View Site Map

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, he, and her household ate many days. The jar of meal didn't run out and the jar of oil didn't fail, according to Yahweh's word, which he spoke by Elijah. 1 Kings 17:13–16 WEB.

Once because of a string of bad choices made by King Ahab and Jezebel, the entire land of Israel suffered drought and famine. The people couldn't plant crops in the dry dust, so a shortage of food followed.

During this time, the Lord sent the prophet Elijah to stay with a poor widow in Zarephath who only had a handful of flour in a bin and a little oil in a jar. She planned to make a small cake out of it so that she and her son could have a last meal together. While she was out gathering sticks to build a fire, she met the prophet, Elijah.

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 some of the food she had to His prophet.

Would God really ask a poor, starving widow with no income to share the little she had with someone else? Apparently so, because it's all about trusting Him to provide for us daily. 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 for the bin of flour, and the jug of oil would not run out until it rained on the earth. When she did as Elijah asked, the little bit that she had fed them all for the next three years. Their supply of food didn't run out.

We once had a preacher from Wisconsin come to town to speak at a nearby church, but they canceled him without notice. He was young, broke, and ended up stranded in our area at the bus stop. So he called local churches in the area asking for help or possibly a chance to speak.

My church asked me to pick him up at the bus stop and bring him to our church. He was a likable fellow. They allowed him to speak, and he brought an anointed message. At the end of the meeting, they took up an offering to help him get back home.

I was young and struggling to get through bible college at night myself. I looked in my wallet and only had $40. As I was thinking about it, I felt the Holy Spirit whisper, "Give it." So I went up front and put the $40 I had in the offering basket. The pastor prayed that all the money put in the basket would be returned one hundredfold.

A few weeks later, someone who was just an acquaintance gave me $4,000. It was precisely a one-hundred-fold return of what I had given in that offering. I was working on their house when they came up and said, "I feel like I should help you buy another car." In all honesty, it looked like I needed one. For I had pieced the car I was driving together with parts from about ten others, and I was lucky to get to work at all. Yet, when I gave, God changed my circumstances.

Certainly, you should never be suckered in by long-winded speeches of greed. Yet, be aware that there are times when the Lord asks you for a little, and if you are obedient, He will turn it into a lot. God is not a piñata, and your giving is not a stick, but it is your obedience to His timely prompting that counts.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please show me divine opportunities. Make it clear to me when and where I should give. Help me sow into good ground. Speak to me in a way that I understand, and teach me Your will, Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Today is Thankful Thursday at the Ministry Events group! This event gives us an opportunity encourage each other by posting thoughts, moments, and prayers of gratitude for Him, His creation and all that He does in our lives. All our welcome! To join, just click on the group name and then the join link on the page that will follow. As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.