Focus

Slow your breathing and become aware of the taking in and letting out of your breath. Focus on putting things aside so you will be open to what God is saying to you today.

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Read

1 Kings 17:1-16 (NRSV)

Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” The word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Go from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the LORD; he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the wadi. But after a while the wadi dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 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 the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.

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Reflect

As I read this scripture, I am reminded of the hymn “God Will Take Care of You.” If we ever have any doubt, this story of Elijah gives us plenty of assurances!

God had commissioned Elijah to be his spokesman to Ahab, who had forsaken God. God declared that there would not be any rain until God commanded it. Wow! We can understand punishing Ahab and the other people who were unfaithful, but what about Elijah? Would he starve because of the drought?

God took care of this faithful servant, sending him to water and having ravens deliver food. When the water dried up and the ravens stopped coming, God sent him to a poor widowed mother who had just enough meal and oil to prepare one last meal for herself and her son. As a mother, I feel sympathy for that woman in her reluctance to give up her last morsel of food. She was put to a test when asked to do so.

It can be so hard to relent and trust God when we are put to a test outside of our human ability to understand. My daughter and I had a conversation one night about omission. Sometimes we sense a need or God calling us to be God’s voice, but we don’t follow the Holy Spirit’s nudging. We must trust that nudge. My daughter remembered the first time she was standing on the side of the diving board and her Dad stood before her with outstretched arms saying. “Jump! I will catch you. Trust me.” The widow trusted God and God provided for her and her son as well as Elijah.

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Pray

Lord of all, help us to trust you, to let go of doubt, and to be a voice for you. We know that our needs will be met and more blessings will be ours. Amen.

Go with God.