Our pastor is teaching on Elijah for the next four weeks and this past Sunday he shared his story of God’s provision. The passages read were 1 Kings 17:1-16. The story tells of when Elijah is hiding from Ahab after predicting a drought. Initially God tells Elijah to hide by a brook which will provide him with water and God has the ravens provide the bread. Then when the brook dries up due to the drought, God uses a widow to provide water and bread for Elijah. However, the widow is down to her last bit of flour and oil and is about to make her last cake of bread and then wait for death. But God provides for all:
8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.” 12 But she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 Then Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. 14 “For thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the face of the earth.’” 15 So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 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.
Our pastor suggested that as a reminder of God’s eternal provision that we take a couple jars and put a little flour in one and a little oil in other then set it on the table for the next four weeks. One of the points our pastor focused on was the widow’s faith being tested by her being asked to provide for this stranger before taking care of her own family. By being obedient, God blesses her.
As I was making dinner last night, Jim was sharing some things he is struggling with at work. It reminded me of the jars and I put the ingredients in them while he was talking. As I set them on the table I said “God will provide.” We struggle with so many decisions – financial, future plans, career path, family, etc. – that I do feel the importance of remembering to trust in God’s provision both physically and emotionally. Already, every time I see the jars on the table, I say to myself, “God will provide.” It’s amazing how assuring and calming that is. I would encourage anyone reading this to read Elijah’s story in 1 Kings and place these jars on your own table as a reminder. I’m not sure how long we’ll keep our jars on the table; maybe just the fours weeks, but maybe longer. There is something so tangible about seeing those jars on the table.
8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.” 12 But she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 Then Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. 14 “For thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the face of the earth.’” 15 So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 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.
Our pastor suggested that as a reminder of God’s eternal provision that we take a couple jars and put a little flour in one and a little oil in other then set it on the table for the next four weeks. One of the points our pastor focused on was the widow’s faith being tested by her being asked to provide for this stranger before taking care of her own family. By being obedient, God blesses her.
As I was making dinner last night, Jim was sharing some things he is struggling with at work. It reminded me of the jars and I put the ingredients in them while he was talking. As I set them on the table I said “God will provide.” We struggle with so many decisions – financial, future plans, career path, family, etc. – that I do feel the importance of remembering to trust in God’s provision both physically and emotionally. Already, every time I see the jars on the table, I say to myself, “God will provide.” It’s amazing how assuring and calming that is. I would encourage anyone reading this to read Elijah’s story in 1 Kings and place these jars on your own table as a reminder. I’m not sure how long we’ll keep our jars on the table; maybe just the fours weeks, but maybe longer. There is something so tangible about seeing those jars on the table.
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