The Faith Walk

Jonathan Evans: Today, on The Faith Walk with Jonathan Evans.

I just wonder if there's anybody in the house that's going from problem to problem? That it just seems like there's one thing after another? It seems like the reservoir of problems have just been unleashed in your life and you cannot stop them from coming, they just keep coming. But I want you to understand that when this says after these things, it's not just talking about the problem. After these things is talking about the provision. See, a lot of times when you go from problem to problem, you'll forget about the provision.

Guest (Male): You're listening to The Faith Walk with Jonathan Evans. In a moment, Jonathan will continue today's message, but first, to thank you for your support of this ministry, Jonathan has a couple of special gifts for you. The first is the audio series that you're currently hearing called House of Prayer: Building a Real, Consistent and Intimate Prayer Life through Honest, Private Communication with God.

The second part of this gift is a devotional called Kingdom Family, written by Jonathan and Toni Evans. It covers real-life topics for parents and kids to explore together throughout the year. I'll tell you more about these later in today's program. Or you can call right now at 1-800-800-3222 or visit tonyevans.org to learn more. Now, let's get started with Jonathan's message.

Jonathan Evans: Today I want to talk to you from the topic, "Revive." Because I believe that with all these cards and concerns on the stage, or that were put in the basket, there are some situations that need to be revived. There are some hard things that we're praying for. There are some tough things that have happened. For many of you, you're thinking there is only one difference between this year and last year, and there's not much. It's just a minute past. It's just an hour past or a day past. Everything is the same. It may be a new year, but I still got the same problems.

Understand in verse 17, it says, "Now it came about after these things." After these things is an important thing to note because it's important to know that this widow just came out of a drought where she was just provided for. She thought that her and her son were going to die because there was no food, but then in the end, the Prophet Elijah, through the power of God, made a provision for this widow and her son, that it did not run out and they had provision.

Then it says, "After these things." And now the son that was just provided for has no more breath in him. And so now this widow is going from problem to problem. I just wonder if there's anybody in the house that's going from problem to problem? That it just seems like there's one thing after another? It seems like the reservoir of problems have just been unleashed in your life and you cannot stop them from coming, they just keep coming.

But I want you to understand that when this says "after these things," it's not just talking about the problem. "After these things" is talking about the provision. A lot of times when you go from problem to problem, you'll forget about the provision. So she was provided for in a drought and it says, "After these things." We've got to understand that because when you go from problem to problem, when you go from trial to trial, a new trial will give you spiritual amnesia of a former triumph.

If you forget what God has done, then you won't have confidence in what he actually can do. We've got to remember right that it's after these things. Like the problem that you're currently facing is after he sustained you. It's after he sustained you financially. It's after you got in the car accident, but then you walked away. It's after you got the call about your family member going to the hospital, but then they got discharged the same night. It's after he sustained you in a crisis.

It seems like you went from one crisis to another crisis, but you wouldn't have even made it to the next crisis if he didn't sustain you from the past one. So we start this story with "after these things" and it's easy for us to think and get wedged in our mind that it's problem to problem. No, it's problem to provision to problem. And we can't forget the provision of God as we move forward because, as you're going to see in a moment, the widow forgot.

My kids sometimes forget. They'll come up to me when they're hungry for dinner and sometimes they'll say, "Dad, I'm starving. Are you going to feed us?" I'm offended. When have you gone hungry? When have you not eaten? What breakfast, lunch, and dinner have you missed? So to come to me with a lack of confidence, don't let your hunger speak so loud that you forget that you've been filled. Many of us do this in the Christian life, as we let our hunger speak so loud we forget the fullness of God by which we have been filled.

The widow is in a situation that's hard. I know what you're saying. You're saying, "Jonathan, I hear you. That sounds nice. But you've got to understand that this concern that I brought to the stage, this card that I brought to the stage is actually very severe." These things aren't lightweight stuff. The stuff that has been brought to the stage, some of which is very severe. The sickness of the son was so severe there was no breath left in him. A lot of you brought the card, but you really didn't bring your concern because it's too severe.

What's the point of praying for something that's already dead? The widow's not going to God because the child is dead. It already lost its breath. There's no life in him. So I did the act, but I really don't have the faith and belief that God can revive the thing that's going on in my life. It's too severe. What's the point of praying for a marriage when my spouse is already committed to the divorce? What's the point when I already lost the job? I already got the diagnosis. What's the point of praying for something that's this severe?

For many of us, we're in church, but do we really believe? Or do we think it's too severe for the Savior himself? Did we bring the card, but we really didn't bring the concern? Many of us are responding like the widow in verse 18. Let me show you how the widow responds. So she said to Elijah, "What do I have to do with you, oh man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance and to put my son to death." Let me say that in a modern-day way. She was saying, "What is it, Lord? What are you trying to tell me? What do you want from me?"

I don't know if anybody's been so frustrated in your scenarios and they've been so severe where you're just like, "God, what? What do you want from me? What are you trying to say? Why am I going through all this? Would you just hurry up already, get it over with?" It's so severe that she's like, "What is it? What? I can't take it anymore. I've gone through one thing after another." She's not going to Elijah saying, "Hey, you provided for me before, provide for me again. I trust you, I have faith in you, I have faith in the power of God through you."

That's not her concern. She's going to Elijah, who represents the Lord, and saying, "What? What do you need and what do you want from me?" And then it gets worse. She says, "Have you come to me to bring my iniquities to remembrance and to put my son to death?" So now the prophet that just provided is now the prophet that brings the problem? A lot of times our trials can get so bad that we make God the culprit of our concern. I did it personally when my mom died. I was mad at God.

What do you want? What did we need to do? What are you asking for me? Like, where does this go from here? I was frustrated. Has anybody ever been mad at God before? And here the widow is. Her situation is so severe that she's mad at the Prophet Elijah and saying, "What do you want from me?" Her trial has pulled her into bad theology, where God becomes the culprit of your concern. Now it is true that God does judge unrighteousness. It is very true. Galatians 6:7 says, "Do not be deceived, God will not be mocked. A man will reap what he sows." So it is true that God judges sin.

But it is not true that God pulls you up for the purposes of throwing you down. She was just provided for. If God was trying to bring her sins to remembrance, he wouldn't have provided for her a few verses earlier. He may be trying to teach her, draw her, show her, persevere her, but he's not trying to crush her. You need to understand that God's not bringing you out of Egypt for the purposes of just dropping you in the wilderness. That's not his purpose.

God is not doing this just to crush you. For those of you who are mad at God, you're mad at the same God who's not trying to condemn you, or he would have never sent his son to save you. We don't serve a God that's trying to puppet you for his enjoyment. He's not just doing it to hurt you. My Bible says God is near to the brokenhearted and he saves those who are crushed in spirit. If God was trying to condemn you, it's hard to pray to a God who you think's the culprit of your challenge.

If God is trying to condemn you, he would have never sent his son to save you. Just because your circumstances are a rollercoaster does not mean the faithfulness of God are the tracks. He's not just taking you on a rollercoaster. He's trying to show you, grow you so that you can know the great God that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly beyond all that you can ask or think. But she says, "You're the culprit. You're trying to hurt me. What do you want?"

Guest (Male): Have you ever had a consistent, authentic prayer life? Building a real, consistent, and intimate prayer life through honest, private communication with God can change your life. Today, when you give a gift to support the ministry of the Urban Alternative, Jonathan wants to give you two life-altering resources.

The first is a copy of his series, House of Prayer, encouraging you to pray persistently, seek God's kingdom first, and allow prayer to transform your heart to align with God's will. The second part of this gift is a devotional called Kingdom Family, written by Jonathan and Toni Evans, that offers simple, engaging lessons that parents and kids can explore together throughout the year.

Both the devotional book Kingdom Family and the four-part audio series House of Prayer are a way of showing appreciation for the continued support of listeners like you who make this program possible. Get all the details online at tonyevans.org. Again, that's tonyevans.org. Or you can call our 24-hour resource request line at 1-800-800-3222 and let one of our team members help you. That's 1-800-800-3222. Find your way out of distractions and into God's purpose for your life. Now, let's get back to Jonathan.

Jonathan Evans: He's not just taking you on a rollercoaster, he's trying to show you, grow you so that you can know the great God that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly beyond all that you can ask or think. But she says, "You're the culprit. You're trying to hurt me. What do you want?" Many of you brought the card and the concern is still in the seat. Because not only do you not trust him, you think he's involved in hurting you. This is important to note because you'll start saying, "Well, I guess that's just what I get."

You're not going to God. I guess I deserve it. I guess my sins have found me out. Based on how I live, I just need to deal with the reality of it, not pray that the reality can be changed. This is just what it is for me. Mark 6:52, the disciples just went from the feeding of the 5,000, then they went out into the water and hit the storm. They panicked in the storm. They saw Jesus walk on the water and then this is what Jesus says in Mark 6:52.

The Bible says, "For they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their hearts were hardened." Have we not learned? Why do we not pray? Because we haven't gained any insight. Our hearts are still hardened. They've become hardened by the situations that we face and we haven't gained any insight into who God really is in our life. We've seen what he's done for other people, but we don't believe that can be our testimony.

We've seen what he's done in scripture, but we think that's just a long time ago. He doesn't do it now. Let me help you understand: if he did it before, he will do it again. So the widow is complaining to Elijah. She's in there and she's like, "What do you want from me? You killed my son. You did this to me." Elijah is listening. She keeps continuing and then he says, "Are you finished? Can I talk now?"

Look at verse 19. Elijah says to her, "Give me your son." Her son is no longer breathing. She's complaining about it, she's worried about it. It's dead. The son is dead. She's not praying because it's too severe for prayer. So there's no need to pray for it. It's already over. Elijah says, "Are you finished? Give me your son." Elijah said to the widow, "I hear you. Now give me your son."

The son is the thing that's dead, desolate, depleted, destroyed. Elijah says, "I know you don't think it's worth it. I know you don't think that the power of God can heal it. I know you don't think God can do anything with it. But let me show you something. Give me your son." For those of you who have a "son," that is the thing in your life that's destroyed, desolate, depleted. You don't think God can do anything with it.

God is standing before you today and he's saying, "Give it to me." In other words, that marriage? Give it to me. Your family? Give it to me. Your addiction? Give it to me. Your depression? Give it to me. Your anxiety? Give it to me. Your career? Give it to me. Your finances? Give it to me. All of it, whatever you think is the worst, that's what I want. Give it to me. Give me your son. Don't accuse me, give it to me. Don't run from me, give it to me. Give me your son.

Because the son was located in the wrong... she's complaining, but look at what verse 19 says. He says, "Give me your son." Get that situation off your chest. How do you know it's not on your chest anymore? Because you no longer feel the weight on your chest. Many of us are frustrated. You're stressed to the max. You're in the hospital with heart palpitations. That's going to keep happening as long as that situation stays on your chest.

The Prophet Elijah says, "Give me your son." And he went and took the son off of her chest. A lot of us are holding... why do we feel like our problems are best held in the coddling of our own arms? There's no power in your arms. You're running around trying to change everything, trying to make this happen, making all the phone calls, trying to use your own intellect to make your kid understand they need to trust Jesus and come back home. You're trying to use your own brain and your degrees to make this situation change, and you're losing your mind.

Why? Because you stepped into God territory and your humanity can't handle that territory. Give God your son. Here she is holding the child on her bosom, complaining to God and believing God is the culprit of the death of her son. Meanwhile, through the Prophet Elijah, the Prophet Elijah is saying, "No, no. Give me the boy. Get it off your chest." Ladies and gentlemen, draw near to the throne of grace. For there you will receive mercy and find grace in your time of need.

Draw near to the throne of grace. For there you receive mercy and you find grace. When? In your time of need. It starts with giving God your life. But how do you give God your life for salvation, but you won't give him your problems? He's good enough to save me from the depths of hell, but he's not good enough to save me from my circumstances in history? He can revive it. But some of us trust us more.

God is saying, "Are you finished? Now don't bring the card and leave your concern." Elijah takes the child. Notice that she didn't give the child. Elijah went and took it. So I pray, Lord God, that your spirit would go before me and take the children. Take the problems off the chest of the people. Even still, she had to have been willing to let go. Some of us are complaining while lacking the willingness to even let go of it.

Elijah says, "Give me your son." Then he took him from her bosom and carried him up, verse 19, to the upper room where he was living. Why didn't he heal the boy downstairs? I was wondering why he had to go up to the upper room. Seems like extra work. Downstairs was the working quarters and storage. Upstairs was the living quarters. The boy was not going to be healed by human effort or if it was going to be in storage and never come out.

The boy was going to be healed in living quarters. So Elijah took the boy up because that's where living quarters are. They're not downstairs where you are. That's where you hold the baby. They're upstairs in living quarters. As long as the problem stays downstairs where you are, it's going to look like you look—like a problem. Until it goes up to living quarters, you don't stand a chance.

A lot of us have our problems and we just keep storing them downstairs. As long as you store them downstairs, they'll be dead in your storage. The Bible is teaching us: No, no. Give it to God. Colossians 3 says, "Set your heart on things above where Christ is."

Guest (Male): That was Pastor Jonathan Evans. Before you go today, I want to remind you that we have a couple of special gifts for you: a devotional book called Kingdom Family and a four-part audio series, House of Prayer. The devotional Kingdom Family, written by Jonathan and Toni Evans, is a practical, easy-to-use guide designed to help your family grow spiritually together through short daily devotionals that fit naturally into busy routines like dinnertime or bedtime.

We are also including Jonathan Evans' House of Prayer audio series, helping you build a real, consistent, and intimate prayer life through honest private communication with God rather than an outward performance. Both the devotional called Kingdom Family and his audio series House of Prayer are a gift to you to thank you for your donation to help support the ministry of the Urban Alternative. It's our way of showing appreciation for the continued support of listeners like you who make this program possible.

Call 1-800-800-3222 anytime or get all the details online at tonyevans.org. Again, that's tonyevans.org. Or you can call our 24-hour resource request line at 1-800-800-3222 and let one of our team members help you. That's 1-800-800-3222. Thank you for listening to The Faith Walk with Jonathan Evans. The Faith Walk is produced as a part of the Urban Alternative, a ministry of Dr. Tony Evans.