Greatness Happens in Famine
Gen 26:1, 12
There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham.
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.
Greatness happens in famine
Famine is also the cause of many missing their destiny!
Famine: nature does not provide the best environment for producing anything
No rain, dry ground,
Outcome: failure of crop, extreme shortage of food
Famine is either the best excuse for doing nothing
Or, it’s the background that sets up your story
Adversity creates your story
Power is protected by problems
Greatness hides in famine
Joseph ascended to Greatness because of a famine
1 Kings 17:10-16
So [Elijah] arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink." 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand."
12 So she said, "As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, 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."
13 And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.'"
15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.
Widowed – struggling & juggling – wouldn’t be so bad if you had some help!
Bad situation is potential made worse –
By the demand that is put on you by God in Famine
Word from the Lord
Can’t reconcile what God wants with my situation
Confusing: If she had only gotten the word when her resources were together
“Right now I just can’t”
Before, you had the resources, but not the time
Now you have the time, but not the resources
God always challenges you beyond your capacity
Ascending in famine is an issue of FAITH
Elijah told her “Do not fear”
Give to the Lord first
This is where we part with the woman
“I can’t” – We live by our limitations, instead of the Rhema of the Lord
1 Sam 30:3-8
So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, "Please bring the ephod here to me." And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 So David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all."
David’s famine turned to greatness because of these 3 things
1. Strengthen yourself in the Lord
Eph 3:16
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you
with power through his Spirit in your inner being.
Makes us deal with our internal issues
2. Get directions from the Lord
Isa 30:21
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it,"
Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.
3. Seize the moment
Famines are more critical than times of prosperity
You press in to God more
Evaluate purpose & what’s important
Call us to a higher level of faith-living
Come out of this time Greater than when it started