The core message of this episode centers on the profound truth that the Kingdom economy begins with placing God first in all aspects of life. We explore the miraculous story of the Widow of Zarephath, who, in a dire situation of famine, was instructed by the prophet Elijah to prioritize God's command above her immediate fears and needs. This narrative serves as a powerful illustration of how our obedience and trust in God can lead to unexpected provision, even from seemingly insignificant resources. We contend that true prosperity is not the accumulation of wealth but rather the alignment with God's will and purpose. Ultimately, this episode challenges us to examine our priorities and to recognize that when we surrender our little to God, it can become much, profoundly impacting our lives and those around us. The compelling narrative of the Widow of Zarephath unfolds as a rich exploration of faith, obedience, and divine provision within the framework of the Kingdom economy. The podcast episode delves into the profound truth that God's sustenance is intricately linked to one's willingness to obey His directives. It revisits Elijah's earlier experiences at the brook, where God employed ravens to illustrate His role as the ultimate Source of provision. This transition from solitude to the public test of faith introduces a pivotal moment: God instructs Elijah to seek assistance from a widow during a severe famine. This request challenges the very fabric of human logic, as the widow possesses nothing but a handful of flour and a little oil. The episode poses a critical question: can God accomplish His will through those deemed insignificant, and can He provide through seemingly inadequate resources? As the episode unfolds, it presents the widow's interaction with Elijah as a microcosm of the broader theme of the Kingdom economy, which prioritizes God above all else. Elijah's command for the widow to prepare a meal for him first—despite her dire circumstances—serves as a stark reminder of the necessity to trust in God over one's fears. This moment of obedience not only tests the widow's faith but also highlights the principle that when God is placed first, everything else finds its rightful place. The narrative articulates that the widow's act of faith results in a miraculous provision, where her flour and oil do not run dry, exemplifying that God often operates through daily sustenance rather than sudden abundance. Furthermore, the episode elaborates on the lessons learned in seasons of drought and scarcity, emphasizing that fear often reveals what we truly worship. The widow's honest confession of impending death juxtaposed with Elijah's command to not fear encapsulates the tension between faith and fear. The discussion prompts listeners to reflect on their own lives and the extent to which they allow fear to dictate their decisions. As the episode concludes, it encourages believers to adopt a Kingdom-first approach in all aspects of life—financial planning, stewardship, and daily choices—thereby fostering an environment where God’s provision can flourish. The transformative message that emerges from the widow's story is that in surrendering our 'little' to God, we open the door for His abundant grace, ultimately turning our households into testimonies of faith and divine faithfulness.

Takeaways:

1. The Kingdom economy is predicated on prioritizing God above all else, ensuring that our fears and desires do not dictate our actions.
2. Faith requires us to surrender our limited resources to God, who can transform them into abundant provision for His purposes.
3. In times of scarcity, our true beliefs are revealed; we must choose between worshipping fear or maintaining faith in God's promises.
4. The widow's miracle illustrates that God's provision often comes through daily discipline rather than sudden abundance, reinforcing the importance of consistent trust.

Links referenced in this episode:

1. 1Kings17:14
2. 1Kings17
3. 1Kings17:12
4. 1Kings17:13
5. 1Kings17:16
6. Matthew6:21
7. Psalm34:10
8. Ecclesiastes5:10

Foreign.

Welcome back to the series Elijah and the Kingdom Economy.

For thus says the Lord God of Israel, the bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on on earth.

In message one, we learned a hard kingdom truth provision follows obedience.

Elijah wasn't fed everywhere.

He was fed there.

God used ravens to prove he is the source.

And he allowed the brook to dry up to train Elijah not to worship methods.

Now watch what God does next.

God moves Elijah from the hidden place to a public test.

Because the kingdom economy is not just about how God sustains you.

It's about how God uses you to sustain others.

And here is where it gets a bit uncomfortable, because the next miracle starts with a sentence that offends human logic.

Go.

I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.

1 Kings 17.

9 A widow in a famine.

God's next supply chain is not a raven.

It's a woman with almost nothing.

And the question becomes, can God fund his will through small people and small resources?

Yeah, and he will.

So no flesh can glory.

We are continuing the series with our message the Widow of Zarephath's Miracle Meal.

Imagine opening your kitchen cupboard and seeing the bottom.

You don't see options.

You see endings.

You see the last bit of meal, the last bit of oil.

You start doing grief math.

Okay, if we stretch this maybe one more day.

If we cut portions, maybe two.

And you can't even plan five days ahead because your supply is measured in handfuls.

Now imagine at that exact moment someone shows up with a word from God that sounds almost insulting.

Make me a small cake from it first.

Not after you eat, not after you feel safe.

Not after the anxiety calms down.

But first.

This is where most people reveal what they truly worship.

Because when resources shrink, the human heart clutches.

When resources shrink, fear talks louder.

When resources shrink, idols demand sacrifices.

But the kingdom economy is different.

God does not ask for your extra.

He asks for your trust.

Now Elijah meets the widow gathering sticks, preparing for a final meal.

She says, as the Lord your God lives.

I do not have bread, only a handful of flour and a little oil.

I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and.

And my son, that we might eat it and die.

Then Elijah speaks.

Do not fear.

Make me a small cake from it first.

And afterward, make some for yourself and your son.

And the miracle happens.

Flour doesn't run out, oil doesn't run dry.

God first.

Elijah says, do not fear.

Then he says, fear first.

This is not manipulation, this is spiritual order.

Because God knows something.

If fear is first, fear becomes your God.

If survival is first, survival becomes your God.

If money is first, money becomes your God.

But when God is first, everything else finds its place.

Jesus put it plainly, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.

Notice God doesn't say ignore your needs.

He says, put me first and I will add what you cannot produce.

The widow's miracle begins with order.

She honors God's word.

She releases what's in her hand.

She.

She moves in obedience, even when she feels fear.

This is biblical prosperity.

Not chasing money, chasing alignment.

When God is first, lack is not final.

Now here's an application for this point.

If your budget has no room for God, your life has no room for faith.

If your first is always your appetite, your comfort, your image, your don't be shocked when you live anxious God first living isn't just tithing, it's priority.

It's order, it's obedience.

Our second point from the message is your little becomes much when it's surrendered to God's word.

She had a handful of flour and a little oil.

Here's what heaven little because little exposes the source.

When you have a warehouse, you might praise your strategy.

When you have a handful, you must acknowledge God.

And the miracle is not that God dropped a truckload on day one.

The miracle is that every day she reached into the bin, there was enough.

Every day she poured the oil, it flowed.

God gave her daily sustaining grace.

That is what many believers don't like.

We want a once off jackpot miracle.

God often gives a daily discipline miracle.

Why?

Because God is not only trying to feed you, he is trying to form you.

Paul says, and God is able to bless you abundantly.

So that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Notice the purpose abound in good work.

Prosperity isn't just for consumption.

It's for corning.

It's for impact, it's for generosity, it's for legacy.

God multiplies what you release, not what you Catch.

Here's an application for this point.

Some of you keep praying for increase, but you refuse to release what's in your hand, your time, your skill, your seed and your obedience.

God rarely multiplies what you hoard.

He multiplies what you surrender.

And our third point for this message is.

Drought seasons expose what we worship, fear or faith.

The window's confession, the widow's confession is honest.

We will eat and die.

That's what fear does.

It prophesies death.

Fear speaks in absolutes.

This is the end.

I'll never recover.

We're finished.

I'm done.

But Elijah interrupts her prophecy with the superior word.

Do not fear.

Because faith is not denial.

Faith is alignment with God's word in the face of facts.

And this is where we must talk plainly.

In drought seasons, many believers become practical atheists.

They still go to church, but they don't trust God.

They still pray, but they live like God can't provide.

They still quote scripture, but they panic like pagans.

That doesn't mean you won't have tests.

It means you won't be abandoned.

But here's a warning too.

Money can become a false Savior.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 says, Whoever loves money never has enough.

That's not about bank balance, that's about bondage.

Because when money is your comfort, you will never feel secure, no matter how much you have.

If fear is your profit, lack will be your gospel.

Ask yourself this question in pressure.

Do I become prayerful or do I become controlling?

Do I submit to God's instructions or do I violate values to survive?

Now here are some applicable lessons to believers in ministry, work and family.

1.

God can turn one household into a testimony.

Your family can become a Zarephath house where people look and say, how did you make it through?

And you answer the word sustained us.

And 2.

You must build Kingdom First Systems practical budget with God in mind.

Give intentionally, save wisely, work diligently.

Avoid debt driven slavery.

Build skill and value.

Faith is not laziness.

Faith is obedience plus stewardship.

3.

Don't be ashamed of small provision.

The widow's miracle was not flashy, it was faithful.

Some of your biggest breakthroughs will look like groceries paid, debt shrinking, consistent clients, steady growth, peace returning.

And don't despise the daily miracle.

Let me speak, brothers and sisters, with some urgency.

If God only gets what's left after your lifestyle, God is not first.

That's not a budgeting issue, that's a worship issue.

Jesus said, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:21 your spending reveals your devotion and Elijah's message to this widow is God's message to us.

Stop letting fear lead your decisions.

Put God first.

Trust his word.

Because the kingdom economy is not enough money, it is enough God.

Here are some questions for reflection.

1.

What does your life show?

Is first God or fear?

2.

Are you willing to obey God when it looks illogical but it is scriptural?

3.

Are you clutching tightly that God is asking you to surrender?

4.

Is your little making you bitter or making you faithful?

If God gave you abundance, would it increase your holiness or increase your pride?

Elijah's life teaches us that God's provision travels on the rails of God's instruction.

At the brook, ravens came at Zarephath, a jar kept flowing.

Different methods, same source.

And this is what the Lord is restoring to church.

A People who don't panic in drought are people who don't know.

BAAL are people who put God first and trust his word.

Because when God says it will not run out, it will not run out.

Let us pray.

Father, in the name of Jesus, I repent for putting fear first.

I repent for anxiety driven decisions, for compromising, for acting like you're not my provider.

Today I choose your order.

Kingdom first righteousness, first obedience first Lord, I bring you what is in my hand, my time, my resources, my skill, my seed, my obedience.

Multiply it for your glory.

Let my house become a testimony of your faithfulness.

Break the spirit of mammon and the spirit of scarcity.

Teach me to steward wisely and trust deeply and I declare your word over my life.

My flour will not run out, my oil will not run dry because you are my source.

In Jesus name, amen.