OPENING SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 4:38-41

³⁸ Elisha now returned to Gilgal, and THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE LAND. One day as the group of prophets was seated before him, he said to his servant, “Put a large pot on the fire, and make some stew for the rest of the group.”

They message here is clear- There’s a FAMINE IN THE LAND

• A state of spiritual hunger arising from a failure to experience the presence of God.
• FAMINE IS WHEN GOD IS LEFT OUT OF THE POT.
• Spiritually starving simply because God has been left out of the pot!
• This famine happens anytime you walk away from God, when God is no longer a priority in your life, when God does not sit on the throne of your life, When God truth is no longer the measuring stick in your life.

THERE CAN NEVER BE A NATURAL SOLUTION TO A SPIRITUAL PROBLEM

UNTIL WE SEE THE NEED FOR GOD IN OUR LIVES THE FAMINE WILL REMAIN.

WHEN GOD IS NOT IN THE POT OF OUR LIVES WE STAGGER AND WANDER

¹¹“The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine on the land—
NOT A FAMINE OF BREAD OR WATER BUT OF HEARING THE WORDS OF THE LORD. ¹² PEOPLE WILL STAGGER FROM SEA TO SEA AND WANDER FROM BORDER TO BORDER SEARCHING FOR THE WORD OF THE LORD, but they will not find it. (Amos 8:11-12 NLT)

• When God’s truth is out of the pot, people starve. Not from bread or water from His Word
• God’s truth is THE absolute standard by which reality is measured. Jesus Himself is that measuring stick!

³⁹“One of the young men went out into the field to gather herbs and came back with A POCKETFUL OF WILD GOURDS. He shredded them and put them into the pot WITHOUT REALIZING THEY WERE POISONOUS.” ⁴⁰ Some of the stew was served to the men. But after they had eaten a bite or two they cried out, “MAN OF GOD, THERE’S POISON IN THIS STEW!”

• By adding the cucumber, he not only messed up the recipe, but it turned into poison

GOD’S RECIPE FOR TRUTH CANNOT BE ALTERED

• God’s truth is the absolute standard by which reality is measured!
• Our cucumbers today are just the same: world views and ideologies that goes against the Word of God; just a little of compromise, just a little bit of lies; just a little bit of lust, just a little bit of greed; just a little bit of lawlessness.
• It does not take much- just a pocketful and the pot is unfit for consumption!

IF it is not the WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD- THE POT IS POISONED!

TODAY WE HAVE A FAMINE IN OUR LAND, IN OUR FAMILIES, IN OUR CHURCHES- MAINLY BECAUSE IF WHAT WE HAVE ALLOWED IN THE POT!

So you ask what’s the solution? Should we throw away the pot and start again?

• God does not want your life to start all over again. The broken pieces of your life play an important part God’s masterpiece.
• Same is true for our nation- there are broken pieces, but God needs those broken pieces

HERE’S GOD’S SOLUTION: REPENT AND ADD HIM TO THE POT

⁴¹ Elisha said, “BRING ME SOME FLOUR.” Then he threw it into the pot and said, “Now it’s all right; go ahead and eat.” And then it did not harm them.

• Here’s how you fix the stew- You overwhelm the stew with Jesus is the bread of life!
• ONLY JESUS, THE BREAD OF LIFE CAN REMOVE THE CURSE OF DEATH FROM THE POT
• Without Jesus- the bread of life- There’s death in the pot!

–  When God in your pot, you will be full and satisfied

“For he SATISFIES THE THIRSTY and FILLS THE HUNGRY with good things” (Psalm 107:9 NLT)

– When God is in your pot, you will have His guidance, His restoration

“The Lord will GUIDE YOU CONTINUALLY, giving you water when you are dry and RESTORING YOUR STRENGTH. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.” (Isaiah 58:11 NLT)

– When God is in your pot, you can silence the voice of the enemy

“No weapon turned against you will succeed. You will SILENCE EVERY VOICE RAISED UP TO ACCUSE YOU. (Isaiah 54:17 NLT)

CONCLUSION

• What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?