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Elijah said to her, 'Don't be afraid. Go and do as you have said; but make me a little cake from it first, and bring it out to me, and afterward make some for you and for your son. For Yahweh, the God of Israel says, 'The jar of meal will not run out, and the jar of oil will not fail, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the earth.' She went and did according to the saying of Elijah; and she, and he, and her house, ate many days. 1 Kings 17:14 WEB

Because of a string of bad choices made by the leadership of Israel, Ahab and Jezebel, the entire land suffered drought and then famine. Those two seemed to honor any god around except for the Almighty God. As a result of that, it did not rain for years and the people could not plant crops in the dry dust, so a shortage of food followed.

During this drought and famine, Elijah was sent to stay with a poor widow in Zarephath, who had only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in jar. She planned to make a small cake for her and her son's last meal, then they would starve to death together. While she was out gathering sticks to build a fire on which to cook their last meal, she met Elijah the prophet.

What happened next is totally against what we think our God would do. Instead of God coming through at the last minute and miraculously providing food for the poor widow, He asked her to give Him something first, to share her last bit of food with a stranger. Would God really ask a poor, starving widow with no income to share the little that she had with someone else? Apparently so, because it is all about trusting Him to provide for us. None are exempt from 'Give and it will be given to you' not even the poor widow with two mites, nor the widow in this story.

Elijah told her to first make him a small cake out of what she had, and then some for her and her son, because the bin of flour and the jug of oil would not run out until it rained on the earth. When she did as he asked, the little bit that she had fed them all for the next three years. The supply did not run out.

Our God is a sustaining God and when trouble comes on the earth, He is more than able to take care of those that listen to His voice. He took care of Elijah and the widow even when the land that he lived in was undergoing judgment. Stay close to the Lord for He is able to sustain you during the hard times. It may not come in the form of something new, but it just may be that what you already have goes a lot further.

The Lord has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self control (2 Timothy 1:7). Do not fear the circumstances that seem to engulf you. When the enemy shall come in, like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him and put him to flight (Isaiah 59:19 AMP).

Prayer: Heavenly Father I put my trust in You today. Please lead me and speak to me in a way that I understand. Help me to see the big picture and beyond my own circumstances. Thank You for providing for me, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

Note: Ladies, today is Thankful Thursday at the "Ladies in Distress" group (our RHM women's group)! You are welcome to join in our weekly sharing of thankfulness for the Lord's presences and any blessings you may have experienced, big or small! "Ladies in Distress" is a private group, so if you have any problems joining, just post anywhere and we will help you :). Here is the link: Ladies in Distress

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