Submit 5

1 Kings 17:16

From time to time our church will hold a dinner for all the members, and I know every time we do there are some people who have forgotten about the dinner or they just didn’t know we were having one. Unfortunately those people will not always stay and take part in the dinner because they haven’t contributed.

This is a shame because there is always enough food for everyone and they miss out on the blessings of fellowship. I have yet to see a church dinner where we ran out of food. Those who don’t take part don’t always trust that there will be enough food.

We can face the same doubts when we look at giving to our church. It is not easy to give away a portion of your money as soon as you are paid. You must trust that you will be able to cover all your upcoming expenses with what is left over.

Remember the story of Elijah and the widow? Elijah had asked the widow to give to God first by providing for his needs before she took care of herself. Even though she had only enough oil and flour for two meals, what happened when she submitted to God? How did this happen?

The widow took a big risk in giving away what she had. She submitted to God and took care of Elijah first. When she did that she was blessed by God. The oil and the flour did not run out as she expected. Instead there was food every day for Elijah and the widow and her son (1 Kings 17:15).

We are called on to take risks in our faith. We are called on to submit to God and be obedient to Him. We are called on to offer gifts to God first before taking care of our own needs.

When we do this we will be blessed by God. God will make certain we have what we need to get by. And when we submit to God we get to take part in His abundant blessings.

As we consider our gifts to the church and the kingdom of God we must confront our fears and doubts by remembering what happened to the widow who served Elijah. The flour was not used up and the oil did not run dry.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Are you willing to submit to God and trust in His blessings?