Read 1 Kings 17:1-16
Our God is a God of provision. This truth has been so comforting to me at so many times of financial uncertainty in my life. I grew up as a pastor's kid in a 1-income household. We were never wealthy, and I saw my parents worry over money more times than I can count. Now that I'm married and have my own family, Lee and I face the same financial struggles ourselves. Finances have always been my main area of worry. However, when I look back on my life, I can not think of one time that I ever had an unmet need. No matter how bad it seemed, God always faithfully provided for all of my family's needs.
This story in 1 Kings is a beautiful picture of God's provision in the lives of Elijah, the widow of Zarephath, and her son. In verse 3, God tells Elijah to hide by the brook of Cherith, where God will supply him with the sustenance he needs to survive. No matter how many times I hear this story, I can't get over how amazing this miracle is. God actually commands a raven to deliver Elijah bread and meat two times a day, in addition to giving him a brook to drink from! What a powerful and compassionate God we serve! The almighty creator of the universe actually cares about our little needs and faithfully meets them for us.
When the brook dries up and can no longer fill Elijah's need for water, God sends him to Zarephath, where He has already prepared a place for Elijah to stay ahead of time (9). When Elijah gets to the designated place, he doesn't find a bountiful feast awaiting him. Instead, he finds a poverty-stricken widow who has only enough ingredients for one last meal for herself and her son, which she plans to eat before ultimately dying of starvation. It's funny how the Lord often leads us to places which seem so hopeless. God led Elijah first to a deserted wilderness and then to a starving widow's empty kitchen. However, each time the Lord provided for Elijah in miraculous ways. God is not limited by the circumstances or surroundings which seem hopeless to the human eye. He is more than able to accomplish more than we could ever imagine in any situation!
When Elijah hears the widow's explanation of her dire situation, he doesn't lose heart. Instead, he trusts that God will do what He has spoken and boldly asks the widow to prepare a bread cake for himself first (13). That very bold request must have taken a lot of faith! The widow has much faith of her own. Though she is aware of the fact that she has only a small bit of food left, she does as Elijah says. Giving up a portion of the meager amount of food that she had must have taken tremendous faith in the Lord. Her trust in God is so humbling to me, because I have certainly never been in a situation that desperate. The faith of Elijah and the widow is rewarded, as the Lord performs another striking miracle. How amazing that our God could make the flour and oil supernaturally reappear after being used up!
We are living in a time where many people are struggling with finances, due to the economic downturn and many other factors. Perhaps you see your parents arguing about money, and you're scared or anxious. I want to encourage you with the fact that God always provides. He knows exactly what your situation is, He cares deeply about it, and He wants to meet your needs! Trust Him to do what He is so faithful to accomplish! I will leave you with 2 verses that are encouraging to me:
"I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." Psalm 37:25
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
