So I'll back track and tell you that from the day we made the decision to move to Massachusetts, we prayed for God to keep us out of debt (no loans). We have officially made it halfway through our time here at Gordon-Conwell and so far, our prayer has been answered. We have made it through having a baby, getting in a car accident, losing luggage, and now the birth of our baby boy in e-l-e-v-e-n weeks. There have been so many "things" here that could cause us to be anxious and worry, but we have seen [and believe] that Jehovah Jireh truly is what His name declares Him to be: Yahweh will provide.
Josh took a week-long class, Preaching in the Old Testament, this month. I loved seeing Josh come home so excited about this class. He would try his best to explain what he was learning, but being careful to not go overboard. Because let's be real, half the things he says that he is learning, I respond with, "....what?"or "...come again?"
Well one of his assignments was to choose a narrative from the OT from a list he was given, write a sermon from it, and then preach it.. He had to write the same narrative in first person (as if he were a main character), third person (as the narrator), and as if he were a minor character in the story.
I wish I could just copy and paste his manuscript into this blog. It. Was. So. Good.
I was thrilled to have found somebody to watch Abigail so that I could go to Josh's class and watch him preach. I mean...I've seen him preach many times before, but this was different. This was an assignment that came alive. It was beyond what Josh had ever done. It was something new. His professor is big on making a narrative into a story--but in a way that the audience can't help but sit on the edge of their seats waiting for more.
His text was from 1 Kings 17: 1-16. [Go read it!!!] I know you see Kings and think it's got to be a boring text....this is going to be a waste of time...
I assure you, it's not. All Scripture is breathed out by God--there is a purpose.
So there is this prophet you may have heard of, Elijah, which means, "My God is YHWH." It had just been declared that there was a drought in the land. So the LORD took him on a journey. And the word of the LORD came to him: 'Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.'" Maybe you didn't catch that. God....GOD told this man that He is going to provide for Elijah through a bird. a BIRD. I don't know about you, but I'd start to doubt my God at this point. How in the world....Just picture this: He is in a hot desert, the sun is scorching, there is no rain. BUT God promised food and drink to him. Verse 5: 'He went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.' Okay....so God was right. He was right in such a....very, very strange way. Months go by and the brook dries up from the drought. Suddenly in verse 8 we see, "Then the word of the LORD came to him, 'Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold I have commanded a widow there to feed you.'" This is when you LOL. Why would God use a poor widow to feed Elijah? She was the poorest of the poor. She was lonely. She was most likely old. She was weak. She was saddened. Once Elijah obeyed the voice of God and turned and went to Zarephath, there was indeed a widow in the distance. Okay, at this point, I'd be freaking out. God says he will provide by the hands of a widow, and there in front of him, she stands. Elijah calls out to her, 'Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.' And as she was going to bring [the water] he called to her again and said, 'Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.' The audacity this man has to command this poor lady to bring him food... What about her? She needs food just as much as Elijah. Can't you just picture her? Leather-like skin, her face sagging, her eyes drooping, her hands shaky, her poor body like skin and bones....and she is supposed to be the means in which God provides for this prophet. The widow responds so honestly and says, "As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die." That last part is heart-wrenching. Right? She's telling him she is down to her last bit for her and her son. I mean, thinking of your jar being near-empty, how could you not just fear death?
BUT. Elijah responds so unbelievably and says (verse 13), "Do not fear, go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'" First he tells her not to fear. He sees she is worried, but is comforting her with these 3 words: Do not fear. Then he tells her to bake him bread, and then for herself after. Honestly, if I were the widow, I would have said, "You're a nut. How about I bake for me and my son, and then for YOU after?" But this widow was selfless. Verse 15 says, 'And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.' She responded so faithfully. So lovingly. So graciously.
Josh told this story way better than I did, with way more vivid details, but I'm sure you see the point. His point was: The word of God never fails and we can trust him. Again, The Word of God never fails and we can trust him.
Before Josh went to class, we prayed that God would reveal this Scripture to us personally. That it would intersect the core of every person who heard this sermon--and not for Josh's personal gain, but for the glory of God. We prayed that this story would become alive in all of our lives. That we would remember this story so vividly.
This all happened on Tuesday. The next day Josh and I were in the car talking about how many "things" we need before our little guy comes. In 11 short weeks, we will need a car seat, a double stroller, clothes, and so much more. But those are the main things before he is born. Oh....and a car. No biggie. Eleven weeks to find a car, that's child's play. After our conversation, I logged onto Facebook and had a message from a sweet, sweet friend. The message said her and her husband had been praying for weeks for Josh & I and want to buy us a double stroller. #areyoukiddingme Those are so expensive. I wasn't sure if I should cry from excitement, or cry from God answering our prayer that the story of 1 Kings 17:1-16 would become real in our lives. We trust God. We believe Him at His Word. He says He will provide. One day later, He provided. I don't understand. I can't grasp the concept that my God will supply our every need. My God is able.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. - Ephesians 3:20-21
So now, we anticipate something great. It excites me more than I can describe that He has gone before us and has planned it all. We just have to wait patiently and prayerfully. There is no doubt in my mind the God is all who He says He is. The Word of God never fails and we can trust Him.
Now, for a little Pool humor:
Josh has some weird fascination with us getting a van. #ainthappenin #dontthinkso #heckno. He jokes that we're gonna have a big family [this is not a joke. We will have a big family ;)] and these are his two options:
 |
| Honda Odyssey because it has a built in vacuum. |
 |
| Or this. A "Ford Transit Connect."
Someone help my husband. He has just about lost it. It's between a van (because of a vacuum) or a flat-out-creeper van. And let's face the facts, if we can't afford a double stroller, can we really afford a Honda Odyssey [if I even entertained THAT thought...]? Yeah to the Right. It'd be like a 1990 Honda Odyssey.
In all seriousness though, we've been looking and have some possibilities! And none of them are vans. :) #highfive
Life is so fun awaiting the unknown!
|
No comments:
Post a Comment