A Single Mother's Gutsy Obedience

      By Fern Horst

"And the word of the LORD came unto [Elijah], 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." (1 Kings 17:8-16)

I wonder what went through this widowed mother's mind when Elijah told her to make him something to eat with her last bit of food. He had assured her that if she did, her flour and oil would not soon run out. She may have thought this man was a little bit crazy, or greedy, to demand the last food that a single mother had. Her next thought may have been that the risk was worth it, since they were going to die anyway. But she may also have had great faith in her God, and rejoiced to hear of God's promise to provide for her and her son if she would cook a meal for this man of God, Elijah.

In any case, she was obedient and did what she was told. God did provide as He had promised her through Elijah, and she and her son lived.

We, too, can respond in obedience to the Lord even when our resources are meager. Why? Because our trust is in the Lord, not in what we have. The same God who provides when our resources are abundant, also provides when our resources are scarce. After all, the cattle on a thousand hills are His (Psalm 50:10). Our Provider has all the resources of the universe and more at His disposal, and we have no cause to worry if we are being obedient to Him.

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? … for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:31-33)

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38)

© 2003, 2007 Fern Horst

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