A handful of flour and a few drops of oil is barely enough for one person. With these minimal baking supplies, the Widow of Zarephath intended to feed her son and herself. This would be their last meal. Perhaps she reminisced of times when the tantalizing aromas of roasted seasoned meat would fill her kitchen. Those days were long gone now. She had nothing left.
As she’s searching for sticks to build her cooking fire, Elijah approaches requesting food. Explaining her plight, this woman politely declines. Audaciously, Elijah rebuts with a challenge: bake him a little bread first, before tending to herself and her son. Don’t worry, don’t fear; God promises to keep her flour bin and oil jar filled.
We don’t know how long she hesitated as she weighed the decision. Somehow, someway, she agreed.
There are times when we have next to nothing left. A few crumbs. Last few dollars. A final treatment option. The last appeal. A hard deadline. As these things disappear, our hope seems to wither away too.
Though she had next to nothing, God asked her to keep trusting Him. The faith experience is not only reserved for times of plenty. When God’s blessings are obvious to us, it’s easier to trust Him. It’s easy to share with others when we know we have ample for ourselves. While the moments of excess help to affirm our faith, it’s the moments of lack that build our faith.
As we go through the storms of life, the devil will try to break our spirits and shatter our faith. His goal is to destroy our relationship with God, even if that means breaking us. No matter where we are, God is with us. In our times of peace and in our storms, He is there. He’s not a bench-warming God who participates only when safe. He is present and sticks with us for the long haul. As our faith in Him grows stronger, we will see the countless ways that He cares for us.
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by Sabrina Jacques-Rowe
Henderson Highway Church Communications Director