BCF Philly | Pastor Kenneth Sheppard | The importance of being in the right place at the right time.

First Kings 17 picks up after the brook dried up, and God speaks to Elijah again. God tells Elijah to go to Zarephath because a widow there has been commanded to feed him. Elijah does not argue, does not ask a bunch of questions, and does not try to figure it all out first. Elijah just goes, even though Zarephath sits in enemy territory, the same area Jezebel was from.

God shows that nothing is outside his control. God already commanded ravens to feed Elijah at the brook, like the first Uber Eats or DoorDash, and now God commands a widow to feed him. God does not choose a rich widow with money put away. God chooses a poor widow gathering sticks for the last meal for herself and her son. God uses somebody with almost nothing to show that his purpose does not depend on a person’s abundance.

God also shows that he loves to use unlikely people. Moses was a murderer, Abraham was a liar, David was an adulterer and murderer, and Jesus’ disciples were regular working class people. God still uses people with issues, people with pasts, people who used to be known for something else. God changes hearts in a way that makes other people say, “If God can change him, if God can change her, maybe he can change me.”

The widow tells Elijah, “as the Lord your God lives,” making clear that Yahweh is not even her God in her own mind. Still, God has already commanded her, and she obeys. Elijah tells her not to fear, but to make him bread first, then make something for herself and her son. That word “first” is everything, because God is establishing order. Provision is secondary, position comes first.

God tests priority in scarcity as well as abundance. Obedience is easy when money is right, health is good, and everything feels open. Scarcity reveals what the heart truly trusts, because when resources shrink, people cling, calculate, conserve, and hold on tight. God steps into that moment and asks whether he will still be first.

God provides in lack, but his provision may look different than expected. The flour jar did not become full, and the oil jug did not overflow. God gave just enough, day after day. God is more than enough, but sometimes God is the God of just enough, teaching dependence, closeness, and trust month after month, day after day.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God uses unlikely people anywhere God sends Elijah to a widow in enemy territory, not to somebody impressive, wealthy, or obviously prepared. God’s choice shows that kingdom purpose does not rest on human abundance, reputation, or convenience. The person who feels like there is almost nothing left may still be the very person God has already commanded for his work. [52:59]
• 2. Scarcity reveals the real priority The widow’s last handful of flour becomes the place where trust is exposed. Scarcity strips away the easy language of faith and shows whether God has first position or only leftover space. God is not asking for performance in comfort, but obedience when the cost feels real. [75:47]
• 3. Obedience comes before provision Elijah’s word requires action before the widow sees the miracle. God’s order is not provision first and obedience later, but obedience first and provision following after. The worldly mind wants proof before surrender, but faith moves on God’s word while the jar still looks empty. [81:09]
• 4. Just enough is still miracle The jar and jug do not overflow, but they also do not run out. God’s “just enough” keeps the widow close enough to depend on him again the next morning. Abundance can be a blessing, but daily dependence can become the mercy that keeps the heart from wandering.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [47:07] - First Kings 17:8-16
• [50:10] - Elijah After the Brook Dried Up
• [51:46] - Sent Into Enemy Territory
• [52:59] - God Can Use Anyone Anywhere
• [57:33] - Unlikely People in God’s Hands
• [63:09] - The Widow With Almost Nothing
• [67:35] - Obedience in Scarcity and Abundance
• [73:09] - God Demands First Place
• [80:31] - Provision Follows Obedience
• [84:27] - God Provides in Lack
• [90:32] - The God of Just Enough
• [96:26] - Prayer for Priority and Obedience

Bible Reading

1 Kings 17:8-16
“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.” [47:10]

Matthew 6:33
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Philippians 4:19
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Observation questions

1. In 1 Kings 17:8-16, what specific things does God tell Elijah to do, and how does Elijah respond to those instructions? [51:41]
2. What details in the passage show how little the widow actually had when Elijah met her? [01:03:43]
3. What word in Elijah’s instruction to the widow shows the order God was establishing, and what came after that act of obedience? [01:15:24]
4. In the story, what did God’s provision look like day after day for the widow, Elijah, and her household? [01:30:13]

Interpretation questions

1. Zarephath was enemy territory, and the widow was an unlikely person to carry God’s provision. What does that reveal about God’s control and the kind of people he chooses to use? [53:03]
2. The widow says, “the Lord your God,” not “my God,” and yet she still obeys. What does that suggest about how God can begin working in a person’s life even before their faith seems fully formed? [01:10:21]
3. Elijah tells the widow to make him bread first. How does that connect with Matthew 6:33 and the idea that position comes before provision? [01:20:31]
4. The jar and jug did not overflow, but they also did not run out. What might God be teaching through seasons where provision is “just enough” instead of abundance? [01:34:01]

Application questions

1. Elijah went when God told him to go, even into a hard and uncomfortable place. Is there any area right now where there has been hesitation to obey because too many questions are being asked first? What would it look like to move in simple obedience? [51:52]
2. God uses unlikely people with messy pasts, weaknesses, and limitations. Where might someone be disqualifying himself or herself from being used by God, and what would it look like to finally tell God yes? [01:04:31]
3. Scarcity reveals what the heart truly trusts. When resources get tight—money, time, energy, health—what is the first instinct: cling, calculate, panic, or trust? What does that reveal right now? [01:16:44]
4. God must be first in every area, not just the comfortable ones. Which area of life most needs to come back under God’s first place—finances, time, family, habits, relationships, or something else? [01:24:16]
5. Obedience often comes before visible provision. Is there a step of obedience that has been delayed until things feel safer or clearer? What might it mean to obey while the jar still looks empty? [01:21:09]
6. God gave his only Son for the world. How does John 3:16 challenge the way someone thinks about giving God his or her best instead of leftovers? [01:17:52]
7. Some seasons are marked by “just enough.” Where has God been quietly sustaining life with just enough, and how can that provision be recognized as a miracle instead of overlooked as mere survival? [01:35:25]