Scripture:
1 Kings 17:12-15 ESV
[12] And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now 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.” [13] And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first, make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward, make something for yourself and your son. [14] For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” [15] And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days.
Observation:
Elijah is a prophet of GOD, a man who walked under a special anointing that the Father had placed on him. He came to this woman’s house and was hungry. Asking her for something to eat, she replied, “As the LORD GOD lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. This woman was down to the bottom, and here he was asking her for something to eat. Elijah’s response to her replies was even more out of the ordinary in the sense he was saying put me first then take care of your sons and yourself. Don’t let fear get in the way. At the beginning of these verses, the woman makes a statement that Elijah seems to be putting her to the test… as sure as the LORD GOD lives. Do you believe that? Then, there is nothing to fear. GOD has got you. Make me a cake, and the jar will not go empty. Because you trust the LORD, trust what I am telling you. Her act of obedience brought about a blessing that fed her family and Elijah for many days. What the prophet of GOD had said came true. GOD’S word has a lot of things stated in it that for some of us may be a little hard to act on. A few times in the bible, we see someone who gives everything they have for the kingdom. We saw it at the temple with a widow giving her last copper coins. Jesus pronounced a blessing over her, which I’m sure was worth way more than those copper coins.
Application:
Giving every last dime for the kingdom is not easy and requires a trust in GOD that most people will fear. It takes everything out of your hands. But as we look through GOD’S living word, it’s exactly what HE did for us. You see, I just don’t believe GOD is going to ask you to do something that HE does not know the results are better than what you already have. The thing is, it’s not going to look that way. You will have to trust HIM. I remember sitting in a homeless shelter years ago. I had very little money in my pocket… maybe $3 if that I honestly can’t remember how much it was. Sitting in church, there listening to the pastor it came time for the offering. And I thought. WOW, they are going to ask homeless people for their money… really. I heard a voice inside me say… I know what you’re going to do with it… why don’t you see what I do with it? So I reached into my pocket and gave it all. I would like to tell you that the very same day I had a place to live and thousands of dollars fell from the sky… but that didn’t happen. I can say that all my needs were met that day and I had wanted for nothing really. Yes, I remained homeless for another few months. However, I never went without food. Or my basic necessities. GOD was preparing my heart to be a giver. You see, by giving everything I had, there was a statement made. That statement was, “I trust you, Father. I trust you with my life.” $3 to a homeless person is like $100 to someone who has a house and a car and all their needs met. Since that day, my life has changed substantially. I’m just not the same. I live my life devoted to working for the kingdom. All my needs are met. I have a house a car and a job. Not to mention a wife and my family back in my life. All GOD wants to know is do you trust HIM. Can you give HIM what seems like everything at the moment? You may think it will leave you without… but I’m going to tell you it won’t. You see when you give it all, it releases a spiritual principle in the kingdom. So my point to all this is you can’t afford not to trust GOD… it’s all HIS anyway, whether or not it’s $3 or $3000 HE gave it to you to use. Even if it’s not money, maybe it’s time HE is asking for time you don’t feel like you have. Just put HIM first. In all things, and watch what HE does with it.
Prayer:
Father, we know that your ways are not our ways. You see what after the next step, and we can only see the step in front of us. Help us to trust you with the little things. We know that you will always see us through. You will always make a way. Every time, it looks like that’s it for us. You have more on the other side of the door. We just need to open it. Let our faith not sit us on the couch waiting for you. You are the one true GOD, and your plan is for good and not harm. You may ask for what looks impossible. But that’s only because you are the GOD of the impossible. We want to take our hands off of our lives and give them completely to you. Trusting you for the impossible because we know you can… but more importantly, we know you will. We bring this prayer to you in the mighty name of Jesus.