Text: Genesis 21:14-20
Synopsis: When Hagar and her son Ishmael were dying of thirst in the desert, Ishmael cried out and God heard him, coming to their assistance. The story is notable in that Hagar, the mother, was weeping, but the passage does not tell us that her voice was heard. There was something about the cry of a child that touched the heart of God.
Text: I Kings 17:1-16
Synopsis: Even though the widow of Zarephath and her son faced certain death from starvation during a severe drought, she obeyed the voice of God in supplying food and water to Elijah, the prophet of God. Because of her faith, Elijah promised her that the cooking oil she had left would not run dry until the drought ended.
Often God challenges our faith, even when we feel that we have reached the end of our rope. It’s then that He asks us to let go and trust Him. No matter what spiritual drought we may be enduring, we have His assurance that the oil of the Holy Ghost will not fail us until the rains return to our life.
Text: Luke 14:25-35
Synopsis: We all face pain in our lives, and it is easy to focus on the negative aspects of hurts. But pain offers a number of benefits. We learn and grow through our pain; pain reveals deeper problems in us; and pain allows us to empathize with others who are suffering as we are or were. Paul even spoke of his pain as a ministry.
Text: Luke 22:45-62
Synopsis: Three days of darkness followed the crucifixion of Jesus; three days of darkness for his disciples and his family. Many times we, too, endure days of darkness and despair, but like the disciples of Jesus we have hope because of the resurrection.
Text: Matthew 17:14-21
Synopsis: A man came to Jesus requesting help for his son, who he called a “lunatick” in that he often fell into the fire and into the water. His experience is typical of that of the person who is away from God, in that they are often not in their “right mind” and therefore often find themselves burned by people and circumstances and drowning in their situation.