# The bottom of the barrel

Category: Grace
Key Passage: 1 Kings 17
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: April 28, 2025

First Kings chapter 17. First Kings chapter 17. For a little bit, we are going to talk about Elijah and just one story of his life. I believe the Lord led us to that today and we will try to emphasize some truths. Pray that the Lord would apply it to your life as it needs to be.

It can be taken in several different ways, but ask the Lord to speak to you as you need. First Kings chapter 17 in the Bible, if you are still looking. First Kings is right before Second Kings, amen? First Kings 17 and Elijah. I like this because Elijah is not really mentioned at all to this point.

And just like, boom, he is on the scene. You will see him taking his long finger and pointing at a wicked King Ahab. By the way, for those that say preachers and Christians ought not be in politics, they have not read their Bible very much. This is all through the Bible. This time, Elijah is pointing his finger right at the king, you know, the president, if you will, saying, “Hey, dude.”

So it is very biblical. In fact, John the Baptist had his head cut off for being involved in it. It was God’s will, but it is all through the Bible. That is where you start this chapter. Elijah is pointing his finger at the king: “You are so sinful. You are so wicked. And because of that, God is bringing judgment. It is not going to rain.” He really did not say at that point how long; he just said, “According to my word.”

It ends up being three and a half years, but it just says it is not going to rain because you are leading Israel into sin. So famine comes. Imagine back in that day and time; they did not have quite the irrigation and pumps and wells and all that we have. If you did not get rain, the crops were dying, and people were hungry. God says, “I tell you what, Elijah, go over that creek over there, Stewart’s Creek.”

That is where you get Stewart’s Creek High School from. He said go over to the creek. The Bible calls it the Brook Cherith, and go over there. Of course, he got water from the brook. And the ravens—it is amazing. You talk about DoorDash delivery; way before that, God had that going on in the Bible. He had the birds. The ravens would bring—the Bible says bread and flesh. Now, hopefully that flesh equaled steak. Somebody say amen. I do not know. It just said it. Bread and meat and flesh is the actual word it uses there. So he had some kind of meat, meat and potatoes, if you will. God took care of him; in the morning and at night, the birds would bring that. That is right. But soon enough, a little bit into it, that creek dried up.

There was no rain, so you are talking about it being dry everywhere. The rivers were drying up. That little creek just dried up. By the way, he was in hiding because old Ahab did not like it; he was after him. God says, “I want you to go somewhere else.” That is where we are going to pick up the story. We are going to read a little bit, all right? So do not lose me in the reading; just kind of let us think about what we are reading here. We are going to start in verse number eight.

If you would, let us stand together as we read the Bible, God’s word together. First Kings 17, look in verse number eight. Are you there this morning? Amen. Good deal. And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, “Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon.” By the way, that is not in Israel. That place he is talking about is a bit northern, northeast.

And dwell there; behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee." So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks. He called her and said, “Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel that I may drink.”

As she was going to fetch it, he called to her and said, “Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.” She said, “As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, a little oil in a cruse. Behold, I am gathering two sticks, and I may go in and dress it for me and for my son that we may eat it and die.”

Elijah said, “Fear not; go and do as thou hast said, but make me thereof a little cake first.” Firstfruits giving, by the way, is biblical. “And bring it unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel: The barrel of meal shall not waste. Neither shall the cruse of oil fail until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.”

She went and did according to the saying of Elijah, and she and he and her house did eat many days, and the barrel of meal wasted not. Neither did the cruse of oil fail according to the word of the Lord which he spake by Elijah.

Would you pray with me that God would speak to your heart, our hearts? Would you do that? Father, Lord, I have been to these things sometimes where I just read a story that really does not do that much to me, Lord. Father, I pray that you would take this story and the truth we glean, trying to glean from it, Lord. And would you apply them to mine and every heart here? Lord, you know the exact way it needs to apply, and I pray that it would. Lord, if there is a little phrase you want me to say, I yield to you; I sure would like to say that. If you could use a little phrase just to change a life, Lord, would you work as only you can in the hearts of these dear people? Lord, thank you for what you do. We will brag on you for it. It is in the name of Jesus we ask, Father. Amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

He is a little bit needy, if you will. He is at this creek and got the water and the birds, but the creek dried up. Maybe that is the reason why the first thing he asked that widow was for a drink of water because the creek dried up. God said, “Well, I got a different place for you to go.” By the way, it is a long way from the Brook Cherith on up to Zarephath. They say as a crow flies about 50 miles, but he is in hiding, so he probably went a totally different route, maybe over 80 miles, and he did not have a Chevy to drive, amen.

He did not have all that, and it took him a while, and he finally gets there. Here is the thing about it: it was a widow lady. In Bible times, they did not have Social Security. They did not have all the different things that take care of needy people. A widow lady, typically in the Bible, was very, very poor. She had a son, so she was not really old. Her son was living home. In fact, she was so poor, she said, “I was about to make a little bit of food for me and my boy, and that is all we got. We are going to die.”

Can I just say a little side note as we are kind of getting into the story? We often think God is going to send us some strong, educated, wealthy person to help us. Sometimes God uses the weak to help us. That is often God’s choice. Elijah, no, I am not going to send you to a wealthy person. I am going to send you to a poor widow lady’s house.

By the way, I already mentioned it just kind of in passing: she was not an Israelite. I thank God; often when he directs you, he has many purposes in him. One, yes, to take care of Elijah, but I think also for this widow woman to get to know Jehovah more. Notice she said, “Thy God” in the beginning there. God had already commanded her, so she knew him somewhat, but God was working maybe in her life—not saying she was saved. Sometimes God uses lost people, but she knew a little bit, but when she met Elijah and she got to know him for a year or so, probably longer than that, she got to know a lot more about Jehovah.

So when God is guiding you, he has a lot of things he is trying to do. Just follow him, trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus. You are not going to understand it all; just follow the leadership he gives you. He is probably working in a hundred ways you never dream of until later on. But he chose this poor widow lady to use her, and she was not an Israelite. Jesus refers back to that in the New Testament. God had already prepared her for that.

That is a long journey, and so he finally gets there. This widow—it is interesting. Did you notice as we read it? This is interesting; it always stands out in my head here. Let me see if we can find the verse. Let us go back over there. Verse number 12: “And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in her cruse. Behold, I am gathering two sticks.”

I do not know if she is exaggerating her lot, but that is what she says. Maybe she is a little bit discouraged; I do not know. It is interesting. She is gathering those sticks by the gate. Typically in the Bible, the gate is kind of like the courthouse, if you will; it is where they did their business. I do not know. If you are about to die, you have nothing, you would think you would go hide, get your little sticks, make your little fire, and you are going to eat and die. Maybe she went to the gate so maybe she was thinking a rich person was going to see her, the businessman. I am just gathering two sticks, and maybe that is the thought. I do not know.

But she goes to the gate. She is gathering these sticks, and she says, “Hey, would you give me a drink of water?” She said, “Yeah, I can handle that there.” So she goes to get some water. Water is pretty valuable because there is a drought. She says, “I will come up with that. I will get you a little water.”

And while she is going, Elijah says, “Hey, tell you what, won’t you just bring me some food with that?” Preachers are just greedy, aren’t they? I will tell you for sure. That is what is going on. She said, “Sir, I will tell you the truth.” She could tell who he was from Jehovah because she did not really say anything, but she says, “Hey, you know, the Lord your God.” But she said, “Fella, I am gathering these two sticks. I have a little, little meal at the bottom of the barrel, and I have another little container. I have a little oil cooking, a little Crisco in there. I was going to cook that up, going to make a couple biscuits or pancakes, whatever. That is all I have to eat me, my boy; we are just going to starve to death because we have nothing else.”

And then Elijah, he has the boldness of God. Elijah says, “Well, all right, but make mine first.” I do not know about you; this does not sound right, does it? If it did not have leadership from the Lord, I would really question that. But notice, he said, “I tell you what, the reason why I am saying that, because that little bit you have in the bottom of that barrel, it is not going to run out. That little bit of oil you have, it will be enough.” He is just always—he said, “Just go ahead, go get it. Do not worry about it. No, fear not,” he said, “it is just always going to be enough.”

Now, how many of you, how many of you when you were younger, be honest with me, when you were younger, I went through college, well, I went through about half my life, and the gas tank of my vehicles were always about right, above that E red line and sometimes below that little red? Anybody? I have been there. Anybody, in God’s mercy and his grace, he has helped you roll into the gas station when you are in? Come on now, yeah. I have been there about a million times. Somehow we think when we are young, it just runs better if it does not have much gas in there. We just got it in our sake.

But, friend, can I say this? We think God is going to fill it all the way up, but more often than not, God uses us when it is below the E. That is just God so often; God’s formula is that way. God often uses those people. We are going to compare you—ladies, do not get mad at me—but we are going to compare you to a barrel, all right? You are a barrel. I just saw three ladies give dirty looks. If looks could kill, I would be dead now.

But, you know, typically God uses the barrels. You just have a little bit in the bottom. More often than not, you know, God—he said, “I am not looking for all that stuff.” No, I am looking for somebody so often who just has a little bit at the bottom. I think about myself; it seems like the Lord would call somebody to preach that could pronounce words and names and things better than I can. If you have been around here long, you know what I will talk about. D.L. Moody is my hero because he could not spell, and I cannot spell a lick.

It just seems like God is going to call someone that is a better leader. But God, I am telling you, more often than not, God chooses to use the barrels—the ones that just have a little handful. I look out and I have seen a Sunday school teacher here for a minute. She is not as young as she used to be, amen. And it seems like here lately she says—this is basically what she says—“Pastor, I do not know if I have the energy anymore.” That is typically the people God uses.

The barrels—they just have a little bit. Think about it. Out of all Israel, God could have chosen anybody to send Elijah to, but he sends him out of Israel to Zarephath, to a widow lady that does not have enough to keep herself and her son alive. But that is the one that God uses to keep Elijah living. So if you are out there and you feel like I am inadequate, hey, you are a good candidate for God to use you. You say, “I do not have it all together.” Nobody really has it all together, but God does not require you to have it all together. Jesus is the only one that has it all together. Bless God, you just yield that little handful you have to God, and God can make that little handful in the bottom of the barrel what he needs to use. That is the people God uses, typically, friend.

I do not know about you, but I like it when my gas tank is filled all the way up, and I feel good. Sometimes I ask God, “Fill it up.” And I usually, you know what he says? “No, Paul. That little bit down there, that will be sufficient.” Friend, you say, “I feel inadequate.” Pretty much those that are used by God feel inadequate.

Moses, when he was 40 years old, and the Bible says he was mighty in word and deed. I think that word maybe—remember he was raised over there in Pharaoh’s court. He probably knew other languages. He was trained in the Harvard of that day. I know other languages. I know Spanish, burritos, enchiladas, tacos. Come on now, fajitas. I have learned a new one of these tacos that is called carnitas burrito. Amen for that right there. That is enough to make a Presbyterian shout right there, I tell you. I have got to try that stuff now. I mean, mighty in words and deeds, he was probably trained. I probably do martial arts. He was trained in the king’s family and the palace and the best training.

You know what God said? “Not going to use you, Moses.” Moses had to spend 40 years out there watching a bunch of stinky—anybody ever kept sheep? Anybody ever? We had a pet sheep for about a year and a half. They stink for one thing. If it rains and they get wet, they really stink, friend. If Moses is out there 40 years on the backside of the desert, and then God comes to him and says, “Moses, I want to use you now because they are just a little bit at the bottom of the barrel.”

And Moses says, “I can’t do it, God. I stutter.” Yeah, it is the truth. He was not mighty in words at that point, was he? No, he was not. He said, “I can’t do that.” Lord, I stutter. And he kept making excuse after excuse. God says, “Moses, now we are down to the bottom of the barrel. Now I am ready to use you.” In those last 40 years of his life, that is when God used Moses greatly.

I am telling you, friend, you feel like, “I do not have it all together. I am not full of all life and energy and power and all the rest of that. I do not have the best Bible knowledge.” That is all right, friend. You yield that little handful you have to God, and God can do a whole lot with that little bit, friend. More often than not, that is God’s plan.

You know why that is God’s plan more often than not? That no flesh should glory in His presence. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:29, that is God’s plan. You see, if God uses that barrel full of charisma and smarts and IQ and all the rest of that, they are going to be tempted to say, “Well, look at me!” Yet when God used that barrel that just has a little bit down there, it is amazing God gets the glory when he uses somebody like that. Friend, that is just typically God’s plan. That is how God works more often than not, friend.

Now, let us get another fault here. Y’all still with me this morning? Let us look at something else here. Look in verse number 15 again, would you please? Verse number 15, would you? Look at that. First Kings 17. Look in verse number 15: “And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah, and she and he and her house.” Now, she had a—no, she had a boy. Beginning she said, “Hey, me, my boy’s going with this little bit and die.” But now she does not say her boy; she says her house.

I wonder after a while, after she got used to, “Hey, there is just always a little bit of meal and always a little bit of oil left,” I wonder if every once in a while she saw someone super hungry about to die, “Hey, come over for lunch today; I will take care of you.” I do not know what all “her house” means, but here she said, “Elijah herself and her house.” By the way, when you are growing faith, God begins to use you. God uses you in other people’s lives. “At her house did eat.”

How many days? How many days? We do not know, but some—the Bible scholars, the big shots, you know—many of them think that means a year. You do not know for a long time. We know it did not rain for three and a half years. We are not exactly sure when he went over there, but it was a good while. Here is the thing: it is something when you get used to God using the bottom of the barrel.

I like it. I mentioned it already. I like it when my gas tank is full. But can you imagine? Can you imagine driving your tank is on empty? What kind of car do you have? Help me out on the kind of car. Tell me what kind of car you have. One, two, three. Oh, no, I heard Ford. Oh, my goodness. We need to try that again.

But can you imagine driving your car, it is on empty? You have not put gas in it all year long. It has been on empty all year, and it just keeps going. Can I borrow your car, please? Now imagine at first how uncomfortable you must feel. “I am going to run out of gas any time. Where is the next gas station? I have got to be planning because this is going to run. Nobody has gas right now,” you know, that type of thing. “Somebody, I am about to run out of gas.”

But you just keep driving and driving and driving. Our human nature, we do not like to ride on empty; we like to ride on full. Like old Curtis used to say, you never learn faith in comfortable surroundings. We like it when it is full, but God’s plan so often is, you know what he does? He just gives you enough. It is not going to be that, you know, handfuls and handfuls; it is just that handful at the bottom. But, friend, friend of God, if he is in it, and he is in it, that handful, it will be enough.

You say, “I do not know if I can forgive.” By the way, forgiveness sometimes is not a one-time deal. Sometimes forgiveness is a marathon. Now think about that, especially when you get hurt again and again and again. Sometimes it is day in, day out, you work, and you say, “I do not have any forgiveness. I just have a little bit down there at the bottom.” Friend, you hang on. If God is in that thing, and he is in that thing, you forgive him. That little handful, it will be enough for you to truly forgive long term, friend.

I said, “Pastor, you do not know my spouse, how hurt I have been, what is going on there, and how many bad things have happened. I do not have love for—I just have a little bit.” Hey, friend, if God is in that thing, that little handful of love, it will be enough for you to love your spouse like you ought to till the end, friend. It is just that little bit.

You say, “Pastor, I do not have boldness to talk to my coworkers and tell them about Jesus.” Friend, you take that little bit of boldness, that little bit of desire that God has put in your heart. That is why you are convicted. That is why I can’t do it, but you are convicted. That little bit God is putting in there—you take that, you just step out. You say, “I am not a good soul or whatever.” That is all right. God does the work anyway. You open your mouth in love and tell something about Jesus and let God use that handful down there. That is how God works, friend.

“Well, I am waiting for you to fill it up.” God says, “You can wait; do not hold your breath on that. You will be waiting for a long time.” You take what little bit you have and you use that. That is typically when God gives you more, friend. It teaches in the parables: just that little handful. Hey, never tire of going to the barrel.

Do you ever just say, “I feel like I ain’t got nothing left? I am worn out”? Just keep going to it. Can I just tell you, keep going to the barrel? I cannot tell you how many times I fall on my face over the years. Lord, I ain’t got nothing left. Still going? You just keep going to that barrel. Reach down there. He will always have what you need. I want more. I want more. Hey, that little bit, friend, I am telling you, it will—that is God’s plan. It never runs out. You just trust and obey. There is no other way.

Did you notice what Elijah said? Elijah, he has boldness. I tell you what, look what he says in verse number 15. He has done this lady—go take what you have and feed me first, you know, then, you know. Verse number 15, what about this? The first thing, I am sorry, verse number 13. Elijah said unto her, what is the first thing he said to her right there? “Fear not.” Well, buddy, that is easy for you to say; I have enough to feed myself and my son, and we are about to die.

And the devil will come along and he will say, “You do not have enough. You do not have enough. You can’t make it. You can’t be that prayer warrior you want to be. You have visions; God has put a vision in your heart to be a prayer warrior.” “I do not have much left in me to be a prayer warrior.” Friend, you take that little bit. Satan is going to make you fear. Say, “No, no, devil, I am not going to listen to your fear. God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Say, “I am not going to live in fear. I am going to go to that prayer closet with what little bit of energy I have, and I am going to reach down there, and God says that will be enough right there.” It always is. Always is. Fear not. Fear not. Fear not.

And sometimes I feel a little backslidden. Do not say amen right there, please. My wife is sick; she is not here to say amen. What about that? I am all right now. But at the beginning days of the church—most of you have heard me talk about it; I do not want to talk too much about that—we started the church from scratch, other than that. We did not start it from scratch; we started it from itch, amen.

And at the beginning, you do not have much funds or anything. And I feel like my faith sometimes was so much stronger back then because after a while you kind of get used to it. I remember many a time we did not have any money left, and, you know, we had food and everything. God never really—but my wife and I would start talking about when our cabinets in the kitchen got really bare. You know, you stick that food back that you do not want to eat. It is still food, though. You know what I am talking about? How many went through college on those ramen noodles? Come on now, you know. And you get that patchy stuff, and you are like, “Oh.”

It is amazing. We got to the point, and we were just—we were all right because God had grown our faith. But we got to the point, you know, “Well, God has not done anything yet, but that is all right. We still have stuff in the can.” When the cabinets got bare, and it was always true, when the cabinets got low and we ate the ramen noodles and everything, you know, we got, “All right, we are truly eating.” And now we are running, getting the crust; we ain’t got new food. God will always, always—believe me, friend, I never went without food. Never did.

And it was so good. The first time it happened, you are like, “Whoa, what are we going to do?” But after a while, if you will, you kind of get comfortable just going to the barrel. And you just kind of come to realize it is always there. It is always there. Man, if you are going through something in your life, you say, “I do not know if I can put one foot in front of the other,” friend, I promise you, if you are trying to follow God’s foot, I promise you, you just keep going to the barrel. It will be there. It will be there every single time. Do not live in fear.

It may take you a while. It took me a while. I feel like I am not where I used to be in some ways as far as that because after a while, you just learn to go there, and every day it is there. It will be there. Whether it be finances, whether it be strength, whether it be mercy, whether we can handle a certain situation, whether you can handle the bitterness that is trying to take over your life, you just keep going. That meal will be there. Oh, that is so often God’s plan. He uses us when we just have a little bit, the bottom of the barrel. That is when God gives you what you need.

Hey, another fault, another fault. Y’all ready? We are almost done. Maybe we are going to go home. Who has fried chicken at their house this afternoon? London, was that a raised hand? It is? All right, London lives in LaVerne. We are going to meet at his house. I know you have your phone there. This is the only time you are allowed to text in church. Can you text your mom and say, “Mom, be ready for about 50 more people coming over?” I am teasing.

Hey, it is another little angle I felt like God might want us to talk about for a second here. I have already mentioned it, but our human nature, we like it when the barrel is full, right? And this is the mindset the devil will give you: “All right, when your barrel gets filled or you get full, that is when you start doing things for God.” Oh, no, no, no, no, no. “Well, when I learn my Bible, frontwards and backwards and sideways and diagonal too, then I will tell somebody about Jesus.” Friend, you will never have it all down.

Do not wait until your barrel gets full. “Well, but when I have more love in me, then I will try to love people.” That is not how God works. You start loving with that little handful. No, no, no, do not wait for it all to get full. I went to a good Bible college, and it was intense, but it was good. They would drill it in our heads: you are learning in the classroom, and that is about half of your education, probably less than that. They said the big thing while you are here, do not you just take it in; you get out in some ministry.

Man, they put us to work. They get us on somebody. You know where I learned to preach at? On a bus, preaching to a bunch of kids in a nursing home. By the way, Brother Tim, praise the Lord, Brother Tim, goes to nursing homes every week. When you can preach in a nursing home, and it is interesting, in nursing homes, if you are preaching and someone is in a chair, wheelchair, or something, and all of a sudden you see a puddle underneath there, and you just keep preaching, all right, you are growing a little bit, you know. You understand what I am saying.

But it was good for us. They said, “Boy, do not you sit around and wait for a pulpit somewhere.” Again, we had truck stop ministries, literally. I had to go to these truck stops and have chapels in there, trying to win truckers to the Lord. We had jail ministry. There was a naval base a little; we had sailor ministry going up there, and just everything. We had underwater basket weaving ministries; we had everything in the world. And, boy, you get out there. If you are not working here, you are not going to work out there. And he was pretty accurate for him.

By the way, how many of Tennessee Temple back in the day? Yeah. Old Dr. Robertson, he had shepherds all around in Chattanooga, Tennessee. And, boy, those Bible college guys, he would get about it. “Go, go pastor a chapel out there.” Put them to work. Do not wait until that barrel is full. He will just start right there where you are. Just, just, just right there. Right there. Let me put it this way: you just start where you are.

Remember Jesus? He said, “I must needs go through Samaria.” And he went through Samaria. Then it was at that well, Sychar’s well there. Remember that Samaritan woman came? She did not get it at first, but he kept talking to her. I kept trying to witness to her. I am not talking about water from the well; I am talking about living water. And finally, she begins to ponder what is going on. Eventually, that lady gets saved. And she said, “All right, when I learn the Bible and I’m in church for 30 years, I’ll start working for you.”

You know what? There were 12 Baptist preachers there, 12 apostles. And they are over there eating. That lady just got saved. By the way, you know, she had been married five times and lived with a man at that point. But that lady, she just got saved, but she started going all around town and said, “Hey, come over here and see Jesus. Come see Jesus.” And they did. And she led a whole lot of people to Jesus before she had the Bible all learned and got everything just right.

I am saying just start where you are. You have a little bit in your barrel? That is all right. That is typically the way God works. Just take your little bit and just start working for the Lord wherever you are. That is God’s plan for him. That way he gets the glory for it.

Now look at one last little phrase, yes, and we are going to be done. Look down there, verse number 16, verse number 16 right there. Y’all still out there, amen? Good deal. If your friends are sleeping, poke up an eyeball, amen. Brother Adam sent me a little thing this morning, a little image, and it has, you know, the pews, some of those pews, some of the long ones, and they get shorter and shorter. The front row, you know, it was a little bit of pew, and just one person could sit in that pew. And he said something, “If we’re going to get these kind of pews in the new building,” you know. And the meme said something like, “If you’re tired of looking at your neighbor in the message, you know, you can sit in that seat right there.” So we are going to have those in the new building that way you do not poke in the eye there.

All right, look at this, look at this where we are. We are in verse number 16: “And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail according to the word of the Lord which he spake by Elijah.”

“My God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. I have been young, now am I old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread.”

“My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Friend, just according to the word of the Lord, it is always true. Always true. I was talking with someone yesterday, and they said—you know, we had a great conversation. I am not trying to beg it, and he wasn’t, but he was just kind of sharing blessings—but he said, “We give more than ever. We tithe, and we get a faith promise, and now we’re giving to the building.” He said, “Preacher, quit giving all these campaigns.”

Oh, he said, “We give more than ever.” He said, “But it’s amazing. We have more than ever.” And he said, “Had somebody at work, ‘Hey, you’re giving it all away.’” And he said, “Yeah, but we have more.” And the friend said something like, “Can you explain how that happens?” They said, “Nope, but can’t—you can’t add it up on paper. You just obey God.”

How in the world that little handful of meal—hey, Einstein can’t figure that out besides God for him—just according to his word. He had said that way, it won’t waste, it won’t run, it’ll always be enough. And it will be. It will be. You apply it as God speaks to your heart. And the verses, the promises—hey, you’re praying for a lost loved one. You say, “I’m losing my faith.” Hey, the Bible says just a tiny mustard seed of faith can move mountains. Keep going to the bottom of the barrel. Pray for them. Keep praying for them.

“I’m trying to witness, but I’ve never seen anybody saved.” Just keep going to the bottom of the barrel. God—in this time, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” According to the Word of God, it’s God’s plan.

You know, Jesus said, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Someone says, “Well, they said, ‘I come to me, he won’t cast me out. He’ll make me one of his own. He’ll save you.’” You say, “You know, he said that.” Somebody that’s—“Well, I’m waiting for a certain feeling to get saved.” Phooey on that feeling! You just take it by faith what God said. Feelings come and go; they’re fickle. The word of God doesn’t change. He said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Just come. Come unto me.

“And let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” Just come. He said it. Just take him at his word. He’ll save you, give you a home in heaven, forgive your sins. Just come.

Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, please? Heads are bowed, eyes are closed. Would you just spend some time with the Lord? Would you tell the Lord, “I’m going to keep coming to the bottom of the barrel. I’m not going to complain about it and stop. I’m just going to keep going, every day, sometimes moment by moment, every moment. I’m going to keep coming to the bottom of the barrel.” God spoke to my heart about that. I’m going to keep coming. Keep coming to the bottom of the barrel. God spoke to my heart about that. That’s you this morning? Just lift your hand. God bless you. God bless you. Oh, that’s good.

Friend, I’m telling you, it’ll be enough. It’ll be enough. It doesn’t make sense on paper, but it makes sense when you put God in the formula. Thank you so much. You can put your hands down.

You say, “I’m not going to wait to be used and try to be used by God. I’m not going to wait for it to be full. I’m just going to start where I’m at. I’m going to take my little bit. I’m going to try to serve God with it.” That’s what God wants. God spoke to my heart about that. That’s you this morning? You slip your hand up wherever you make it. Oh, God bless it. God uses that. God uses that. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. God uses that. Thank you so very much. Oh, how God uses that.

You say, “Pastor, I’ve taken him at his word. Thank you,” and put your hands down. “I’ve taken him at his word. And when he said, ‘Him that comes to me, I will in no wise cast out,’ I’ve come to him for salvation. I’ve called on Jesus to be my Savior. I’m a child of God. I’m born again.” There has been a time. I took him at his word, and I came to him for salvation. Preacher, I’m saved. That’s me. Thank you this morning. Just lift your hand. I’m saved. He’s my Father. I’m a child. I’m born again. God bless you. God bless you. Many, many hands. Many, many hands. Many, many hands. Thank you so very much. You can put your hands down.

Maybe you’re here this morning, and you say, “Preacher, I don’t know that I’m saved. I don’t know that I’m a child of God.” Oh, can I encourage you this morning? You come to him humbly, but in faith, in Jesus. He’ll be so glad. He’ll be thrilled. “Him that comes to me, I will in no wise cast out.” It’s according to His word. It’s always true.

“Preacher, I’ve never been to Jesus for salvation. I need to trust in Jesus as my personal Savior. I need to get saved.” I’m not going to call your name. Not going to embarrass anything like that. I’d love to pray for you. But, preacher, I need to do that. Just take him at his word and go to Jesus for my salvation. If that’s you this morning, just lift your hand up. Anybody like that? Just slip it up just a little bit. Anybody like that? Anybody? Oh, take him according to his word. According to his word. He said it; he means it. He’ll save whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Promise from God’s word. According to his word.

According to his word, would you please stand right where you are? Would you please stand? I’m going to have just a quick prayer. Would you spend some time with the Lord? If he’s guided you, come down an old-fashioned altar call. Wonderful, wonderful place. You do that. You come. You’re right there. You should be obedient to the Lord. You obey the Lord, but come draw from the bottom of the barrel. I promise you, friend, it’s always enough, always enough.

Father, thank you for this great story. I need it, Lord. Many encouragements, Lord, let it be an encouragement what your people need. Thank you, Lord, when we come, just that little handful of meal and that little oil, and you make much of it. All the glory belongs to you. We praise you how you just keep your people going through good times, bad times. When people’s wells are drying up all over, but all your people, you keep them well-watered through the little handful of meal. Thank you for that. Bless your people during this time, Father, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Would you come as people just spending some time with the Lord? You’ll be obedient to the Lord. Get the little handful. It’ll be enough. It’ll be enough. Don’t wait for it getting full. No, no, that’s our human plan. God’s plan: “No, I use a handful, the little bit at the bottom of the cruse.” That’s what he uses. “Well, I’m not full of life like so-and-so.” Don’t worry about that. Just that little bit at the bottom. That’s what God uses. Don’t compare. God said, “Not wise.” Not wise. Got two different paths for you.

That little oil at the bottom of the cruse, that little meal, just take that, give it to him. It’ll be enough. “I’m so burdened down. I don’t think I can make another step.” No, no, but he has just a little bit more for you. Always will. Always will. Paul said, “Would you take away that thorn of the flesh?” God said, “No, no, I have a reason for that. I don’t want your glory. My strength is made perfect in weakness. In the meantime, my grace is sufficient for thee.” Can you get that?

Amen, amen. Praise the Lord, that little handful, it’ll be enough. It’ll be enough. And you can rest in that according to his word, amen.

Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar ＂The bottom of the barrel＂ - Sunday AM 04⧸27⧸2025 [XtmxOgiqLZg]