FOUND AND KEPT AND BLESSED

PROCLAMATION

“And the woman conceived, and bare a son … she hid him three months.  And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes … put the child therein, and she laid it … by the river’s brink … And the daughter of Pharaoh … saw the ark … opened it … had compassion on him … his sister … went and called the child’s mother … nurse it for me … And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son.  And she called his name Moses … ‘Because I drew him out of the water.’ ”  Exodus 2:1-10 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  During a time when all male Hebrews were killed at birth, (Exodus 1:22) Moses was born and hidden by his mother.  When she could no longer hide him, she put him in a basket among the reeds at the edge of the Nile river. (Exodus 2:1-3)  He was found by the Pharaoh’s daughter who had compassion on him.  His sister, who was watching from afar, asked her if she wanted her to go and get a Hebrew woman to nurse him and she agreed.  Thus Moses was nursed by his own mother but he raised as the son of the Pharaoh’s daughter. (Exodus 2:4-10)  After he had grown up, Moses saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew man and he killed the taskmaster then hid his body in the sand.  The next day he saw two Hebrew men fighting and he asked the one that was wrong why he was beating his fellow Hebrew.  The man asked Moses, are you planning to kill me as you did the Egyptian? (Exodus 2:11-14)  When the Pharaoh heard of this, he sought to kill Moses, but Moses fled to Midian.  There he married Zipporah one of the daughters of Reuel and raised a son. (Exodus 2:15-22)

 

APPLICATION

In the midst of hard times and danger, The Lord God will make a way.  He protects, and He provides, and He prepares a path with provisions when all seems lost.  As we look back over our life we should be able to see the hand of God orchestrating the events.  We need to acknowledge Him in all of our ways and pray that He will direct our paths in the future. (Proverbs 3:6)  We should be grateful for the protection which He has afforded us by giving His angels charge over us. (Psalm 91:11)  “O give thanks unto The Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever.” (Psalm 107:1)

TO EGYPT THE SECOND TIME AROUND

PROCLAMATION

“And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.”  Genesis 43:15 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  When Joseph’s brothers returned home, they told their father Israel all that had happened to them, and what the governor had asked of them, but he was unwilling to let Benjamin be taken. (Genesis 42:25-38)  The famine which prompted their trip the Egypt continued, and they had eaten all of the grain they had received.  Israel told Joseph’s brothers to go back to Egypt and buy more grain.  They refused to go without their youngest brother Benjamin. (Genesis 43:1-10)  Israel gave in and told them to take gifts of balm, honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds to the governor.  He also told them to take double the amount of silver in order to return that which they brought back in case that was a mistake.  Then he said they could take Benjamin with them. (Genesis 43:11-14)  They did as their father had suggested and went back to Egypt carrying Benjamin with them.  When Joseph saw Benjamin, he told his staff to prepare a feast for them in his house and take them there. (Genesis 43:15-25)  When Joseph arrived they presented gifts to him and bowed down before him. (Genesis 43:26-28)  Seeing his brother Benjamin up close, and probably remembering his childhood dream, Joseph hurriedly left the room and wept. (Genesis 43:29-31)  When the food was served, Joseph ate by himself, and Benjamin’s portion was much larger than anyone else’s. (Genesis 43:32-34)

 

APPLICATION

The second time around the trip to Egypt had a much better outcome.  The brothers were given a much nicer reception and treatment.  They offered him more and their attitude was different.  They confessed about the money, and they were obedient and brought Benjamin.  We need to change our attitude and be obedient.  It has been said that “God is not the God of a second chance; He is the God of another chance.” (Author unknown)  Most of us have messed up more than twice and The Lord God still gives us another chance.  All we as believers have to do is confess our sins and He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

JESUS FEEDS THE FIVE THOUSAND MEN

PROCLAMATION

“Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward Him … Andrew … said, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish …’ Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’ … about five thousand men were there … Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.  He did the same with the fish.  When they had all had enough to eat … they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves …”  John 6:5-13 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to the Apostle John and written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter, John records the feeding of the crowd of five thousand men. (John 6:1-13, this is also recorded in Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:32-44, and Luke 9:10-17)  This is the fourth public miracle that was performed by Jesus, The Christ.  Jesus used a poor boy’s lunch, He blessed it, gave it to His disciples who distributed it among the crowd, and they fed five thousand men in addition to the accompanying women and children. (Matthew 14:21)  When all of them had eaten what they wanted, the disciples gathered up the left-over food and collected twelve baskets full. (John 6:13)  That was more than they had when they began.  They collected that which was left over so that nothing given from God would be wasted. (John 6:12)

 

APPLICATION

The Lord God has the power to provide all that is needed.  In the beginning He made something out of nothing. (Genesis 1:1-31 and John 1:1-4)  A little in the hands of Jesus, The Christ, is more that a lot in the hands of others.  Here Jesus multiplied the contents of a boy’s lunch and fed a crowd of more than five thousand.  Everyone in the crowd was not a believer (John 6:66) but He blessed them all.  He fed this group physically, then later declared that He was the bread of life (John 6:35, 6:41, 6:48, 6:51, and 6:58) in order to feed them spiritually.  We need to believe and partake of His body and His blood. (John 6:53-58)  We can do this symbolically by partaking of The Lord’s Supper, Communion, when it is offered in our local church.  We do this in remembrance of Him until He comes again. (1 Corinthians 11:24-25)  The Lord God has all power.  Not only did Jesus, The Christ, feed the five thousand, He walked on the water across the Sea of Tiberias in the midst of a storm, and He also allowed the apostle Peter to walk on the water. (Matthew 14:26-32)  Just like Peter, we will do fine as long as we keep our focus on Him.  We will only start to sink, as Peter did, when we focus on our situations and not on Him.  He is our provider and our protector.  He is truly all that we need.

 

A PROMISE OF PROTECTION FOR HIS PEOPLE

PROCLAMATION

“ ‘Do not be afraid, Jacob My servant, for I am with you,’ declares The Lord.  ‘Though I completely destroy all nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you.  I will discipline you but only in due measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’ ”  Jeremiah 46:28 (NIV)

EXPLANATION
These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and which he proclaimed to the people of Judah.  The promise of protection which He previously made to a person, Baruch, (Jeremiah 45:5) He now makes to the people of Israel. (Jeremiah 46:27-28)  This promise only applies to the remnant of believers within the remnant of the rebellious people who fled to Egypt against His word. (Jeremiah 44:28)  The Lord God said that He would never forsake them.  His words of comfort to them (Jeremiah 46:27) is a repeat of the words which He spoke earlier. (Jeremiah 30:10)  Egypt, which had frequently encroached on other nations is now about to be encroached upon by the nation of Babylon. (Jeremiah 46:25-26)  His people will be spared but they will be punished. (Jeremiah 46:28)

APPLICATION
When we obey The Word of God and do what He says for us to do, He will bless us, protect us, preserve us, and provide for us.  His protection will keep us safe through the disasters that are going on around us.  He will protect us from dangers seen and unseen.  We may be punished for our sinful disobedience, but we will not be utterly destroyed. (Amos 9:8)  As believers we need to pray and confess our sins, and ask to be forgiven, because He is faithful and just, and He will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)   

PROTECTION AMID DISASTER

PROCLAMATION

“… For I will bring disaster on all people, declares The Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.”  Jeremiah 45:5 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and which he told to Baruch son of Neriah, who wrote the words that Jeremiah dictated to him which he later read to the people of Judah.  “The Lord, The God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: You said, ‘Woe is me’ for The Lord has added grief to my sorrow. (Jeremiah 45:1-3)  But The Lord has told me to say to you: “I will overthrow what I have built and uproot what I have planted … but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.” (Jeremiah 45:2-5)

APPLICATION
When we obey The Word of God and do what He says for us to do, He will protect us, preserve us, and provide for us.  It does not matter what is happening around us.  If we focus on Him and not on the stormy chaos around us, then He will place a hedge of protection around us and keep us safe through the storm.  He will protect us from dangers seen and unseen.  There are many benefits and blessings that go along with being obedient to His Word.  So, let us obey God’s Holy Word and live.

THE LORD WILL GUIDE US AND SATISFY OUR NEEDS

THE LORD WILL GUIDE US AND SATISFY OUR NEEDS

PROCLAMATION

“The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”  Isaiah 58:11 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah.  Here He presents the things which they are doing wrong with respect to fasting, praise, and worship. (Isaiah 58:3-7)  Then He presents the good that would happen to them if they would do the right thing.  This is followed by a series of “if … then …” statements which present some conditional blessings which they could receive. (Isaiah 58:8-14)

APPLICATION

Our fasting, praying, and worship does not mean much when afterwards we go about doing the same sinful things, or when we fight with our brothers and sisters afterwards. (Isaiah 58:3-4)  It is as if we do not take our time with Him seriously.  It is not possible for us to leave a serious encounter with The Lord God and be exactly the same as we were before the encounter.  Time spent with Him changes us (Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26) and we are transformed into new creatures. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  We do not become perfect, but we become less sinful.  If we follow in the direction that He leads us, then we will stay on the straight and narrow path. (Matthew 7:13-14)  He will protect us, provide for us, and strengthen us along our Christian journey.  The Good Lord wants to bless us, but He also wants us to do the right things.  If we would heed His counsel and obey His word, our lives would be much better.

THE LORD WILL MAKE A WAY

PROCLAMATION

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”  Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

EXPLANATION
In chapter forty-two of The Bible Book of Isaiah describes the character of the coming Christ (Isaiah 42:1-4) and the blessing which will come to them when He establishes His kingdom. (Isaiah 42:6-12)  He will lead all those who trust Him for they cannot see the future which He can see. (Isaiah 42:18-21)  In chapter forty-three, The Lord God is speaking to the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah and reminding them that He delivered them through the Red Sea, and He drowned Pharaoh’s army. (Isaiah 43:16-17)  Then He tells them not to dwell on the past for He is doing a new thing for them and making a away through the wilderness.

APPLICATION
The Lord God told Israel, and He is telling us today, that the deliverance out of past situations would be outdone by the deliverance He will provide for us out of our new predicament.  He made a way for them in the past and He will make a way out of our storms for us today.  He will do for us something which has never been done before.  All we have to do is believe in Him, call on Him, and trust in Him. 

THE LORD GOD IS OUR HELP

PROCLAMATION

“So do no fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Here The Lord God speaks to Israel through the prophet Isaiah and tells them that He will strengthen them, help them, and protect them.  He reminds them, and all of the surrounding nations, that He cares for them. (Isaiah 41:1-9)  He encourages them and tells them that He will protect them. (Isaiah 41:10-20)  Then He presents Himself as the only one and true God by showing what He has done which the idol gods cannot do. (Isaiah 41:21-29)

APPLICATION

The Lord God has done for us things that no one or nothing else could ever do.  From our creation in our mother’s womb and our birth, (Psalm 139:13-16) to keeping us alive and safe though all of the years of our life.  He has protected us from our enemies and provided for our needs, and He will continue to do so. (Isaiah 41:10-14)  This promise is not just for Israel, it is for all believers.  This promise is not earned; all we have to do to receive it is believe.

THE DELIVERANCE OF GOD'S PEOPLE

PROCLAMATION

“In that day, ‘Sing about a fruitful vineyard: I, The Lord, will watch over it; I water it continually.  I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.”  Isaiah 27:3 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

The prophet Isaiah continues his prophecy herein regarding the deliverance, provision, and protection of the people of God. (Isaiah 27:1-3)  In this chapter Isaiah metaphorically recounts the history of Israel from warfare to exile and even references their idol worship. (Isaiah 27:4-11)  The chapter ends with a reference to the second coming of Christ and the gathering up of all those who believe in Him. (Isaiah 27:12-13) 

APPLICATION

If the truth be told, not only will The Lord God take care of us in the future, “In that day …,” He took care of us in the past and He is taking care of us now.  He has delivered us out of prior storms, made a way out of no way, provided for us when we didn’t know where our next meal was coming from, and protected us from dangers seen and unseen.  We ought to thank Him for all that He has done, is doing, and will do in the future.  Praise His holy name.

THE LORD CAN USE PEOPLE TO HELP US

PROCLAMATION

“And I answered the king, ‘If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.’”  Nehemiah 2:5 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

The Bible Book of Nehemiah, the last Book of history in the Old Testament, presents the same events as recorded in The Bible Book of Ezra, but from a different perspective with slightly different details.  When Nehemiah learned of the status of the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile and the status of the city of Jerusalem, he wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed to The Lord God. (Nehemiah 1:1-11)  Nehemiah was the cupbearer for King Artaxerxes who noticed that he was sad while performing his duties and he inquired of him as to why. (Nehemiah 2:1-2)  Nehemiah told the king about the status of his people and he requested that the king give him permission to go and rebuild the city.  The king granted his request and gave him a letter to document it.  The king also sent part of his army along with him.

APPLICATION

Often it is not what we know but who we know that makes a difference in our lives.  Doing a good job and being noticed by the right people can be beneficial to us.  While it may be important to know the right people, it is even more important to know The Lord God.  He is the one that we should go to in prayer when we are concerned, upset, feeling sorry and sad, and when we want something.  Better yet, when we want Him to do something about our situation.  He may use the people that we know to help change our situation, but that only happens if He wants it to happen.  Through Him all things are possible (Matthew 19:26) and all thing work together for our good. (Romans 8:28)  We ought to acknowledge His hand in everything good that happens to us. (Proverbs 3:6)

THANK GOD FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE IS DOING AND WILL DO

PROCLAMATION

“And as if this were not enough in Your sight, my God, You have spoken about the future of the house of Your servant.  You, Lord God, have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men.”  1 Chronicles 17:17 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

This seventeenth chapter of First Chronicles is almost a verbatim repeat of the seventh chapter of The Book of Second Samuel. (2 Samuel 7:1-29)  King David was venting to the prophet Nathan that he was living in a cedar lined palace while the ark of the covenant was in a tent. (1 Chronicles 17:1)  Initially Nathan told him to do whatever he had in mind because God was with him. (1 Chronicles 17:2)  Later that night The Lord God spoke to Nathan and told him to tell David that he would not build Him a house, but his son would, and that He would establish his kingdom forever. (1 Chronicles 17:3-14)  When Nathan told David what thus saith The Lord, David prayed. (1 Chronicles 17:16-27)  During this prayer he basically thanked God for what He had done for him and his people, and for what He was going to do.

APPLICATION

We are all special in the eyes of The Lord.  We were all uniquely and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and each of us is precious in His sight. (Psalms 116:15)  We may not have been blessed with all that David received but we have all been abundantly blessed.  He has brought us from a mighty long way and kept us through a host of storms, trials, and tribulations.  He is blessing us right now, and no man can imagine what things He has in store for us in the future. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

THE LORD GOD CAN MAKE OUR ENEMIES BE NICE TO US

PROCLAMATION

“In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. … He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor … and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table.”  2 Kings 25:27-29 (NIV)

                     

EXPLANATION

After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon laid seize to Jerusalem, Jehoiachin king of Judah surrendered to him and he put him in prison. (2 Kings 24:10-12)  Thirty-seven years later the new king of Babylon released Jehoiachin and was nice to him.  He even gave him a regular allowance for the rest of his life. (2 Kings 25:27-30)

APPLICATION

The Lord God can move on the heart of our enemies and cause them to be nice to us for no apparent reason.  He can use our enemies to provide blessings for us.  This unmerited favor happens only by the grace of God.  When unexpected good things happen to us, we should accept them and thank God for them.

GOD IS GRACIOUS BUT THE PEOPLE STILL SIN

PROCLAMATION

“The Lord provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram.  So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before.  But they did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam …”  2 Kings 13:5-6 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

While Joash son of Ahaziah was king of Judah, the southern kingdom, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel, the northern kingdom.  Joash did that which was right in the eyes of The Lord but Jehoahaz did evil in the eyes of The Lord following the sins of Jeroboam and worshiping the golden calves. (2 Kings 13:1-2)  This caused The Lord to be angry with Israel and He allowed them to be attacked and captured by Hazael king of Aram. (2 Kings 13:3)  King Hazael severely oppressed Israel to the point where King Jehoahaz called on The Lord God for help. (2 Kings 13:4)  God heard his prayer and He graciously sent a deliverer for Israel and freed them from the king of Aram.  However, after they were freed and returned to their homes, they continued to worship the golden calves created by Jeroboam.

APPLICATION

Frequently we find ourselves in trouble because of our own sinful choices and we turn to The Lord God for His help.  We make promises to Him while we are in the midst of our troubles saying, “ Lord, if you will just get me out of this, I will do such and such.”  He hears our plea and answers our prayers, but all too often we are ungrateful and quickly return to our sinful ways instead of thanking Him and following Him.  We forget all about the promises that we made to Him.  That is why He said, “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven …” (2 Chronicles 7:14)  Most of us can easily identify the sins of others but we don’t seem to see our own sins. (Matthew 7:3 and Luke 6:41)  We all need to recognize that we have fallen short (Romans 3:23) and ask for forgiveness.  And, we need to thank Him for getting us through the storm, as well as do a better job of following Him and obeying His word.

THE LORD GOD CAN RESTORE THAT WHICH WAS LOST

PROCLAMATION

“Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to appeal to the king for her house and land … ‘Give her back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.’”  2 Kings 8:5-6 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Elisha told the woman whose son he restored to life to leave the area because a severe seven year-long famine was coming, and she obeyed him and left. (2 Kings 8:1-2)  After the famine ended, she returned and appealed to the king to return her house and land.  Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, was just telling the king about the woman and what Elisha had done for her son when she presented herself to the king. (2 Kings 8:3-5)  The king questioned the woman regarding the events surrounding the restoration of her son and then assigned one of his officials to see that she received everything that belonged to her.

APPLICATION

There is a blessing in store for us when we obey The Word of God as spoken to us by the man of God.  Obedience to God’s word is paramount, even when it appears that by doing so we will lose something of value.  The Lord God can restore that which was lost and also provide an additional unexpected blessing.  Remember Job, a wealthy God-fearing man, (Job 1:1-3) lost everything that he had (Job 1:18-21) and afterwards The Lord God blessed him with twice the amount that he had. (Job 42:10) 

THE LORD GOD WILL MAKE A WAY

PROCLAMATION

“At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans.  When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, for The Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army … so they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents … and ran for their lives.  The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank.  Then they took silver and gold and clothes and went off and hid them.”  2 Kings 7:5-8 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After Elisha asked The Lord God to blind the Arameans who attacked him and he led them into the city of Samaria, The Lord opened their eyes and they saw where they were.  The Lord told the king of Israel not to kill them, but to feed them and let them go. (2 Kings 6:18-23)  Then there came a great famine to the area. (2 Kings 6:25)  There were four men with leprosy sitting by the gate at the entrance to the city and starving. (2 Kings 7:3-4)  They decided that rather than just sit there and starve to death, it would be better for them to go to the camp of the enemy to surrender and be fed or be killed.  So, they got up and left the city and when they got to the camp, they found that it had been abandoned.

APPLICATION

There are times when things seem very bleak and hopeless to us.  We forget that God is still in control.  He can protect us and provide for us.  He can cause our enemies to leave us alone.  He can provide food for us when we are hungry.  When we have come to the end of our resources, He can make a way out of no way.  He can use the people that we come into contact with to be a blessing for us.  We should thank The Lord God daily for the things that He has done, is doing, and will do for us as He blesses us.

WATER FROM HEAVEN WITHOUT RAIN

PROCLAMATION

“For this is what The Lord says: ‘You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, for you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.’”  2 Kings 3:17 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After king Ahab died, Mesha king of Moab rebelled against Israel. (2 Kings 3:5)  So, Joram king of Israel sent word to Jehoshaphat king of Judah to join with him against Moab along with the king of Edom. (2 Kings 3:6-9)  Joram had done evil in the eyes of The Lord (2 Kings 3:2-3) but Jehoshaphat did that which was right in the eyes of The Lord. (1 Kings 22:43)  Wicked people can benefit from friendship with the righteous.  In their journey through the desert of Edom there was no water for them or their animals. (2 Kings 3:9)  So the three kings sought out the prophet Elisha, who only agree to meet with them out of his respect for the God-fearing king of Judah, Jehoshaphat. (2 Kings 3:11-14)  Elisha told them that The Lord would will fill the valley with water for them and their animals.  He also told them that they would defeat the Moabites.  They were told to dig ditches for the water which they had requested. (2 Kings 3:16)  The next morning the land was filled with water. (2 Kings 3:20)

APPLICATION

The Lord God will provide.  He can perform miracles and bless His own.  He can make a way out of no way.  He can make water appear in the desert without rain.  He can protect us from our enemies, and He can help us to defeat them.  We must prepare for the blessings which we have requested.   When we pray for something, we must believe that we will receive it, and act like it is already done. (Mark 11:24)

THE LORD GOD WILL PROVIDE

PROCLAMATION

“So he did what The Lord had told him.  He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there.   The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.”  1 Kings 17:5-6 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

The prophet Elijah delivered a message from The Lord God to king Ahab and told him that there would be no rain or dew in the land for the next three years. (1 Kings 17:1)  Then The Lord told Elijah to leave there and go to an area just east of the Jordan river. (1 Kings 17:2-3)  The Lord told him that he would drink from the brook and that the ravens would bring him food. (1 Kings 17:4)  So, Elijah did that which The Lord God told him to do.  When the brook dried up, The Lord told him to go to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and He would have a widow woman supply him with food. (1 Kings 17:7-9)  Again Elijah did what The Lord God told him to do and He provided for him.  He even allowed Elijah to be a blessing to the widow woman and her son. (1 Kings 17:10-23)

APPLICATION

Believers know that The Lord will provide.  He will supply all of our needs. (Philippians 4:19)  He knows what we need even before we ask Him for them. (Matthew 6:8)  When our “brooks have dried up” and human logic says that we have come to the end, The Lord God can replenish us with His “living water” or He can direct us to another source to sustain us.  The very breath of life that we enjoy comes from Him (Genesis 2:7) and it is through Him that we live, move, and have our very being. (Acts 17:28)  Our very life is both a miracle and a blessing from The Lord God, and we should thank Him daily.  We are also blessed as He provides for our needs.

THE LORD GOD WILL PROVIDE FOR HIS PEOPLE

Proclamation:

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites.  Tell them,’ ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread.  Then you will know that I am The Lord your God.’”  Exodus 16:11-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  When the Israelites saw the mighty hand of The Lord God displayed against the Egyptians they feared The Lord, (Exodus 14:29-31) and then they began to sing praises unto Him. (Exodus 15:1-21)  Moses then led them into the desert and soon they forgot about the miracles they had just witnessed, the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the drowning of Pharaoh’s army, and began to murmur against Moses. (Exodus 15:22-24)  The Lord God changed the bitter water of Marah into water that was fit to drink. (Exodus 15:25)  Then He rained down bread, manna, from heaven for them to eat in the morning (Exodus 16:4-5 and 16:31) and provided them with meat, in the form of quail, in the evening. (Exodus 16:13)  He did this for them daily, except on the Sabbath. (Exodus 16:21-27)  They wandered about in the desert from place to place as The Lord God directed them.  In one place where they camped there was no water and The Lord God provided water for them out of a rock. (Exodus 17:1-7)

Application:

Oh, how soon we forget what The Lord has done for us.  We treat The Lord God like the worldly people treat each other by asking, like the Janet Jackson song, “What have you done for me lately?”  The people of God should not ask Him that question.  We know that our very existence, waking up, each breath and heartbeat are all blessings from God.  Not to mention that we are blessed to have some material things, our family and friends, and those who love us.  The Lord God has provided us an abundance of blessings, blessings upon blessings. (Proverbs 28:20)  We may not have or get all that we want, but He will supply all of our needs. (Philippians 4:19) 

SOMETIMES DREAMS COME TRUE

Proclamation:

“So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also.  Now Joseph was governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its’ people.  So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.”  Genesis 42:5-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  As a seventeen year old young man, Joseph had a dream that his brothers would bow down to him and they hated him for it. (Genesis 37:2-11)  After his brothers sold him into slavery, The Lord God was with him and Joseph rose up to become the governor of Egypt. (Genesis 41:39-41)  Because of the famine in Canaan, his ten older brothers had come to him to buy grain.  Joseph recognized them but they did not recognize him. (Genesis 42:8)  Then Joseph remembered his dreams. (Genesis 42:9)

Application:

Some dreams are visions, given to us by The Lord God, of things yet to come.  Just because prosperity is in our future does not mean that we are ready for it when He shows it to us.  The Lord God has to take us through some things in order to prepare us for what He has in store for us.  We may have to go through trials and tribulations for us to trust Him so that He can move us to where He wants us to be.  We may not get all that we want, and not all dreams are visions, but whatever God has in store for us we will receive.

FROM DOWN AND OUT TO LARGE AND IN CHARGE

Proclamation:

“You shall be in charge of my palace, and all people are to submit to your orders.  Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.  So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.’”  Genesis 41:40-41 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Joseph’s brothers sold him to the Midianites who took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. (Genesis 37:36)  The Lord God was with Joseph and he did well and became the overseer of his master’s house. (Genesis 39:2-4)  Soon his master’s wife approached him and asked him to sleep with her and Joseph refused her several times. (Genesis 39:7-10)  Then it came to pass that she caught him by his coat and asked him again, and he left his garment in her hand and he fled.  However, she lied and said that he tried to force himself upon her but fled when she screamed. (Genesis 39:11-15)  When she told the story to her husband, he had Joseph put in prison, (Genesis 39:16-20) but The Lord God was with him and he found favor with the keeper of the prison. (Genesis 39:20-23)  The chief of the butlers and the chief of the bakers were also imprisoned with Joseph.  Both men had dreams which Joseph interpreted for them and things came to pass as he said. (Genesis 40:1-23)  Two years later Pharaoh had a dream which none of his wise men or magicians could interpret. (Genesis 41:1-8)  Then the chief butler remembered that Joseph had interpreted his dream correctly and he told this to Pharaoh. (Genesis 41:9-13)  Hearing this, Pharaoh sent for Joseph, told him the dream, and he said that God had showed him that there would be seven good years followed by seven years of famine. (Genesis 41:14-32)  Pharaoh then placed Joseph in charge of his house, people, and land, and made him second in command in all of Egypt. (Genesis 41:39-41)  Joseph had them gather up and store corn for seven years (Genesis 41:48-49) and he sold it to the people when the famine came. (Genesis 41:55-57)

Application:

Joseph went from the bottom of a pit, to being a slave, and to prison but rose up to be in charge of the country because The Lord God was with him. (Genesis 39:2 and 39:21) We need to learn to praise God in good times and bad times. (Philippians 4:12)  It is God who gives us the strength to make it through the storms of life. (Philippians 4:13)  It is His strength which manifests itself during our periods of weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)  We should really count all of our trials and tribulations as joy because they are opportunities for God to show up in our life. (James 1:2)  Remember to give God the credit.  “In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:6)  Joseph made it clear that the dream interpretation was from God and not his own doing. (Genesis 41:16)