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1 Kings 17:7-16 (ESV)
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.
REFERENCES: Matthew 14:13-21; 1 Kings 17:17-24; Luke 4:24-26
Have you ever felt God ask you to do something? Maybe it was His gentle voice asking you to forgive, or His stern command to give more than what is required. How quickly we respond to God is a measure of our faith. Although the blessing coincides with burden, God calls us to maintain a steady pace of obedience to develop us into mature believers.
God is looking for people that can handle the blessing and the burden.
Though the brook dried up, Elijah did not go without water. In our lives, it can seem as though we are lacking certain things or a source has “dried” up, but just like the Lord guided Elijah to where he should go next, He will do the same with us. Where He leads, He provides and it is simply our duty to obey His guidance. Elijah did not lack water because his source was not the brook, but God who is the living water.
When Elijah encountered the widow of Zarephath and asked for her to provide food for him in spite of her lack, she had a choice to make: would she trust God and release her resources into His hands? Or would she hold on to the little she had and face her demise? By remaining obedient, God was able to ensure that she and her son had all that they needed regardless of their circumstances. In that same way, when we trust God with what we have, He can multiply it beyond what we could ever imagine.
God is constantly inviting us to go deeper into our faith, and pushing us towards all that He has to offer. Some time later, the widow lost her son and knew exactly who to call, the man of God who first stirred up her bread faith. Elijah had caught the revelation that God has not yet failed him, and trusted that if God can make a miracle of bread and oil, He can exceed his expectations and bring her son back to life. It's up to us to be willing to give God the little we may have, so that He can do something more. Through the right lens of our heavenly father, we can hold tight to the truth that the burdens we face are preparing us for a greater blessing ahead. What is a blessing in one season may not be a blessing in the next. The blessings are not the source, He is.
Now that it is nearing the end of the year, take into account how God has shown up in your life this year and praise Him for all He has done. Just as you workout to strengthen and grow your muscles, the same is to be said with your faith. Remember that any weight that has come down on you is to strengthen you.
All of you that are already in our database will receive a text this upcoming Thursday from our new text platform. It isn’t spam, it’s really us! This will become a primary way for us to resource, equip, and update you. We encourage you to save this number and opt in for more updates.
VOUS High is youth community of VOUS and we are creating a space for middle schoolers to gather for service every Sunday.
Students will start with worship in the main auditorium and then be dismissed to their junior high space. This will be a moment to connect with other students, hear a message, and then discuss in small groups.
For more information and to RSVP your student, click here
Join us at the annual ILMC Thanksgiving Bash to distribute meal kits and turkeys. Also, bring a chair and cheer on your favorite team at our annual VOUS Bowl.
To serve, click here
Date: Saturday, November 23rd
Time: 9:00AM - 12:30PM
Location: Charles Hadley Park
1350 NW 50th St
Miami, FL 33142
Ready to kick off Thanksgiving with a burst of energy and community? Join us bright and early at Peacock Park for the VOUS 10K Turkey Trot! Whether you're a runner, a walker, or somewhere in between, this is a chance to start your day with some fresh air, great friends, and all-around fun! See you at the starting line!
To sign up for the Turkey Trot, click here
Date: Thursday, November 28th
Time: 6:00AM
Location: Peacock Park
2820 McFarlane Rd.
Miami, FL 33133
On Sunday, December 1st we're bringing our annual Tree Lighting tradition to both our SoMi and Miami Gardens Locations! Sign up to serve and join us for a night of fun! Invite your friends and let's welcome the Christmas season together!
Please note: There will not be a 6PM service at VOUS City. Instead, join us at VOUS Miami Gardens for the 6PM service, followed by the tree lighting celebration.
Date: December 1st
Time: 7:30PM
Location:
VOUS Miami Gardens
17801 NW 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33169
VOUS SoMi
6767 Sunset Dr
South Miami, FL 33143
To serve, click here
VOUS SoMi
8:45AM / 10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM
VOUS City
10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM
VOUS Miami Gardens
10:30AM / 12:30PM
VOUS Design District
10:30AM / 12:30PM
Church Online
10AM / 5PM Español
Growth Track
After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack
