Giving First, Believing First
Sometimes you just have to believe that God will provide.
So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink." As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." But she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD the God of Israel:The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth." She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to that he spoke by Elijah. - 1 Kings 17:10-16
What I find amazing about today's reading is that Elijah was able to convince the woman who had given up hope that she should share what little she had with him before taking care of herself and her son.
Had she not listened to him and had faith, what she believed to be true, that she and her son would die, would have come to pass. She chose to give without truly knowing she would receive, and as a result she received more than she could have expected.
It is easier to give and to share if we believe that all we have comes from God, and it is through the grace of God that everything comes to us.
When the woman used what little she had in the jar to feed Elijah, the jar did not become empty. God continued to supply her with what she needed.
Her simple act of faith, to do what Elijah said, was enough to keep her and her family alive.
That doesn't mean that everything would automatically work out well for her. Soon after this, her son falls ill and dies, and she blames Elijah.
Even though it was Elijah whose instructions helped keep the boy alive, the sudden change in his health was blamed on his interference in their lives.
We do this with God, don't we? We thank Him for the blessings we receive and then quickly turn against Him when things turn bad.
But Elijah prays to God and the boy is revived.
So, what is the lesson here? It seems to me it is all about faith in God. We need to believe God will provide for us when we give first without worrying about the cost of what we are giving.
And when things turn bad, or go from bad to worse, we need to reach out for God's help, rather than blame Him.
The path to wellness and healing is sometimes very treacherous, with many obstacles and snares, but if we continue to believe that God is there with us, we will thrive. If we don't believe that, it most likely will not happen.
More to come...