Trusting in the Promises
Elijah's been in hiding. The land is suffering from drought and Ahab is after the prophet's hide because of it. At God's direction, Elijah heads to Zarephath to encounter a widow whom God will use to feed God's messenger.
She's not a wealthy woman. In fact, when the prophet arrives she is about to use the last of her resources to make a final meal for herself and her son. It's not that Elijah asks her to share what she will make; he asks her to make his meal first and THEN make hers (1Kings 17:13). Sounds like a scam to me!
Elijah says: "For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land" (17:14, NIV).
The natural reaction (mine, at least) would be to say: "Give me a sign of good faith first and then I'll make your meal." Faith doesn't work that way. We obey first, and then we see the hand of God work.
I said I like this story theoretically. I have proven God's faithfulness many times but I'm ashamed to say that, despite that, I often lack the faith of this widow woman.
Many times it comes down to the attitude expressed in the famous words of the father who came to Jesus for help, recorded for us in Mark 9:24 (NIV): "Lord, I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief."
The bread test would not be the widow woman's only test of faith. Still, she obeyed first, and claimed the promises that the prophet made in the name of the Lord.
And He hasn't broken one of those promises yet.
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