{"id":2995,"date":"2022-11-15T21:55:08","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T21:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/?p=2995"},"modified":"2022-11-15T21:55:08","modified_gmt":"2022-11-15T21:55:08","slug":"fear-not-little-flock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/15\/fear-not-little-flock\/","title":{"rendered":"FEAR NOT LITTLE FLOCK<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
As we open our Bibles, the word little <\/em>should encourage us. It should become to us a word associated with victory rather than defeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A LITTLE MAID (2 KINGS 5)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
A little maid, far away in captive circumstances, knew more about \u201ca man of God\u201d and the power of God than was known by the king of Israel. Her simple testimony brought her leprous master to be healed and become a worshipper of God!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we find ourselves a captive to circumstances and seemingly far from any place of usefulness, may we direct some \u201cleprous Naaman\u201d to a place of cleansing and salvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We may wonder to what place of honor and blessing this captive maiden may have been exalted as her happy and healed master returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A LITTLE OIL (1 KINGS 17)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a refugee from Jezebel, Elijah had left the failing waters of Cherith and the raven\u2019s daily supply. At God\u2019s direction, he found himself a boarder with a widow and her son. Her earthly known resources were but a little oil in a cruse and a scattered handful of meal dusting the bottom of a barrel. She was about to prepare their last meal. Elijah\u2019s asking for a morsel of bread seems cruel in this desperate situation -truly desperate except for God! We are not able to estimate the amount of oil and meal in terms of gallons and barrels, but they \u201d \u2026 did eat many days\u201d <\/strong>(verse 15), and there was enough. It lasted until Elijah left Mount Carmel, until the rains came, and until the famine was lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When things seem \u201clike a famine\u201d and the \u201coil\u201d and the \u201cmeal\u201d are low, are we tempted to withhold from God lest there be not enough? Remembering the widow, we must give to God first. God has ways. How there was enough \u201cfor many days\u201d we don\u2019t know \u2013 except that God did it- and herein is our assurance and grounds for faith!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A LITTLE CLOUD (I KINGS 18)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
A prayer of Elijah had driven the rain from Israel\u2019s skies, and another had brought :fire to earth to consume a drenched altar in contest with Baal\u2019s prophets. Then this righteous man bowed low on Carmel\u2019s heights and fervently prayed for rain and the breaking of the drought. Six times the servant scanned the hot, brassy skies and reported that he<\/p>\n\n\n\n
saw nothing-but Elijah kept praying!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the seventh trip, and a look toward the sea, a little cloud the size of a man\u2019s hand was reported! After three and one-half years, one man, a prayer, and a little cloud-only a little cloud, but it was God\u2019s cloud \u2013 the burning, thirsty earth was drinking in the cool, refreshing, and reviving downpour!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elijah\u2019s God waits for His \u201cElijahs\u201d today, as James 5:16 tells us, \u201d \u2026 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
A LITTLE FISH (MATTHEW 14)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
To face a stadium: filled with five to ten thousand hungry people, and hope to feed them with only a single lunch might well be called impossible! So it might have been that day beside Galilee had not those few fish been placed in the hands of Jesus, and blessed by Him who ages before had created all things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the apostles alone it was beyond the realm of possibility. \u201d \u2026 send the multitudes away \u2026 \u201d <\/strong>(verse 15), they said. We say today, \u201cThe job is too great and the resources too small!\u201d But wait! Listen! \u201d \u2026 Bring them hither to me\u201d <\/strong>(verse 18), said Jesus, and the fainting multitude had more than enough and were strengthened!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So today -first into His hands, back into ours, and then to the multitude who wait. It is not ours to bewail the \u201clittleness\u201d of what we have, but to dedicate it to Christ for His blessing in order that they need not go away \u2013 but have enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A LITTLE CHILD (MATTHEW 18)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
How small he must have seemed in the midst of that crowd of apostles as Christ lifted him to His lap! He was just a \u201d \u2026 little child \u2026 \u201d <\/strong>(verse 2), but who can measure the space and place that he occupied in the ministry of the apostles, the plan of God, and the salvation of multitudes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reason is quite simple. Where there is no humility, God gives no grace He fights against the proud. Therefore, if this little child, in his simple faith, obedience, and submissiveness brings the lesson of humility to these upon whom the launching of God\u2019s program depends-how great is his place!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God may use some of His \u201clittle\u201d children to teach some simple lessons needed by those \u201cbigger\u201d ones who may, because of our lessons taught, go forth to great things-of which we have become really a part! Nothing is actually \u201clittle\u201d that touches God, souls, and eternity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A LITTLE FLOCK (LUKE 12)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Placed alongside the non-professing world and the merely professing church, God\u2019s own are a \u201clittle flock\u201d both numerically and in natural strength. There is no merit in being \u201clittle\u201d as a congregation(it might be a shame if our best has not been done to grow), but His presence in our midst is the important thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we see what great things He has done with \u201cthe little\u201d and \u201cthe few,\u201d we must conclude that when God ceases to use the things that are \u201csmall\u201d and \u201cweak,\u201d He will have ceased to be God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence\u201d <\/strong>(1 Corinthians 1:26-29).<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As we open our Bibles, the word little should encourage us. It should become to us a word associated with victory rather than defeat. A LITTLE MAID (2 KINGS 5) A little maid, far away in captive circumstances, knew more about \u201ca man of God\u201d and the power of God than was known by the … Continue reading FEAR NOT LITTLE FLOCK<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa5oei-Mj","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2995"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2995\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2996,"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2995\/revisions\/2996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}