGHT OF HOPE WHERE YOU'RE WONDERING WHETHER LIFE IS EVEN WORTH IT. YOU'RE YOU'RE IN THE WIDOW'S PLACE WHERE YOU YOU YOU HAVE VERY LITTLE LEFT TO YOUR NAME, AND YOU DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT, OR YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S WORTH YOU EVEN BEING HERE.

And the only reason YOU CAME TO CHURCH, OR THE ONLY REASON YOU'RE WATCHING ONLINE, IS JUST SO THAT YOU CAN GATHER A FEW MORE STICKS and die. 
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 YOU'RE JUST TAKING YOUR LAST MOMENTS, YOUR LAST STEPS BEFORE YOU GIVE UP. THAT'S WHERE THE WIDOW IS. BUT LITTLE DID SHE KNOW THAT GOD WAS ORCHESTRATING A PLAN FOR BOTH OF THEIR POSITION provision simultaneously.

COULD YOU BE THE WIDOW WHERE YOU'RE ABOUT TO GIVE UP ON WHATEVER YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE IS? YOU'RE ABOUT TO THROW IN THE TOWEL. AND THEN ELIJAH SHOWS UP. Could this be your Elijah moment? 
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 You didn't know you would get called out in your drought. You didn't know that the preacher would have a sermon like this.

You didn't know that he would start talking about your situation and what you're going through and the fact that you're already at your end. Could this be YOUR ELIJAH MOMENT? WHERE GOD IS COMING AND HE'S SAYING, "UH-UH, NOT YET. YOU'RE NOT DONE. YOUR STORY IS STILL BEING WRITTEN.

YOUR CHAPTER IS STILL OPEN. YOUR BOOK IS NOT CLOSED. WE'RE STILL GOING SOMEWHERE. I KNOW YOU THINK WE'RE AT THE END. BUT NOW I'M HERE AND I'M TALKING TO YOU. And it's frustrating when you're ready to give UP AND SOMEBODY SHOWS UP ASKING FOR STUFF. Asking for you to do more or go more or give this WHEN YOU'RE ALREADY DONE.

WHY IN THE WORLD DOES GOD WAIT SO LATE? HE SHOWS UP AT THE END. God will wait until the end for his greater glory for when he decides to end the wait. But you got to understand that this is how God works. BUT IT'S GOOD TIMING, NOT FOR YOU.

BUT IT'S HOW HE WORKS TILL THE END BECAUSE HE'S HE'S SETTING YOU UP for a miracle. It was Moses who was caught between THE RED SEA AND PHARAOH before God split it. It was Abraham who WENT ALL THE WAY UP THE MOUNTAIN WITH THE DAGGER IN HIS HAND TO KILL HIS OWN SON AND HE WAS COMING DOWN BEFORE GOD CAUGHT HIS HAND AND GAVE HIM A RAM in the bush.

It was Jesus who would walk on the water at the fourth WATCH OF THE NIGHT, WHICH IS 3:00 A.M. TO 6:00 A.M. while the disciples were in the storm. He waits till late. Wasn't it Peter in Acts 12 WHO WAS IN THE PRISON FACING EXECUTION before he sent the angel in TO GIVE HIM A JAILBREAK?

WASN'T IT PAUL AND SILAS WHO WERE PRAISING AT MIDNIGHT WHEN THE earthquake came and opened THE JAIL CELL AND THE CHAINS fell off? WHAT AM I TRYING TO TELL YOU? I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU THAT GOD IS A NIGHT OWL. HE WORKS AT MIDNIGHT because late in the midnight hour he's going to turn it around.

He's going to work in your favor because that's what he does. So many of you may be the widow BUT YOUR TIME IS NOT UP. HOW DO I KNOW? BECAUSE TODAY HE'S SHOWING UP. And he's talking TO YOU AT A MOMENT THAT YOU THINK it's too late. But he's not done.

And what does Elijah tell the widow? He tells the widow, "Give me a drink." What? Why would he want to put his Hebrew lips on her Gentile cup? Oh, he's not just thinking about water. He knows how God works. It's much bigger than that. It reminds me of John chapter 4 when a Jewish man would walk up to a a woman at the well named Jesus.

And he would say, "Give me a drink." And he would put his Jewish lips on her Samaritan cup. But he wasn't just thinking about water. He was thinking about introducing her to the living water. Don't don't Don't forget this widow was a Baal worshiper. She's in Sidon. Elijah knows he's introducing her to something much higher.

He's introducing her to the experience of the true God. So he starts with, "Give me a drink." Only to create some common ground because they're both in a drought. And then he says, "Um can you please GIVE ME SOME BREAD?" YOU KNOW WHAT HER RESPONSE WAS? "I DON'T HAVE ANY BREAD."

NOW WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD GOD KEEP ASKING ME TO GIVE WHAT I DON'T HAVE? I DON'T HAVE ANY HOPE. I DON'T HAVE ANY OPTIMISTIC DESIRE. I I DON'T HAVE ANY JOY. I DON'T HAVE ANY CONTENTMENT. I DON'T HAVE ANY BELIEF. WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME TO GIVE THAT?

Elijah knew she didn't have any bread but she had flour and oil. In other words, she had the ingredients to make it. I need you to UNDERSTAND AS A CHRISTIAN YOU HAVE THE INGREDIENTS TO MAKE IT EVEN THOUGH YOU IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE END RESULT. YOU HAVE THE INGREDIENTS TO MAKE IT.

YOU HAVE THE INGREDIENTS TO HAVE VICTORY. YOU HAVE THE INGREDIENTS TO OVERCOME. YOU HAVE the ingredients to be more than what you WERE YESTERDAY. IT'S ALREADY IN THERE. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT INGREDIENT IS? THE INGREDIENT IS GOD'S WORD. THE INGREDIENT IS THE EMPOWERMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The ingredient is the divine nature. The ingredient IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE PRAYER, the grace, the mercy and the faith. YOU HAVE THE INGREDIENTS to put this thing together. And so he's calling her to get to the ingredients. Go to the bakery of obedience. And if you go TO THE BAKERY OF OBEDIENCE, that means one step at a time.

I know you're at the end. But take the last of your ingredients that you have by faith and go to the bakery of obedience in your situation. You know what that means? That means FIGURE OUT WHAT MY SITUATION IS and ask God what does he say about it?

What do YOU SAY ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH? We're not just going TO PICK A BOOK OF THE BIBLE AND JUST READ IT. NO, WE'RE GOING TO THINK ABOUT WHERE AM I AT IN A DROUGHT? AND WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TELL me to do while I'm in the drought?

And then that is the bakery of obedience when you take THE INGREDIENT OF HIS GOD OF GOD'S word and you start walking that thing out one step at a time day after day. Because God WANTS YOU TO TAKE the ingredients of grace and mercy and bake some forgiveness.

He wants you to take the ingredients of salvation in the spirit and bake up some service. He wants you to take the ingredients of his word in your mouth and bake up some encouragement even though it's hard to do. He wants you to take the ingredients of his provision in your faith and bake some first fruits in your tithes.

Oh, in the drought he wants it. In the drought he's calling for it. In the drought he takes you to this place where often God will do something for you but first he's going to ask for something from you. And it doesn't get easier for the widow as she goes through her rookie deal.

As she goes through this process, Elijah looks at her and says, "Do not be afraid. Go, do as you have said. But make me a small loaf of bread first and then you can make a loaf of bread for you and your son." 
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 Now I just told you I didn't have any bread.

I don't even have enough for myself or my son and you want me to give it to you first? First? I don't have First? First. You know what? I'm going to get you your bread. 
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 Don't you worry. You're going to get your bread. Don't you. Take this. Give it to you first.

Fine. You want to tell me to give it to him. 
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 Ooh. Pause. That's the feeling. Because you don't have anything. He takes you to use your last resources and go bake it in the bakery of obedience. And while you're hungry, he wants you to give it to him first.

God God is not interested in being second. He doesn't care what season you're in. He demands to be first. Not in the passenger seat or the back seat. Not your spare tire when life goes flat. He wants to be first. I I know that there's a a job promotion that you want but if it's asking you to trade your integrity, he says, "No, no, no, no, no."

You trust me first. I know that you only have enough money for your rent and your bills and you're living in a drought and God still demands first fruits. First. I know that you're a SINGLE AND YOU WANT TO BE MARRIED and you think to seal THE DEAL YOU HAVE TO BE IMMORAL and he says, "Uh-uh."

Trust me with your life first. I WILL NOT BE SECOND. IF YOU'RE IN A DROUGHT, I STILL EXPECT TO BE FIRST. IN LEVITICUS 23:17, THEY WOULD BAKE bread and they would bake bread with leaven in it in the feast. And they after they baked it, they would offer it to the Lord first as first fruits TO THE LORD.

WHY WOULD THEY PUT LEAVEN in it? The reason why they wanted to bread the bread to rise instead of being unleavened bread like a cracker is because they wanted TO LET GOD KNOW THAT ALL OF ME IS IN WHAT I'M GIVING YOU. THEY WANTED TO LET GOD KNOW THAT MY TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE IS in the bread.

THEY WANTED TO LET GOD KNOW THAT EVERY SITUATION THAT I HAVE, I'M TRUSTING YOU WITH. SO I'M GOING TO BAKE IT WITH FINE FLOUR SO the leaven shows you that all of me is in it. 
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 He wants all of you in it and he wants all OF YOU IN IT FIRST.

WHY? BECAUSE BY giving it to him first you're saying, "Lord, this is not my drought. This is your drought." By giving it to him first, you're saying you are the sustainer. By giving it to him first, you're saying you are the owner. By giving IT TO HIM FIRST, YOU'RE SAYING YOU ARE THE WAY MAKER.

BY GIVING IT TO HIM FIRST, YOU'RE DEMONSTRATING A TRUST AND FAITH with God. And understand, without faith it's impossible to please God. IN MARK CHAPTER 12, YOU REMEMBER THE OTHER WIDOW THAT GAVE gave from her LAST CENT? JESUS GOT SO EXCITED, HE PREACHED A MESSAGE TO HIS DISCIPLES.

AND HE SAID, "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. EVERYBODY ELSE GAVE FROM THEIR SURPLUS. THEY DIDN'T give more than this woman. She gave a cent. She gave from her last." That's the type of stuff that motivates. When he sees your faith. In our church, we installed motion detector lighting.

The reason why we INSTALLED MOTION DETECTOR LIGHTING IS BECAUSE people who don't PAY BILLS DON'T TURN OFF LIGHTS. SO, WE HAD TO AUTOMATE IT. And the way IT WORKS IS SIMPLE. WHEN IT DETECTS MOVEMENT, THE LIGHT COMES ON. THE POWER IS ALREADY THERE. BUT THE POWER IS ONLY EXPERIENCED WHEN IT DETECTS MOVEMENT ON THE GROUND.

IF THERE'S NO MOVEMENT ON THE GROUND, THERE'S NO EXPERIENCE OF THE POWER IN THE AIR. GOD WORKS THE EXACT SAME WAY. HE WANTS TO KNOW, "ARE YOU GOING TO PUT ME FIRST? ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE THE FAITH?" BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO MOVE, BUT THEY WANT THE POWER TO COME ON.

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 I know YOU'RE IN A DROUGHT. I STILL want it first. 
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 I know YOU'RE IN A DROUGHT. But I'm trying to lead you as this veteran is talking to a rookie. And he says, "If if you want to get out of the drought you can't then put the owner second.

If you want this provision in the drought you can't put the way maker and sustainer in the backseat. You can't tell him you don't trust him while praying to him. 
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 You're communicating two things. I know it's hard because I don't even have anything left to give. But when you take the ingredients and go to the bakery of obedience and you take whatever hope you have, your emotions you have, the family you have, the children you have, the life you have, the career you have, the purpose you have, and you say, "Lord, it's yours first."

Then Elijah tells her how this going to go. Now that she's doing the process of God in a drought Elijah looks at the widow and says, "For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, the bowl of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil become empty until the day the Lord provides rain upon the face of the earth."

Y'all didn't hear that? Elijah, one more time, talked to the widow. "For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, the bowl of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil become empty until the day the Lord provides rain upon the face of the earth."

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 This is why you have to have veterans in your life. This is why you have to have PEOPLE WHO HAVE HISTORY WITH GOD IN YOUR LIFE. Because they'll come TO YOU AND SAY, "NO, WAIT ON THE LORD. BECAUSE THOSE WHO WAIT ON THE LORD will renew their strength.

THEY WILL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS like eagles. They will run and not grow weary." Veterans in your life WILL TELL YOU, "IF IT'S NOT GOOD YET, GOD'S NOT DONE YET." BECAUSE GOD WORKS ALL THINGS OUT FOR GOOD for those who love God and are called according to his purposes.

VETERANS IN YOUR LIFE WILL TELL YOU, "GOD WILL FINISH THE WORK THAT HE STARTED IN YOU. YOU CANNOT GIVE UP. YOU CANNOT THROW in the towel." Because this is how God works. He wants you to give it to him first. And the story GOES THAT WHEN SHE WENT AND WAS DOING WHAT ELIJAH told her to do, she didn't have the expectation.

She was going through the process. She began to learn what we've been learning this whole series. THAT PROVERBS 11:25 SAYS, "THOSE who water will be watered." That Psalm 126 says, "When you sow with tears, yeah, you reap songs of joy, yeah." That Luke 6:38 says, "Give, and it will be given back to you.

IT WILL POUR OUT ON YOUR LAP A FULL MEASURE, YEAH. PRESSED DOWN, SHAKEN TOGETHER, YEAH. Running over. By the measure that you give, yeah, it will be given to you in return." Notice what God did. He multiplied her ingredients. He still didn't give her bread. He multiplied the ingredients because he still wants you to take the ingredients he multiplies and go to the bakery of obedience so that every day you can give me this daily bread so THAT I CAN HAVE WHAT I NEED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THIS DROUGHT, TO CONTINUE ON FURTHER and further with the ingredients that I've been given.

BUT DON'T FORGET HOW HE FINISHED. He said, "Keep going BECAUSE ONE DAY THE RAIN IS GOING TO COME." And when the rain COMES, THAT MEANS DROUGHT IS OVER. DEUTERONOMY 28:12 SAYS one day HE'LL OPEN THE SKIES. ONE DAY the rain will fall ON THE LAND. ONE DAY HE WILL PROVE HIMSELF in his season.

AND THAT DAY WILL COME. BUT UNTIL THEN, TAKE THE INGREDIENTS. Go to the bakery of obedience. GET THE DAILY BREAD UNTIL THE RAIN FALLS in your season. YOU KNOW WHAT THE RAIN MEANS? It means abundance. YOU KNOW WHAT THE RAIN MEANS? It means more than enough. YOU KNOW WHAT THE RAIN MEANS?

It means plentifulness. You know what the rain means? It means overflow. And overflow is coming to OCBF. Overflow is coming to your life. Overflow is coming to your situation. Overflow is coming to your marriage. OVERFLOW IS COMING TO YOUR EMOTIONS. Overflow is coming to your desire. Overflow is coming to your finances.

But first, stay in the kitchen. But first, bake some bread. But first, use the ingredients. But first, be a witness for what God is calling you to do. Because who the son sets free is free indeed. Do I have a witness up in here? 
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 You ought to praise him because of what he's going to do.

You ought to praise him because OF WHAT HE'S ALREADY DONE. YOU OUGHT TO PRAISE HIM EVEN ONLINE because of what he's doing now. Because this is the word of the Lord. This is how you handle a drought. And this is how you get your provision in this season.

Praise him. Give him glory. IF YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO QUIT, HE'S TALKING TO YOU. IF YOU THOUGHT you were going to give up, HE'S TALKING TO YOU. IF YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE ABOUT TO WALK OUT OF THE DOOR, IT'S THIS YOUR ELIJAH MOMENT. YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE ABOUT TO BE AT YOUR END?

NO, YOU'RE NOT. GOD IS CALLING YOU TO KEEP GOING. BECAUSE AS that bread keeps coming, all you're doing IS GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE RAIN FALLING. 
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 It's coming. It's coming. Heavenly Father, we give you the glory in the church. We thank you for being a good God and teaching us how to manage a drought.

That you give overflow in a drought. Surprise us, Lord. We pray, Lord, that at OCBF that you surprise us. DO YOUR WILL. SPEAK YOUR WAY. HELP US TO LEARN to listen to what you're calling us to do. WE DON'T WANT TO WALK AWAY from our own position provision while complaining about a drought because we're unwilling to listen.

We're unwilling to give it to you first. Lord, for the person who's struggling and they're here in the church only to gather a few more sticks and eat their last meal. We pray, Lord, that today they heard a word from you directed right towards their heart. And most importantly, to their feet that they're going to go to your word, the ingredient, and go into the kitchen of obedience one step at a time.

We can't eat it all in one bite. But one step at a time to see you continue to provide the bread through the obedience of the saints. As we overflow in obedience, Lord, we ask you to send the rain. We ask you to bring the vegetation and the fruit.

We ask you to bring the abundance on our church and on our lives individually. We give you the glory and the praise. In Jesus name, all God's people said Amen.