But My God Shall Supply: Ravens, a Widow and Total Provision
Dr RJ Sing, 1 hr 27 min
Originally recorded as “God Is My Source of Total Supply”
Sermon outline
God, not man, is your source of total supply: the God who sent ravens and a widow to feed Elijah has already positioned people and resources for you, so make Him personally "my God" and refuse to fear or lack.
Main text
- 1 Kings 17:1-16
- Philippians 4:19
Opening
He opens with a prayer of thanks and has the church greet one another with "The Lord is with you" and declare that they are anointed and indestructible. Because it is Mother's Day he honours and prays for all the mothers. Before the sermon he teaches that every believer is already anointed and must grow that anointing by using it.
You are already anointed: grow it by using it
Looking for a greater measure of anointing somewhere else is a futile chase, because every believer is already anointed with God's ability and presence. Weak faith becomes strong faith by putting it to work, and the anointing grows the same way: by laying hands on the sick, sharing the Word and being active in God's work. The pastor who feeds you week after week is your spiritual father; do not run after something mystical.
Illustration: For many years he ran after something he thought he had to catch, only to realise later that he was chasing what he already had, like a man looking for money with a wallet full of it in his pocket.
“The anointing grows by using what you already have.”
The anointing is your environment
The anointing breaks the yoke, and everything you accomplish, from wisdom at work to healing to wealth, will be by the anointing. When Jesus gave the word, a fish brought a coin to pay the tax, and at Cana water became wine: God believes in luxury. With your vision comes the provision, and everything you will ever need has already been granted in the spirit to be drawn into manifestation by the anointing.
Illustration: A little boy took his pet fish out of its tank to keep him company on the carpet and it died, because its environment was the water. A born-again child of God taken out of the anointing is "a dead little fishy".
“The environment for a born-again child of God is in the anointing.”
- Isaiah 10:27
- Matthew 17:27
- John 2:1-11
- John 6:63
The ravens: God commands unlikely sources to feed you
Elijah drank from the brook, which he likens to the anointing that makes kindness, mercy and good words flow out of you, and God commanded ravens to bring him bread and flesh morning and evening. Ravens flee from people and devour whatever they find, yet God used them. He can use the most unlikely source to bless you: a widow, an unsaved relative's inheritance, or someone who tosses you the keys to a car. Stop saying nobody ever gives you anything, and declare that God is sending ravens to you.
Illustration: Some preachers use the Bible as a book of reference without believing it; he says that whenever he reads something good in the Bible he believes it and says, Lord, open up the tap.
“God has already commanded many people to feed you.”
- 1 Kings 17:1-6
- John 7:38
- Proverbs 18:21
The widow: fear not, and take the first step
When the brook dried up God sent Elijah to a widow who was gathering sticks to cook a last meal and die, and the prophet's first words to her were "Fear not." Do not fear where the money, the clothes or the rent will come from, because the God who fed Elijah is the same yesterday, today and forever. She obeyed, and the barrel of meal did not waste nor the cruse of oil fail. God's power comes into operation when you take the first step, so do not stay in the boat waiting for the provision first.
“The power of God comes into operation when you take the first step.”
- 1 Kings 17:7-16
- 2 Chronicles 20:20
- Hebrews 13:8
God is the source of supply for all your needs
He gives notes: God is the source of supply for all your needs; God has somebody somewhere positioned to help you; leave all things to the Lord and do not try to help Him; Elijah and Paul tested the source and found God never failing. Then two vital keys: a need has to exist before it is met, and the moment you have a need God supplies it, because Jesus is always in the now of your need.
“Leave all things to the Lord. He's got everything in control. Don't try to help him, you'll mess it up.”
Wealth is the gift of God
Before Philippians he reads a string of verses: riches and wealth are the gift of God, wealth and riches shall be in the house of the man who fears the Lord, the Lord takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant, and He causes those who love Him to inherit substance. It is God who gives the power to get wealth, not academic qualifications, or every university professor would be rich. There is an anointing for wealth creation that abides in the believer.
“Education is good. But it's not the end all, be all of getting wealth.”
- Ecclesiastes 5:19
- Psalm 112:1-3
- Psalm 35:27
- Proverbs 8:21
- 1 Kings 2:3
- Matthew 6:33
- 1 Chronicles 29:12
- Deuteronomy 8:18
"But my God": make Him personal
Paul did not say "your God" but "my God", the God he had walked with. In the shipwreck he told the frightened sailors to be of good cheer because an angel had stood by him, and when a snake bit him he knew the God who delivered him from the storm would deliver him again, as He had delivered Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and Moses at the Red Sea. Read the Bible not as a study book but to get a living word out of the written word.
Illustration: When the Israelites crossed the Red Sea they sang "but my God"; the Egyptians tried the same song about their own god, and the water still came in.
“I don't know what your God can do for you. But me as a born-again Christian, I know my God.”
- Philippians 4:19
- Acts 27:22-25
- Acts 28:3-6
- Daniel 6:22
- Daniel 3:26-27
- Exodus 14:15-16
Shall supply all your need according to His riches
The Greek word for supply means to make replete, cram a net full, level up a hollow, furnish and complete. The word for need covers every requirement and lack, and riches means wealth to the full: money, possessions and abundance. The Amplified Bible says God will liberally supply your every need to the full. It is all, not some: groceries, rent, petrol, a deposit, an overseas ticket, sickness, marriage and work problems. Do not lean on the arm of flesh or let anyone who pays for you become your god.
Illustration: An empty truck drives into a pit and a Caterpillar loads it to the top: "I go in empty. I come out full."
“Don't look at the floor the next time you've got pressure on you. Look up and say, boy, my God shall supply all my needs.”
- Philippians 4:19
- Luke 5:6
- Jeremiah 17:5-7
- Matthew 12:34
Don't be afraid of what man can do
No one should be able to intimidate, control or manipulate you, because you were bought with a price by the same God who supplies every need. The Lord told him not to let man be his source, because He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Daniel, Joseph, David and Job. Whether you face darkness, lack, sickness, threats or someone trying to put a ceiling on you, do not be afraid: greater is He who is in you.
“Don't let man be your source.”
- 1 Corinthians 6:20
- 1 John 4:4
- Proverbs 28:1
Putting it into practice
- Use the anointing you already have: pray for the sick, share the Word and get involved in God's work.
- Expect God to provide through unlikely people, and speak that expectation instead of complaining.
- Take the first step on what God has told you to do without waiting for the provision.
- Make Philippians 4:19 personal: when pressure comes, look up and say, "But my God shall supply all my needs."
- Refuse to let any person become your source or to be intimidated by anyone.
Closing
He shares how the Lord told him He would take care of him as His son, prophesies that the church will never lack and will have plenty to give away, and leads them in refusing lack and fear. He sends the mothers home to celebrate saying "but my God" over every need, and to say it at work when someone tries to intimidate them, then hands over to Adrian to lead the closing song.
Declarations he led
- I'm a son of God, daughter of God, greater is he that's in me than he that is in the world. I'm anointed to be a blessing, I'm anointed with God's anointing. My future is bright. My future is great. I'm anointed to go forward. Every door that is shut will open before me. Everything that's dried up will rise up in the name of Jesus. There's power in my mouth.
- Devil, I want you to hear me well, I'm so anointed, in Jesus name.
- Money, I'm anointed to attract you.
- I'm not going to struggle. Struggling is not for me.
- God is the source of my total supply.
- But my God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory.
- No more lack. I refuse to lack. No more fear. I refuse to walk in fear.
In his words
- “Don't try to catch something you already had.”
- “Don't worry about your provision. With your vision comes the provision.”
- “Miracles only gravitate to people that believe in miracles.”
- “I go in empty. I come out full.”
- “Don't look at the vessel. Just look at the end product.”
Every scripture in this message
- John 7:38
- Nehemiah 8:10
- 1 John 4:4
- Isaiah 10:27
- Matthew 17:27
- John 2:1-11
- John 6:63
- 1 Kings 17:1-16
- Proverbs 18:21
- 2 Corinthians 1:20
- 2 Chronicles 20:20
- Hebrews 13:8
- Ecclesiastes 5:19
- Psalm 112:1-3
- Psalm 35:27
- Proverbs 8:21
- 1 Kings 2:3
- Matthew 6:33
- 1 Chronicles 29:12
- Deuteronomy 8:18
- Philippians 4:19
- Acts 27:22-25
- Acts 28:3-6
- Daniel 6:22
- Daniel 3:26-27
- Exodus 14:15-16
- Luke 5:6
- Jeremiah 17:5-7
- Matthew 12:34
- 1 Corinthians 6:20
- Proverbs 28:1