Unmasking the Real Monster Behind Money Stress

Have you ever felt like your finances are stuck in a loop you can’t escape? You’re working hard, trying to budget, doing all the “right” things—yet somehow, you’re still frustrated and unsure why. It’s as if there’s a hidden monster at work, quietly sabotaging your peace.

Plenty of things contribute to financial stress and the feeling of simply not getting ahead. And surprise—It’s not always the economy, your boss, or even bad luck—it’s something far sneakier: the need for control.

We see this clearly in 1 Kings 17, where the prophet Elijah faces a moment of complete dependence. God tells him to hide in the Kerith Ravine, a place that literally means “to cut off.” Elijah is cut off from every normal means of provision—no paycheck, no pantry, no people. His only source of survival is a brook for water and ravens bringing food.

Imagine that. You’re in the middle of a drought, and food shows up in the beak of an unclean bird. It’s humbling. It’s uncomfortable. But it’s also holy. Because in that isolation, Elijah learns that God provides in unexpected ways.

Then, just as Elijah settles into the routine, the brook dries up. The very thing that once sustained him disappears. Have you ever been there? The job you depended on ends. The savings you built runs out. The plan you made falls apart. And you’re left wondering, “Now what?”

But God isn’t finished. He sends Elijah to Zarephath—a pagan town outside Israel—to be cared for by a poor widow who barely has enough flour and oil for one last meal. From the outside, it looks like a downgrade. But God is teaching Elijah (and us) something deeper: 

He alone is the Provider.

Each dried-up brook and empty jar became an invitation to trust.

When control slips through your fingers, you haven’t lost your security—you’ve lost the illusion of it. God often allows what we rely on to fade, not to punish us, but to bring us closer to the One who never runs dry.

There's no question that sometimes we need more money and more margin. But true peace, the foundation of peace, it comes from resting in the truth that God is your Provider—and He’s still in control.