- 1 Kings 17:8-16 - And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.
- Philippians 4:19 - But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Yesterday we saw that God can meet our needs both through ordinary means and miraculous ways. Through these extraordinary works of God, Elijah learned to live by faith. An example of this was his being fed by ravens. Now, the Lord sends him to Zarephath — to a widow who had little food left for herself.
Every material need is an opportunity to trust that God is the Source of our lives. Material abundance sometimes creates a sense of independence in a person, and one forgets that, in reality, they depend on God for everything. However, whether we realize it or not, we are completely dependent on the Lord.
Elijah believed God's promise and saw His provision. In our lives, God may not always act in a miraculous way. But He is always faithful to His Word. Therefore, we can be sure that God, according to His will and His timing, will provide for the true needs of His children. This promise speaks of God's care for believers; it is not a guarantee of material wealth or that we will be given everything we want.
Is your focus today on the Source, or only on the means that God uses? The means may change, but God's faithfulness never changes. The Lord invites you to trust Him and, by living a life of faith, to find rest in His constant care.
Reflection
What step can you take today to focus your attention not on material resources, but on God, who is the true Source of your life?