“The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through Elijah.”  1 Kings 17:16

The passage above is from the story of Elijah and the widow in Zarephath.  God sent Elijah to this particular widow for provision during a drought.  When he asked for bread, she replied that she only had enough oil and flour to make bread for her and her son one last time and then they expected to die.  Elijah asked her to feed him first promising that her provisions would not be exhausted.  She obeyed and her meager provisions lasted until the rain returned.  (You can read the whole story here. (www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+17%3A7-16&version=NASB)

I think of this story often as it has been associated in my mind with anything that is running out.  About the time I’m tempted to throw out the shampoo bottle or tube of tooth paste that has very little left, I think of this story.  More times than not when I’ve resisted that urge, the bottle, tube or whatever has lasted much longer than I expected.  Case in point, the hair gel that I am currently using has lasted three weeks longer than anticipated.   I trust that the Holy Spirit has made this connection in my mind to remind me that I am dependent on God for all things and that He will supply my needs.  It is subtle but effective.  At times God provides in great way, but most often He provides just enough at just the right time in a subtle fashion.

In this story, we see a widow who has given up hope for herself and her son.  She has no more resources and nobody to provide for them.  In light of 1 Kings 17:9 and 2 Chronicles 16:9, we can safely assume that this woman trusted in God.  Our Father commanded Elijah to go to her specifically and ask for bread.  Through her obedience in faith…and it must have been great faith to give her last meal away…the door was opened for God to provide for the widow, her son and Elijah throughout the remainder of the draught.  With no husband and limited resources, I’m certain this widow had other concerns, but God addressed the urgent need of food for all three individuals.

Like the Jews eating manna in the wilderness, the widow who provided food and shelter for Elijah had just enough when she needed it.  She did not have a store house of provisions, but her scant supplies were not exhausted and she had what she needed every day.  Both the Jews (who were teachable) and the widow of Zarephath learned obedience and trust through God’s daily provision.  They were taught to rely on God rather than themselves.

With respect to the provision of food, there was no great miracle and our Father didn’t solve all of her problems. God simply provided exactly what was required ( food) at just the right time (daily).  In this period of need, God lovingly and faithfully provided for three people who trusted Him in a very subtle way.  But God was also laying the groundwork for an even greater kindness.  Because of her obedience, Elijah was residing with the widow when her son became ill and died.  In compassion, Elijah then called on God to raise her son from the dead which He did.  Although this was a trying ordeal, through her obedience and faith, she was twice blessed and came to a greater state of faith.

Everything we have, whether it is something tangible like food and shelter or intangible like power and His sustaining grace, comes from the Lord.  God sought to teach this to the Israelites in the dessert through the daily provision of manna (Deuteronomy 8).  David recognized this in 1 Chronicles 29:10.  In Matthew 6, Christ reminds us that God knows what we need and will supply it.  However, first we must humbly ask for God’s help with the proper motives (James 4:2-3).  When we draw near to God and obey His commands, He happily provides what we need.  A common problem is that what we think we need and what God knows we need are two different things.   Like the Israelites, we prefer safety and comfort.  However, God regularly uses the lack of these two concerns to grow our faith.  God wasn’t being cruel to the young Jewish nation or this widow.  His intent was “that it would go well with them”.  His goal is the same with us.  No matter the circumstance, God is always working to teach us obedience, reliance on Him and to trust His provision and His wisdom.  It is a loving purpose as He is seeking to add depth and closeness to our relationship with Him.  Every fear, trial or loss that we experience in life is both a teaching moment and an invitation.  These experiences teach us obedience and trust as well as providing new wisdom and insight.  They also invite us into a deeper relationship with our Lord.  The ultimate goal is for us to learn that God is truly all we need.  He is our portion and He is enough.  When we learn that, it will go well with us.

I cannot write what I do not believe in my own heart and I have seen God’s provision yet again today.    It has been a long day as most of it has been spent at the hospital.  My wife fell three weeks ago.  The original x-ray showed no fractures; however, a later scan revealed that her hip socket had a small piece missing.  The plan this morning was for the doctor to try and dislocate her hip.  If he could, she would have surgery; if not, no surgery would be needed.  With a bit of frustration, we left for the hospital without having the preauthorization completed.  While we were registering at the hospital, the call came that the procedure had been approved…at just the right time.  Thankfully, surgery was not necessary; however, she must refrain from putting any weight on that leg for four weeks.  Complete healing would have been nice, but God graciously provided what is, for many reasons, the more manageable outcome with respect to surgery.  Everything we needed was provided at just the right time in subtle fashion.  We are blessed and we certainly recognize God’s hand in this.  It is through previous trials that we have learned to recognize God at work and His provision for us.  I pray that you may experience the same and learn to see God at work in every area of your life as it is healing to the soul and adds strength to one’s faith.

The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.

Will