Scripture:
I Kings 17:8-16 NKJV
[8] Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, [9] “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” [10] So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” [11] And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” [12] So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, 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 make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. [14] For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ ” [15] So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. [16] The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.
Observation:
This scripture has been on my mind for a week or two now. It’s something that I have written about several times in the past, but feel it necessary to go over again. GOD’S word has such a profound way of planting itself in your heart so that at just the right time fruit will be produced from it. As I was taking a look at what was being said, I thought about Elijah sitting next to the brook as it began to dry up, the statement he had made was coming to pass. No rain had fallen and it was starting to affect his living conditions. The brook that supplied water for him was disappearing little by little. Elijah being a man of GOD who had made the statement that really started the process, had trust for the one who told him to say it, so as the brook got smaller and smaller, he knew that there was a next. I picture him there camped out next to the stream spending time with GOD praying and trusting that HE would make sure that Elijah would not go without. So when the word came to him, the obedience that followed was the same kind of obedience that proceeded from his mouth when he made the statement that brought about the drought. The LORD said, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” Elijah knew that the LORD would not draw him in the wrong direction, and seeing the brook dry up not only built his faith in what the LORD says but how HE provides as well. Every moment of his life had built for what was next, and although Elijah was a powerful man of GOD, each step that he took gave him more confidence. As he approaches Zarephath, I see him paying close attention to those scurrying around the town, looking, searching, listening for more direction from the LORD. Seeing the little lady picking up sticks I picture the Holy Spirit kind of tapping him on the shoulder and saying, “It’s that one.” Asking her a question that would help him to identify her. The obedience that came from her willingness to provide water to a man she had never met answered all his questions…. That’s her. As she proceeded to get him water in the middle of a drought, the next statement would reveal even more, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” That statement stopped her in her tracks, “Wait, I can get you some water, but the last little bit of food that I have had to feed my son and I our last meal… it’s all we have, and there is no way to get more.” The boy was too young to work, and the widow had seemingly done her best to provide, but the bottom of the barrel was in sight and all she could see was the end of it all. Elijah, however, knew what the LORD had told him, and the power that is held in the words spoken not only by him but the one who made him, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, “BUT” make me a “small” cake from it first, and bring it to me, afterward make some for yourself and your son.” Elijah knew that getting the widow outside of her limited perspective would be a game changer. All she could see at that point was the end of it all. But there was more to it than that. I want to draw our attention to the statement that she had made when Elijah first gave her the directions, “As the LORD “YOUR GOD” lives, I do not have bread. Elijah knew what he had been told, but her trust in GOD was still under construction. This moment would define the rest of her life. A life she saw coming to an end, Elijah saw as only the beginning. Now here is the promise. As Elijah processed the statement she had made and begun to stretch her faith. He tells her… in a sense… trust that GOD you have called mine and HE can be yours also. The words he used were not the same as I just wrote and I promise you I’m not adding to the Bible. It’s the principle behind what is being said, “The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.” Just like the statement about the rain being withheld, this statement was the same it had come from GOD, Elijah had been told what to say and who to say it to. His obedience produced faith in the widow to act out of obedience to what he had said. When she did, things went exactly how he said they would. The bottom of the jar was never discovered until the rain fell.
Application:
Giving the LORD the last little bit of what you have is not easy, but in HIS hands it can become so much more. My mind goes back to a time when I had just gotten saved. I mean it was fresh, maybe a few months in. I had heard some sermons on tithing and how it worked, but had not put GOD to the test yet. It’s honestly the only principle that HE gives us permission to test HIM on. In Malachi chapter 3 is where it’s found. Trusting GOD to do what HE says when it looks like the end of it all takes a faith that can’t be explained through human wisdom. It takes trust…. After looking at my bills and not seeing enough money to pay them, having processed them again and again. Trying to refigure them… robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to speak. I made a decision that would change the course of my life. I’m going to give GOD what is HIS off the top. He asked for 10% and I’m going to give it. Now just like this widow saw the bottom of the barrel of flour I saw an empty account. But after making that decision and giving GOD HIS 10% off the top, the bills were re-figured… I might add that there was now 10% less money….. I don’t know how HE did it, but somehow with less money than I had to begin with all the bills got paid. The word “ALL” is important, there was no lack, no one got less than they were owed, every bill was taken care of. Paid in full, just like the statement made on the cross. GOD wants us to trust HIM, and if we will give HIM our everything, HE will multiply it, but HE can not use what you will not let go of. I know from experience that this principle is not just about money. It’s about everything you have, if you meet GOD with what you have and give it to HIM, HE will make sure you won’t run out. But here is the thing: it’s not going to make sense. It’s going to look like the wrong move. GOD’S ways are not our ways, and HIS thoughts are not our thoughts. HIS desire for our trust runs deeper than the bin of flour we are drawing from… HE has died to show us who HE is, The question is not will HE do what HE says. The question is do you trust HIM when it looks like the end. Can you get past what it looks like to what HE has said?
Prayer:
Father, I have spent the last several years doing my best to not only live by your word, but help others to see it play out in a way that trust for you will grow. I have not been perfect at it. But I have gotten better. Right now it looks like I don’t have enough work to go around. But you have placed someone in front of me, and I am going to trust that you will not see your company begging for bread. I trust that the end of the work will not come because I am giving it all to you. You are the provider of all things, and you can not lie. All you want is our trust, and all I want is to be used by you. Holding on to this world that will never happen, so here we are letting go of what we see and grabbing for what you say. We trust you with it all. It’s all yours anyway. We stand on what your word says and not what it looks like. I know it won’t make sense to those who don’t trust you, but I pray that you use this move to show them just how important it is to give you everything. We can not do what you can with it. Here I am LORD, you have my all… all the way to the last job… it’s yours. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray amen.