1 Kings 17:13-14
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. 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.’”
Over the years of my ministry I have worked with many people who started strong, but somewhere along the way they lost the vim and vigor of their walk with the Lord. It is always heart-wrenching to observe the fire of spiritual commitment burn lower and lower. God had spoken clearly, but then the things of the world slipped and occupied the place that once belonged to the Lord.
In our Scripture for today we are introduced to a widow with a young son. We are told that God told her to provide for His prophet when he appeared. The problem was that the famine had become so severe that the food was all but gone. She had only enough food for one last meal and then she and her son would starve. Into this bleak scene the prophet Elijah appeared.
Rather than being dismayed by her story of impending doom, he asked to feed him first. From a human point of view that seems presumptuous. Here she was on the verge of starvation and he wants her to feed him first.
The reality is that God had spoken to both Elijah and the widow. She focused on the empty flour bin and oil jug. Elijah focused on the word the Lord had given to him. From his faith he assured her that the flour and oil would never run out as long as the drought remained. Not only was this true, but as an added measure of blessing, Elijah was used by God to restore life to the son of this woman. Trusting God instead of circumstances always brings blessings beyond measure.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil