This morning I stumbled into a powerful, 25 minute audio message by Pastor Rick Warren titled “When You’re Running Out of Everything (Part 2).” This is part of Rick’s series “When You’re Hoping for a Miracle.”

Rick says the #1 question he is asked is, “Why can’t I change?” People want to change, but they are stuck. The truth is you can’t change on your own because will power alone is not enough to make permanent change. Pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps is not enough. Talking yourself into a change by positive thinking is not enough. The Bible says true transformational change only comes through the power of God inside you.

The way you want to meet the need in your life is not the way God wants to meet the need in your life. Your way is second best. God’s way is always best.

Here are three principles about miracles:

1) The path to a miracle is always through uncomfortable territory. Miracles never happen in your comfort zone, when everything is going great, when everything is comfortable. You only need a miracle when you are scared to death, when you are in unchartered territory.

2) The source of a miracle is always unexpected. That is so God gets the glory. God does things in illogical ways. To reduce the stress in your life, remember God is God and I am not. Don’t fret, don’t fear, don’t forget, don’t try to figure it out, don’t formulate, just have faith.

Isaiah 55:8-9 – “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

3) The pattern for a miracle is always CPR – Command, Promise, Risk. God gives a command, He makes a promise, and then you take the risk.

With Elijah, God first asked him to deliver an unpleasant mesage to King Ahab that a long drought was coming to the land. Then God told Elijah to hide by the Brook Cherith and that He would command the ravens to feed him. After a while the Brook Cherith dried up and God commanded Elijah to go to Zarephath where a widom would provide for him.

Then the word of the LORD came to him (Elijah), saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, 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 make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. “For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.'” So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah. (1 Kings 17:9-16)

Zarephath in Hebrew means refinery. In a refinery, the heat is on and the pressure is on. God was refining Elijah’s faith and the widow’s faith.

God wants to refine your motives and shape you in ways you never thought possible. When you are going through a rut in your life, everything seems difficult.

When God plants a miracle in the your life, He works at both ends at the same time. God was working in Elijah’s life at the same time He was working in the widow’s life.

If you feel you are stuck in a rut and want help to change, please email me. In the Subject line, write “Interested in coaching”. Then write a paragraph or two describing your situation and what you want to change.

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

More blessings

1) What do you do best? – Outstanding short video by Kevin W. McCarthy

2) Rock Bottom is a Beautiful Place

Blessings for God’s power to change!