•Friday, March 12, 2010
"But she said, 'I swear by the Lord your God that I don't have a single piece of bread in the house. And I only have a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.'
"But Elijah said to her, 'Don't be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you've said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what's left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Isreal says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!'" I Kings 17: 12-14 NLT
Imagine you are the widow at Zaraphath. You have only enough flour and oil to make one last meal for yourself and your child. Then you will succumb to starvation. Now a man shows up and asks you to share it with him--but he promises God will provide all you need until times improve. What would you do?
Perhaps she knew he was a prophet of God and could be trusted. It still took a great act of faith on her part to share that precious meal with him. She didn't have the benefit of hearing the Sermon on the Mount, but she demonstrated what it means to "seek first the kingdom of God and all [that you need] will be given to you as well."
When we step out in faith and earnestly seek to obey God, we never know how God is going to bless us. Sometimes it's above and beyond our wildests imaginings. God could have provided for Elijah without the widow's help, as he did at the Kerith Brook when ravens brought him bread and meat. But in his love for this woman and her son, God brought Elijah to her, not only to multiply her flour and oil, but to multiply her faith.
When we respond in obedience to God and see his fingerprints upon our lives, our faith is reinforced and strengthened in amazing ways! God chose this widow to be the recipient of a miracle. But she had to be willing to say "Yes."
"But Elijah said to her, 'Don't be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you've said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what's left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Isreal says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!'" I Kings 17: 12-14 NLT
Imagine you are the widow at Zaraphath. You have only enough flour and oil to make one last meal for yourself and your child. Then you will succumb to starvation. Now a man shows up and asks you to share it with him--but he promises God will provide all you need until times improve. What would you do?
Perhaps she knew he was a prophet of God and could be trusted. It still took a great act of faith on her part to share that precious meal with him. She didn't have the benefit of hearing the Sermon on the Mount, but she demonstrated what it means to "seek first the kingdom of God and all [that you need] will be given to you as well."
When we step out in faith and earnestly seek to obey God, we never know how God is going to bless us. Sometimes it's above and beyond our wildests imaginings. God could have provided for Elijah without the widow's help, as he did at the Kerith Brook when ravens brought him bread and meat. But in his love for this woman and her son, God brought Elijah to her, not only to multiply her flour and oil, but to multiply her faith.
When we respond in obedience to God and see his fingerprints upon our lives, our faith is reinforced and strengthened in amazing ways! God chose this widow to be the recipient of a miracle. But she had to be willing to say "Yes."
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