God's Got You
God’s Got You
Bishop Joseph Walker
And after a while, the brook dried up because there was no rain in the land.
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.” So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks.
And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel that I may drink.” And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” And she said, “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.”
And Elijah said to her, “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.’” 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.
We have so many assurances in our relationship with God that it gives us a sense of confidence to know that whatever happens in our lives, God has made provisions for us long before the problem even shows up.
Many of us are unaware that God is working as we go through life. We are oblivious to the fact that God is making moves behind the scenes. Did you know God is up to something when you are down to nothing?
He’s always making moves and maneuvering to get you where you need to be. Intersectionality explains how God is strategic and intentional in how He moves—that everything is connected. While you’re trying to figure things out, God has already worked it out.
No matter what the problem is in your life, recognize that God’s got you. No matter what your situation is, in a moment, God can intervene and flip it.
Also, know that this is a providential moment in your life because God would not let you be privy to this situation unless God were about to do something. God's got you regardless of the prognosis or job situation.
When God gets ready to bless you, He’ll make things you’d never imagine show up at the right time. That’s why I thank God that I never intended for my job to take care of me. God isn’t a Job-Jireh. He’s Jehovah-Jireh. Even if they fire me, God will still care for me—just like He took care of Elijah using ravens.
In our text, our widow acknowledges her situation and awaits death as she and her son face their last and only meal. God instructs Elijah to move in her direction. This shows us that while you are lamenting your situation and thinking that God is in the way of what’s going on in your life, the answer is getting closer and closer every single day.
Recognize that seasons of drought can be challenging.
Droughts hit everybody. Regardless of your economic status or how deep you are in your faith, everybody experiences trials. It doesn’t matter how you pray. Droughts can prey on your faith and knock the wind out of you, particularly when what you need is no longer available.
It’s tough not knowing when it will end.
Droughts are brutal, but many of us could deal with them if we only knew when it would end. We are intolerant of uncertainty, meaning when circumstances are uncertain, they feel unbearable. We hate to feel that we’re not in control.
But you must understand that even though the situation appears static and nothing seems to be happening, God is at work.
Your contemplations can determine your conclusion.
When it looks like your situation isn’t going to end, you’ve got to be careful because it’s at that moment you’ve got to remember it is not as bad as it looks. The enemy will try to convince you that this is the end. The enemy wants you to give up.
If you’re not careful, like the widow, you’ll start preparing to die versus preparing to live. Why die in defeat if you can live in victory? Don’t make a permanent decision in a temporary situation. You’ve got a relationship with the One Who controls the rain, the world–everything.
While our widow contemplated how her life was over, what did God do? God positioned her to receive strategic and divine connections. So move when God tells you to move.
Your situation is under divine observation.
God is always aware of your situation. God knows exactly where you are. Nobody else may know what’s going on, but God never has a memory lapse. Whatever you’re going through, God sees what’s happening and is making plans to help you get through it. God sees you. Stop worrying about who around you doesn’t see you; God’s got His eye on you.
God is sending people in your direction with what you need.
When Elijah needed sustenance, God helped Him. Likewise, the widow needed to get her needs met, and God sustained Elijah so He, through Elijah, could meet her needs.
In this season, relationships are so significant that all the relationships God connects you with are mutually beneficial.
God is going to send the right people in your life who are assigned to you.
How will you know? When God sends them, they will be assigned to your vision. They will add value. They will assist you in getting the victory.
This season, God will send people randomly into your life to sow into your life when you need it the most. Start speaking to people because you don’t know who God will send in your life to help finance what God is showing you.
Whenever God gives a vision, He always gives provision. This means whenever you’re under a visionary, God funds the people under the visionary so you can fund the vision.
There is a relationship of reciprocity. That’s why you’ve got to readily submit to a divine command. Learn that when God tells you to do something, it is not a suggestion but a command. Your obedience is a matter of life and death.
Faith puts Him first.
Our widow was down to her last supplies. She’d concluded that she could do nothing else, and Elijah said, “I know your situation. Make me a cake first.”
This is counterintuitive because when you’re in self-preservation mode, you’re not thinking about anybody else but yourself, and you can lose sight of the miracle that’s about to break out in your life.
We’ve been taught that we must put God first. God will test us in crises when we can only think about ourselves. God wants to know if you still have the faith to put Him first.
Your faith has to be greater than the facts.
God sent Elijah into the woman’s life with a word that would stretch her faith. Likewise, God sends us someone with His Word that will stretch our faith, but we can’t just look at the facts because sometimes the facts are illogical.
Understand that God’s logic is not like man’s logic. Certain things in God’s logic are hidden and unrevealed to us yet. It’s not revealed until we’ve responded. So it is your response in faith to believe while things are yet hidden, which are only to be revealed at the right time.
Rejoice that you survived the drought continually.
God has great plans for you life, and it isn’t over until God says so. While some people may die in droughts, that won’t be their testimony.
The enemy’s been trying to convince you that you won’t survive the drought, but the devil is a liar. But if you do what God said, He will do what He promised. God sent the widow a word, and He wanted to know if she could trust Him enough to sow into where God said.
God promised He would supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory, and He promised that no good thing would He withhold from those who walk upright. Claim those promises.
You won’t just survive, you will thrive.
God has unique ways to bless us. God did not bring you through this just to survive, but He brought you through it so you can testify that you’re thriving.
Here are five reasons why you should praise God:
- He kept me sane when I came up short.
- During the struggle, He helped me to see.
- His blessing is not seasonal. It is sustainable.
- He is a God of surplus and supply. Just because it ran out around me, doesn’t mean it ran out for me. God is blessing me amid whatever’s happening in my life.
- He showed up, and He showed out.
It doesn’t matter what you’ve been going through. God’s got you.
God’s going to see you through. No matter what life looks like, God’s got a plan.
Thank You, God, for reminding us that You’ve got us. We know every time You reach out, we would never have gotten here had it not been for You.
