“ ‘Truly I tell you,’ he continued, ‘no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.’ ”
– Luke 4:24-26
 What if I told you that when you believe God’s word, you will be rewarded for it? Yesterday we discussed how Jesus had difficulty performing miracles in Nazareth compared to other towns, due to their lack of faith. In Nazareth, Jesus was celebrated, but he said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ ” Jesus continued to speak to his hometown crowd as he emphasized the faith of the widow in Zarephath.When Israel suffered a severe famine, the Prophet Elijah was directed to the widow in Zarephath who would provide for him. She only had enough flour and oil for her family’s last supper when the prophet asked for a drink and a piece of bread. Elijah encouraged her not to be afraid and believe in God’s provision. Despite all logic, she made the bread and gave it to him, and she never went hungry again.
Friend, like Elijah, the blessing of Jesus’ works would not come from the hometown crowd. Similar to Elijah, He was sent to people of faith. You have the same opportunity to choose to believe in God against all odds as the widow of Zarephath did. What is Jesus encouraging here? You too can take a huge risk, believe in God, and be rewarded for it. Faith like that is what you can walk in! |
Prayer
Father, assist me in connecting with people of faith.
Reflection
What are some ways you have taken risks of faith?
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13 Responses
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Faith is Beautiful
Very inspiring this morning. What a beautiful meditation to rise to.
What a beautiful meditation to rise to.
It is only by Bold Faith, surrender, and obedience that I have truly felt the firm hand of our LORD upon me. By letting the Holy Spirit do His work in us we can fulfill the Father’s perfect plans for our lives. And in that quiet secret place, Jesus reveals the depth of His love for us. And true to His promise we will have ZOA life to prepare us for the call to come home to Him. Amen
My husband Alvin and I watch you every Sunday on the Vision TV channel whenever we are living in Canada and on TBN when we are in residence in Fullerton, California. We wouldn’t miss your broadcasts. Your messages are so direct, personalized and relevant to our lives! We also love your honesty and willingness to share the struggles that you have encountered in your own Christian walk.
Alvin & Ethel Forbes
P.S By the way, your grandparents, Vern and JoDean Pursley are very dear friends of ours. We love to spot them in the congregation sitting a couple rows behind yu and your family.
I wrote a book ” The Best Known Nobody ” which chronicles my faith growth while pursuing a career writing in Hollywood.
i feel a bit more hopeful now! well, I must admit my level of faith isn’t what I think the Almighty would be proud of. How do you feel encouraged after reading the meditation and I am grateful that I received it. I feel it was especially intended for me as I’m going through a financial crisis right now and I need to keep faith. Hope alive.
I’m blessed thx God ❤️
I fight the battle of faith…over and over…. How I wish that my heart was as it was when I was a child..god is..god cares .. be good and honor god..or you are in trouble.. 🙂 god love you…just ask him and things will be ok… Now the world and all problems seem even to big for god to take care of….much less those that I fight every day.
This is a great verse to hear because it confirms my faith in Jesus even more, that His Word is True and we can hold fast to this in times of trouble, regardless of the situation.
Very awesome Post– It is a great help to me.
I have faith in God. I have faith he will heal me from cancer, as he did 3 times before. I have faith God will give me the strength! I have faith In God’s love for me and my family. He will never leave us. Amen.