Trust

“The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.” (1 Kings 17:14).

Prophet Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath (Adamovich Janna)

I have been reflecting on the story of the starving widow in Zarephath during the drought who Elijah – through the intercession of the Lord – saved… (1 Kings 17:8–16).

In the story we are told that there was a terrible drought and during that drought there was a widow who had a son, when he met her she was gathering sticks and he began a conversation with her.

The first thing that Elijah asked in that conversation was “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” (1 Kings 17:10).  Considering the context of this story, that was not a small request.  There was a drought and water was scarce, so this meant that Elijah was asking the widow for a big thing – not something small.  And the widow reacted by bringing the water to Elijah.

Now, considering the context, one would think that the water would be enough.  After all it was a big request of the stranger to the widow – who already had so little – and yet, Elijah did not stop at that.  He went further…  “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” (1 Kings 17:11).  But the widow had no bread.  She was starving and her son was starving.  She replied with honestly… “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug.  And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.  Do not fear; go and do as you have said.  But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me.” (1 Kings 17:12-13).

She was preparing their final meal.  She was not a fat and healthy woman, she was skin and bones.  She was starving.  There was no food at all.  Her belly ached from hunger and so did her son’s belly.  Food would have been foremost on their minds.  And they would have never had enough of that.  They would have watched as friends and neighbours died of starvation, and there was a strange man standing before her asking her to feed him FIRST – before feeding her son…

The order was somehow reversed.  The stranger sent to save them was now taking the FIRST piece – the best part and sharing in their scarcity…

This request brought to light the scarcity in the woman’s situation.  And her response was exactly as God wishes.  Her response was love and trust…

And her reward was…  “The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.” (1 Kings 17:14).

And through her trust and love God provided.  And I have been thinking about this.  For is this not just another example of complete surrender to the Holy Will of God – this trust in handing to a stranger the last of what she had because it was the right thing to do?

And I have to wonder, when I am that widow of Zarephath do I have the Grace to trust in the same way?

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.