After Elijah told the wicked King Ahab that there would be no more rain, God commanded him to go into hiding. First it was by the brook Cherith, near Jordan. And the ravens fed him! Wow! Next he was instructed to go some little town called Zarephath where a widow and her son would take care of him.
The interesting thing is, that when Elijah met the widow, she was gathering sticks to make a fire so she could cook her LAST meal...and THEN she expected to die! And yet a stranger, who she didn't even know, came and asked her to make food for him FIRST, promising her that she would have what she needed, and she obeyed.
I don't know about how it is for you, but it's not easy to give your last "morsel of food" away if that's all you got! And yet that's just what Elijah asked her to do.
However, God is faithful! He is ALWAYS faithful!!!!! My heart just overflows with gratitude to the great King that we serve as I read this story again, because it reminds me of what He has done and continues to do for me. Time and time through my life I've seen this played out... when I surrender the last "morsel" that I have (whether it's my energy, my money in the piggy bank, my time, or whatever) God always more then repays. I think He's continually testing us though...just like Abraham, He wants to know if we will we trust Him, even with the last thing that we own. Will we trust Him with what is most precious to us. For Abraham it was his son. For the widow, it was her last meal...which meant it was her life! For us it can be our security, or our ability to take care of ourselves. It could be someone we love. But so often, it is our money.
My testimony: Although I use to get paid well in the medical field, I live on a missionary stipend now as I'm doing full time ministry. Often I don't know how I will pay my bills, how I will cover my extra travel expenses with the ministry, or where funds will come for the next need. And yet I have to testify again, God is faithful!!!!!!! I wouldn't choose to live any other way, and time and time again, when I think I'm at the bottom of the "meal barrel" I find there is more. There is always MORE...just when I have a need.
In closing, let me share this passage from Malachi.
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Mal. 3:10
He asks us to PROVE HIM! Trust Him! Can we do this? I'm living testimony, He always more then repays. I literally feel like the windows of heaven are open and I can hardly contain all the blessings He continues to pour upon me! God is so faithful! Let's trust Him with everything!!!!!!!!
Review:
- Bible Thought: Prove God... He can be trusted!
- Blessings: This past week I came home from ARME to discover that someone I didn't even know had sent me some significant funds to help with my needs. I was blown away! Another answered prayer.
- Battles: My current struggle is that my computer crashed after ARME...I've been limping along with it for a few months now. Anyway, friends on my team have raised funds for a new computer. But I am just praying I can keep up with everything til the new computer arrives. I'm using my mom's computer and limping along without most of my programs and files right now. Makes work a little slow going!
To me, the journey from Cherith to Zaraphath had to have been an exersize in faith. Did God provide a raven-bag? No water anywhere?
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