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1 Kings 17:7-16 (ESV)
And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. 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.
REFERENCES: Matthew 14:13-21; 1 Kings 17:17-24; Luke 4:24-26
Have you ever felt God ask you to do something? Maybe it was His gentle voice asking you to forgive, or His stern command to give more than what is required. How quickly we respond to God is a measure of our faith. Although the blessing coincides with burden, God calls us to maintain a steady pace of obedience to develop us into mature believers.
God is looking for people that can handle the blessing and the burden.
Though the brook dried up, Elijah did not go without water. In our lives, it can seem as though we are lacking certain things or a source has “dried” up, but just like the Lord guided Elijah to where he should go next, He will do the same with us. Where He leads, He provides and it is simply our duty to obey His guidance. Elijah did not lack water because his source was not the brook, but God who is the living water.
When Elijah encountered the widow of Zarephath and asked for her to provide food for him in spite of her lack, she had a choice to make: would she trust God and release her resources into His hands? Or would she hold on to the little she had and face her demise? By remaining obedient, God was able to ensure that she and her son had all that they needed regardless of their circumstances. In that same way, when we trust God with what we have, He can multiply it beyond what we could ever imagine.
God is constantly inviting us to go deeper into our faith, and pushing us towards all that He has to offer. Some time later, the widow lost her son and knew exactly who to call, the man of God who first stirred up her bread faith. Elijah had caught the revelation that God has not yet failed him, and trusted that if God can make a miracle of bread and oil, He can exceed his expectations and bring her son back to life. It's up to us to be willing to give God the little we may have, so that He can do something more. Through the right lens of our heavenly father, we can hold tight to the truth that the burdens we face are preparing us for a greater blessing ahead. What is a blessing in one season may not be a blessing in the next. The blessings are not the source, He is.
Now that it is nearing the end of the year, take into account how God has shown up in your life this year and praise Him for all He has done. Just as you workout to strengthen and grow your muscles, the same is to be said with your faith. Remember that any weight that has come down on you is to strengthen you.
Need a midweek reset? Join us every Wednesday at VOUS Miami Gardens and VOUS Design District in the Prayer Room for an incredible hour of prayer starting at 12PM. Make it part of your weekly rhythm!
Where: VOUS Miami Gardens and VOUS Design District
When: Every Wednesday
Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM
Are you interested in leading a crew? Click here to fill out an application to become a crew leader in SZN 1 2026!
Make Thanksgiving special for a family in need by serving at our annual Thanksgiving Bash, a morning of distributing hundreds of meals to families in our community and watching teams compete for the VOUS Bowl Title in our spirited 7-on-7 flag football tournament.
As a Crew, fill up a Meal Kit this week and bring it to VOUS Miami Gardens or to the Thanksgiving Bash and serve together!
To donate a meal kit online, click here
To serve, click here
Date: Saturday, November 22nd
Time: 11:00AM
Location: Charles Hadley Park
Join us bright and early at Peacock Park for the VOUS 10K Turkey Trot! Start your Thanksgiving with fresh air, great friends, and all-around fun! We’ll see you at the starting line!
Sign up for the Turkey Trot, click here
Date: Thursday, November 27th
Time: 6:00AM
Location: Peacock Park
On Sunday, November 30th we're bringing our annual Tree Lighting tradition to our SoMi, City, and Miami Gardens Locations after the 6pm Services! RSVP and join us for a night of fun! Invite your friends and let's welcome the Christmas season together!
Date: November 30th
Time: 7:30PM
Locations:
VOUS Miami Gardens
17801 NW 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33169
VOUS City
6101 NW 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33127
VOUS SoMi
6767 Sunset Dr
South Miami, FL 33143
To RSVP, click here
Sow a seed of faith and invest in legacy Sunday, December 7 at our annual Bricklayers Offering.
For more information, click here
VOUS SoMi
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 6PM
VOUS City
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 6PM
VOUS Miami Gardens
8:30AM / 10:00AM / 12:00PM
VOUS Design District
8:30AM / 10:00AM / 12:00PM
Church Online
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 5PM Español
Growth Track
After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack
