God Will Take Care Of You
I Kings 17:8-16
Prayer
Introduction
How many times have we looked back on our life and seen with hindsight where God’s hand has been in our life? For instance, how many times should we have died in an accident, avoided an accident, done something extremely stupid or dangerous, and managed to come out of it in tack. I know that I have done some extremely stupid and dangerous things and have even bragged about them and how I gotten myself out of them. But do you want to know the truth. I did nothing to get myself out of them, I did nothing to even save myself. God’s hand was in it all. I can claim that I did it but deep down I know that it was only by the grace of God that I survived it. I think about the times that I was in financial trouble, about how many times I thought about declaring bankruptcy, in fact I know of people who have declared bankruptcy and were in better shape than I was. But I would place it in God’s hands and He would lead us out of it. I did not do it God did it all there was nothing of my design in it except getting myself in the situation in the first place. Many of those who declared bankruptcy we Christians who said they trusted in God yet they could not wait and let God lead them out of their problems or they wanted a quick fix to their problems. Now don’t get me wrong bankruptcy can be the solution but only if God is leading you that way. It is to easy in our world today to go for the quick fix. We spend years creating a problem and expect it to be fixed in a day.
Many divorces happen because they spent years tearing the marriage apart, not following God in their lives and in their marriages, and expect it to be fixed in six months or don’t ever try to fix it. Sometimes divorce is the answer but only if God is leading the way. You see we want to care of the problem we want to solve what is wrong with us. And we don’t have too. God has said give me all your burdens my shoulders are wide and strong let me carry your burdens. God wants to take care of us. He knows exactly what we need and He wants to provide it. But we don’t turn to Him because one we don’t want to give up control. Two we don’t want to wait for his answer which we might have to do. And three we might not like His answer.
Do you want to know how God wants us to depend on Him? Mom and dad, grandma and grandpa remember how you little baby depends or depended on you for every thing when they were first born. They depended on you to feed them, to bath them to change their diapers, and for protection from the elements and any danger around. They were helpless in the face of this world. So are we helpless in the face of this world. We must depend on our Father for protection and substance as we mature spiritually we come to depend on God even more even though we want more independence from Him. We need His guidance more and more as the world tries harder and harder to tempt us and cause us to fall. We need his protection as Satan attacks us. Like our children we often walk off on our own paths and ignore the advice and voice of our parents because we want to be our own man so do we ignore the voice of God when He tells us to do something. You see God does not desire that we should wander of the path. He desires to take care of us just as we desire to take care of our own children when we see them making the same mistakes as we did.
I. Ever hear the saying that God takes care of those who take care of themselves.
a. I know that we all have and it is wrong.
b. The bible never says that and the reason why it is wrong is because
i. Those who are taking care of themselves are not looking to God for guidance. They are depending on themselves
1. Satan wants us to believe in this so that we want be depending on God.
2. Man wants to believe this because we don’t want to give up control. Our pride prevents us from depending on God.
3. The world teaches us this because it is a sinful world and not depending on God is a sin.
ii. it is wrong because it is the opposite of what the Bible teaches.
1. The Bible teaches us that God is in control and that we in no what can change what God wants.
2. To many Christians today don’t understand or know who or what God really is.
a. We call on Him but we then try to limit Him and His abilities.
b. We don’t believe He is capable or will do what He promised to do.
c. We don’t trust Him because that would mean we are not in charge.
II. Elijah was a man who knew who and what God was and depended on Him for what he needed.
a. God told him to get up and go and Elijah got up and went.
i. He trusted God enough to believe Him when He told him to do something.
ii. What about you? Do you trust God and His word? Do you trust it enough to follow it.
b. Elijah believed that God meant what He said.
i. God said that He had prepared a place of refuge for Him.
ii. Elijah did not argue or think about it he simply got up and went.
c. Because of His faith God had the widow waiting there. Because Elijah believed God would not only preserve Elijah but the widow and her son.
i. God provided a miracle with the flour and oil.
ii. Elijah’s faith led to the salvation of others.
III. What about your faith?
a. Do you depend on God enough that when He says get up and go you get up and go?
i. Serve
ii. Worship
iii. Witness
b. Are you like Elijah do you believe that God means what He says?
i. Are you turning your life over to Him or are you holding a piece of yourself back.
ii. Like Elijah do you get up and go or do you argue and find reasons as to why you can’t.
iii. Do you find excuses or do you simple do what God says?
IV. How is your Faith?
a. Like Elijah does your faith preserve you?
b. Has your faith led you to the miracle of salvation?
c. Like Elijah’s faith does your faith lead others to salvation?
V. Conclusion
