God is and so are His words. He is present as the I Am. The Present with His presence answers my past and prepares me for the future. Elijah lived with the Lord. Ravens fed. A widow fed him and God fed her and her son. It happened as God said it would. Elijah was guided and governed by His Word.
1 Kings 17:1-16; Psalm 16:8; Proverbs 7:1-5, 16:8, 17:1

Speaker(s): Thomas Schaller
Sermon 12348
7:00 PM on 8/3/2022

P. Schaller –

Wow! That was very, very good. Wasn’t it? Thank you, Lord. Thank you for your Son. (Prayer). How many
agree? [Believing God for healing for Joshua]. How many agree? Is he 12 years old I think?
Thirteen. Okay. Let’s put the hands up. That’s good. Yes, Lord. Change it. Heal him. Move in his
body, please, we pray. O God, in Jesus’ name. How about it? Yes, Lord. Come on. God heal him.
Do it, God. Do it, God. Do it. God. We believe you. We praise you. Yes, Lord. We believe you for
that. God, come on. Yes, Lord. We believe you. We have a mustard seed of faith. Come on.
Come on. Isn’t that fun to talk to God like that? Come on, Lord. Come on, Lord. Do it in Jesus’
name. Amen. Do it in Jesus’ name. Wow. Praise God.

Well, it’s just fun to be up here and just praising God. Yeah. It’s awesome. Did you guys have a
good day today? Maybe not but you are here. God is here. God is in your life. What do we think
about that? Huh? Pretty amazing. Yes. Okay.

Turn to Proverbs 17:1, let’s do Prov. 16:8. Rejoice a lot in life, right? Living in faith. Stirring up
ourselves. Proverbs 16:8. A little with righteousness. Do you compare yourself to other people? Do
you compare yourself in the neighborhood with what other people have or in the church? Do
you compare yourself and sometimes feel sorry for yourself? Or do you have righteousness in
your heart speaking to you and satisfying you? You have a little but you have righteousness.
You have little material things or material wealth or material life but I have righteousness.
Wow. That’s amazing. But I have righteousness. Alright. So, I got a few bucks. Not much. But I
got righteousness. That could be what somebody could say. That’s how the verse reads. Better
is a little but I have righteousness in my heart and in my life. I have it. Do you have that? This is
the lesson here.

But then there are people that have great revenues but maybe by dishonesty. Great revenues
but they cheated or stole something. Great revenues but something not right in the mind and in
the heart of the person. There’s something not right on the inside. Without right. Great
revenues without right.

There’s a similar Proverb, Proverbs 17:1. Turn there with me. Dry morsel. Dehydrated bread. That
comparison is common in the Proverbs because God is searching the heart. God has a way of
searching our lives and teaching us who he is. We have a very good example of it with Elijah. I
want to go there, but I don’t know if I should go there right now. I want you to think about this
for a minute.

Can you with your neighbor have a word of fellowship with your neighbor about this principle in
Proverbs. I have a little but I have righteousness. I have God and God is enough for me. Hebrews
13:5. Is he? Is he? When we are filled with the Spirit and we have direction in our heart and
mind with truth, the truth sets me free, encourages me and builds me up. But I could have a lot
in this life materially and then have a very lonely life, very empty life, very dissatisfied life. I

could have an empty life. I could have a lot but then I’m just not, I’m missing something. I’m
missing something. The rich, young ruler was missing something and he talked to Jesus and
said, what must I do to have eternal life? People are missing something. We live in a society
that is filled with a lot that is missing. Nobody is talking generally speaking except the church
and the Bible and the Spirit and you and I. We are talking about the need and that’s to have
God in my life. For God to satisfy me in my heart. For God to fill me with his Spirit and teach me.
That’s what I need.

So, we’re going to look at that in a minute. “Great peace have they that love your word and
nothing will offend them.” (Prayer). I want to say that to you guys. When Abel offered the
blood, what happened to him psychologically and spiritually to Abel? When he offered the
blood, what happened? What? He knew he was accepted and you could see it in his
countenance. He was saved. He was at peace. God had forgiven him of his sin through the
blood. Abel was very happy and contented. What happened to Cain when he sacrificed? His
countenance was fallen. He became jealous of his brother. He resented it. He had hatred in his
heart. And he killed his brother. When you and I have Christ in our life, this internal life, this
satisfaction is what makes us different from the world. We are okay. We have arrived. We have
God.

Years ago, in Bible school I remember Pastor Stevens teaching us the Eternal Is. And that is a
teaching that goes like this: what was the name of God when Moses said to God at the burning
bush, what is your name? I AM that I AM. The concept is that God is, IS and he actually touches
our world in the present. He is the God that I AM or the God that is now. I AM. He is the I AM
now here in our present. For us as human beings, we sometimes live in the past. God is in the
present. And sometimes we live in the future but God is in the present.

If your life is -watch – when your life is filled with the past and your life is filled with the future,
it kind of crushes the center. The present isn’t that important. I’ve got, my thing is, and I’m
living regards to the future or regards to the past. Both things are not where God is living. I
mean we can plan for the future, but it’s the God that is that fills and satisfies you. The God that
is present. The God that has accepted you and Abel could say in his heart, woe! I got saved. I’m
saved. God is with me. He’s accepted me. He is filling me with his Spirit. He is anointing me.
Now watch. What happens in my life? The present becomes big. And that’s what we love about
church life is that when I come in and worship the God that is, then the present seems to
dominate my life. The present takes care of my past and takes care of my future.

The present is the presence of God. God is here. Are you worried about the future? Not really. God is here
now. What about your past? I got good memories. Blessed is the memory of the just. But I’m
not living in the old memories or even the good things of the past. I’m living in the presence of
God Almighty. Isn’t that amazing. This is where our satisfaction comes from. This is why we
might live with a morsel of bread but we have some satisfaction in our spirit and in our hearts.

I don’t need something like there or there that’s going to help my life. I’m going to – what does it
say? Psalm 16:8, I set the Lord for he is at my right hand. Like present here. I set him before my
face. Psalm 27 he is an ever present help in every time of need. Ever present help in every time of
need. Psalm 27. Alright. Hebrews 4:16 we come boldly to the throne of grace to find mercy and graces
– it’s plural. I understand that. That it’s plural. Mercy and graces to help in time of need. This is
God with us. Best of all. God with us. So, let’s go now to the story.

1 Kings 17, this may happen to you as well in your life because you are a child of God. We have
Elijah the prophet, Tishbite, vs. 1. Ahab is the king in the north. Elijah is the prophet. They are
enemies in effect and Elijah delivers the word without apology. It’s great when you see his
courage and message. It’s not going to rain these three years. Thus, saith me but according to
my word. This is what he said. The boldness and confidence that comes from Christians is very
refreshing. That we don’t always apologize for maybe what – we never apologize for what we
say if we say the truth. Maybe how we say it but it’s absolutely not going to satisfy Ahab.
Vs. 2. Two things. Get out of dodge and hide yourself.

You did it. That’s a good thing and it’s up to Ahab to deal with it. It’s not going to rain and he’s going to blame you. But it’s not really you. It’s God with you but you have this kind of authority in your life. I want to say you have that as
well. You and I have the Word of God in us. We have authority from God. We can say things,
believe things, embrace things, relate to the truth, hide it in our hearts. It will deliver us from
our sin and when we fail and we sin, we have the Word of God to restore us. When we sin again
we have the grace of God that never fails. We have the ministry of God. We have the throne of
grace without any judgment but by his mercy and his grace he draws us so that we want to live
in the presence of God. It is not any party to live in my past or be troubled regarding my future
when we have a divine purpose in our heart from God by the Scripture.

1 Kingd 17:4, I wondered if P. Andrulonis would make a comment on the ravens. You will drink of
the brook, a small brook of water there and the ravens, unclean birds eating all kinds of things.
Very smart birds and they are going to be feeding you there. For a Jew, it’s out of the box. Vs. 5-
6. And so, he was living a very unusual life. Was he jealous? Was he suffering? Was he
comparing himself to other people? Very possible but he was following God.
My understanding is that when we follow God and we find God in this way, we find God as we
obey God. We find him satisfying us in this way. It might not be the way that you learn at the
university or the way that your mother and father would like you to live, but you are living a
different way and you’re finding God in the life. That God is there. God is doing it. God is
feeding you. God is satisfying you. God is filling you with the Spirit. God is blessing you with
what you have. God is helping you live your life. God is giving you joy and purpose and peace in
your heart.

Vs. 7. Another way of saying that is well, this is over. This chapter ended. It changed. This
changed. I was in Bible college. I finished Bible college. It changed. And I had another challenge
and another period in my life and there was another change. The brook dried up and that was
the end of that. I thought it would last forever and it didn’t. What do I have? I have God.
Vs. 8-9, okay. That’s also a bit strange. A widow woman. Wait until he meets her. Then it will be
really strange because it says here, vs. 10. Water is getting a little more scarce in Israel. There’s
a drought going on. The brook dried up and maybe this woman could give me a glass of water.
God sent me to her. Vs. 11. Morsel of bread with righteousness is better than great revenues
maybe done my way, my life versus this one. This is an adventure of faith. This is different. This
is the hand of God with a poor woman who has no husband and actually preparing to die. It
says there in vs. 12.

Wow. Is this God’s provision for Elijah to be with a woman who is going to die who is
undoubtedly discouraged and depressed? This is like God who is a missionary. God who is
sending us. God who is using us because our ways are not God’s ways and God is not going to
do it with a check in the mail. He may not do it with winning a lottery game or something. He
may not do it with borrowing money or going to the bank. He may not do it that way. He may
do something else.

What I’m saying is when righteous is with us, we have the presence of God in our life. There is
that guidance, that governance, that peace of God, the way of God. Look at the verse with me.
Vs. 13. He has faith. He is encouraged. I like that. He is an able minister of the New Testament.
Don’t fear. I know you are done but God is not done with you. God sent me to you. Not only are
you going to feed me, but God is going to feed us. God is going to take care of you. God sent me
to you. God sent me because my eyes are not on the things of the world. My eyes are on the
things that you can’t see. I found satisfaction in the presence of God, in the words of God, in the
mind of God, in the faith of God, in the fellowship with God. I found a new way. I found the
Spirit of God leading us in faith and prayer. This is a different way.

Look in closing what he says. Vs. 13. Thank you, Elijah. You’re going to minster to this woman.
You are. You’re going to minister to her and she needs you. Vs. 13. What’s he saying? He’s
getting into her heart. You give me a little cake first and let’s see what will happen. You will
have enough and enough and enough. That’s the idea. He knows this. He has this in his spirit
and in his mind. And so do you.

That’s why when we come out of Egypt, we dance on the other side of the Red Sea and say God
will bring us into the land. If he brought us out, he can also bring us in. If he saved me, he can
also take me all the way. And if he saved me and forgave me of my sin, he can also deal with my
personal struggles. The very things that I fall in and out of. The things that happen in life. I just
got to keep my eye on him and pay attention.

Vs. 14. Here comes the value of going to church. Here comes the value of “thus saith the Lord”
that comes to your heart. Like are we caring about our kid? Of course. You go to bed thinking
about your kids if they are teenagers or very young and so on. This is a very good place for
them. Actually, the only place I know of for raising a family because there will be a “thus saith
the Lord.” Sooner or later, there is “thus saith the Lord” for your life and your family and for all
of us.

Vs. 14. Isn’t that good? “Thus saith the Lord.” Lord, give me one of those. “Thus saith the Lord.”
Give me a “verily, verily I say unto you.” Lord, hit me with that. Feed me with those. That’s how
I must life. Not by bread alone but by the word that comes from your mouth. Not by looking
around to my neighbors or who has what or who has this or that. It’s like that’s all fine. May
God bless everyone in every way. As for me and my house, I got to look for something beyond. I
want to see something that is invisible that will carry my life so I don’t get entangled with the
things of the world.

I got another good portion. I’m going to hit it for a moment in a minute. I’m going to finish but
look at this. Vs. 15. You are kidding me. When the rain falls your food supply will end, but not
until then. You will supply the drought. God will do that for you. Isn’t that good? Vs. 16. There it
is.

Now, I guess that’s it. I had a portion I could share it. Let’s see if – okay I’ll do it. It goes like this.
Ending the message. It goes like this: Elijah we could say his present was wide. He’s in the
presence of God. He sees things. God is going to take care of the future with the food supply for
the widow, and her family and Elijah. He has this satisfaction that comes from the fellowship
and the “thus saith the Lord.” I must live by the “thus saith the Lord’s.” When I don’t have more
than just the natural world then I’m very much drawn to it. That’s the portion we will close with
in Proverbs 7. You’re great listeners.

Proverbs 7:1-5, So, what will keep me from the strange – means foreign. The outside woman. The
woman outside. The strange woman or the foreigner. The woman that doesn’t belong. How
does she get in? How does she come? Flattering with her words and seducing me and drawing
me. There’s one thing. Just say this in closing. One thing I believe that keeps us from this power
that’s there to draw us and that is “thus saith the Lord.” When we have his word dwelling in our
hearts, on our fingers is it? vs. 3. Keep them. Watch them. Live by them. Then we will be okay in
a world that is very seductive. In which way? All the typical. The ones that we know of. The
ones that we think of, realize.

Why didn’t I become a drug addict? Why didn’t I become a drug addict? I could have easily
become a drug addict. Why didn’t it happen to me? I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. Why didn’t I do
it? Because God helped me. God gave me himself. God gives the Word. And many other problems that we see in our world. Why are people suffering as they do? Because we need
Elijah and his ministry and he’s going to say to us things. We’ll make it in the drought. We’re
going to say, Elijah, how did that happen? God did it. God did it. God brought you from here to
there. God did it. God guided. God answered. God did it. God visited you. God honored you.
God helped you. God spoke to you. And it happened. That’s amazing. Amen.

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