Is there More (3)

1 Kings 17: 7 Eventually the brook dried up because of the drought.8 Then God spoke to him:9 "Get up and go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I've instructed a woman who lives there, a widow, to feed you."

When the brook of Cherith dried up, God directs Elijah to a widow woman's house that was on her last meal for herself and her son. The prophet Elijah says; "bake for me a cake first." She had to be flabbergasted thinking why? See God always requires that we put him first. 

Sunday is the first day of the week, put him first in your worship, God says bring the tithe into the storehouse. He wants to remind us each week that He is to be first.

When she obeyed the word of the Lord, and gave the first part as was directed. Back in the kitchen was more oil and more flower and more meal to continue for on and on through the famine. If you're going to make it through this famine in our land, you best put the Lord first.

God's word declares touch not the tithe, for it is holy. The word holy means to set apart. Have you set apart your tithe which belongs to God?  Leviticus 27:30  "A tenth of the land's produce, whether grain from the ground or fruit from the trees, is God's. It is holy to God. If a man buys back any of the tenth he has given, he must add twenty percent to it." Ouch, God adds a late fee on my tithe when I use it for something else.

I would be frightened to touch the holy part that belongs to God. Do you want the heavens to open up and the favor of God to come your way? If you want the business to thrive and stay alive, don't touch the part that belongs to God. The first part is the ten percent that comes out first to God. If you give your seed to mortgage company, the grocery store, the taxes, the roof repairs, you will never get ahead and win in the famine. 

In my early days of marriage, things were very tight. One week I used my tithe to help out with our expenses. That week someone stole all of our brand new towels out of the apartment laundry mat. Ouch, that hurt. The next week things got tighter. Again I used our tithe to help with our weekly expenses. That particular week the water pump went out in the car. God was saying to me; " are you going to put me first or not?" God was trying to teach me, bring me the cake first, then there will be enough for you and your wife to eat and to live.

What was it that Elisha saw that He wanted in his mentor Elijah? A man that could help others get through their own drought. Are you a leader in helping others to get through their own drought? The widow woman obeyed the word of the Lord, and the meal and the oil did not run out. He will do the same for you.

I thank God that he taught me those valuable lessons in my early days, so I could help others get through their own droughts today. Start today with what's in your own hand, so you can help someone else through his or her own struggle. Like Elisha, He said give me a double portion of what Elijah had. God make us all examples for others.