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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: INSOUCIANT (06/02/16)
Elijah told the widow of Zarephath, " Don't worry," he even asked her for a cake of bread when she had just told him that she didn't have enough for a second meal for herself and her son. They would eat one more meal together and then they would eventually die of starvation; it looked like a fact, but it was not the truth.

Jesus told the widow whose only son had died and who was in the process of walking to the burial site to bury his body, "Don't cry."

Each of the Prophets however, knew the end of the story; but those women did not, so I wonder if they might have said, in the verbiage of their time, what we would say today, "Are you kidding me?"

We, of today are not left out of this story at all, we are instructed in the Scriptures to, "Not worry." "Be positive of good outcomes." "In all things, give thanks to God."

"Lord," we say, "Do you know what's going on down here?"

There are new diseases for which there is no antibiotic, diseases that deform innocent babies and break mothers and fathers hearts, people who hate and kill each other, a financial system across the world that brings panic: "How will we eat, how will we manage to live?"

Babies are being killed daily, there is human sacrifice, and sex slavery, and incest, and pain, and substance abuse, and the weather is going wild. "How can I not worry?" we say.

The Lord might say to us: "You know the facts, and I know the truth."

Numerous times in the Book of John Jesus makes this statement, "I tell you the truth."

Facts are not always truth, but truth is always fact!

The Lord protected Elijah's life from Ahab and Jezebel; he was instructed by God to go to the Kerith Ravine and there he could drink from the brook; the Lord said, "I have commanded the ravens to bring you food."

Right then, Elijah may have had one of those, "Are You kidding me?" moments.

Elijah went there, (and here is a key to God's provision,) Elijah went to the place the Lord instructed him to go. If he had decided another place was really the safer one, would the ravens have followed him there?

A guess would be nothing more than a guess, but throughout the Scriptures we are presented with teaching, by observation, that shows us that to do it God's way is the best way.

The truth is that the ravens did bring Elijah bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and Elijah drank from the brook.

If, and when, we walk in the path of righteous living, according to the Lord's instructions, we find our provision already there. It often comes in the most unexpected ways; but sometimes it comes in expected ways such as our employment, but the truth is that God has promised to meet our needs.

The place of fault for us is that we default to another plan or path and often miss our blessings by some careless or disobedient decision or act.

The fact is that the world seems to be coming apart at the seams; but the truth is that God has it all in His hands. We who are trusting Him are in the palm of one of His hands with the other hand cupped over us.

Paul said to the Greeks at Mars Hill about God, the One they did not know, "In Him we live and move and have our being."

My translation is, "If God was water we'd all be swimming in Him."

This God we trust knows our needs and is never removed from our being; He surrounds us at all times and when we call to Him, He answers, and that is the truth - it is also a fact.

For those of us who have asked Him to come into our hearts and lives, He is then around us, and also in us, as we are in Him. We are safe.

Some instructions given to us in the Scriptures just don't seem reasonable, they don't match the logical thing to do, but the truth is the Word of God will never steer us wrong, and we truly have no need to worry, nor to fear.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
06/12/16
This is the basis of a great sermon. I know I worry too much. I joke if it were an Olympic event, I'd bring home the gold, but I need to trust in God more. Thanks for the reminder.
Trudy Newell
06/13/16
I love the statement "You know the facts, I know the truth."

I tend to worry about everything. Mike put a decorative note on our fridge "Worry ends where faith begins."

Thanks for this reminder. Well done!

Noel Mitaxa 
06/14/16
I like your fresh approach to some old examples of how God intervened in people's lives - when they had no idea what was coming next.
In that sense, it's reassuring because we rarely see how or when God will step into our unfolding world - even though we know he will.
A small touch of red ink. Some of your commas are overused - breaking the flow of thought when there is no break.
Bonnie Bowden 
06/16/16
Congratulations, Ramona, on your 1st place finish in the Intermediate category and moving to the Advanced category.

I liked your easy to understand translations of the passage. My favorite line was: "You know the facts, and [but] I know the truth.
Jennifer Warren 
06/18/16
Congratulations! I was just reading back through some previous entries and read this. Through your entry, the Lord has encouraged me in a time of struggle. Blessings! Keep writing!
Bea Edwards 
06/27/16
I really liked the way you presented this. Especially your line "Facts are not always truth, but truth is always fact!"

Well done and congratulations on winning 1st place in your level.