Thursday 12 August 2010

The oil will not run dry


And Elijah said to her,"Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth." So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. – 1 Kings 17v13-15

It is difficult to imagine how this woman felt when Elijah asked her for a meal. She had been eking out an existence during a three year drought. She was scrapping the barrel to put together one last medal for herself and her son before they died of starvation. So what does Elijah say, ‘Don’t worry about it. You can do that, but before you do make me a little cake then fix the meal for you and your son.’

What was a poor woman to do? Feed this stranger before she fed her son and her self?

But Elijah was not done. ‘Don’t worry. Your flour will not run out and your oil will not run dry before the Lord lets it rain again. So she did what Elijah asked and God provided for her and her son for many more days.

While God has allowed us in the West to enjoy many material blessings, there are times when we have to depend on Him on a daily basis. Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ do this all over the world day by day by day.

‘Give us this day our daily bread’ I show Jesus instructed the disciples to pray. ‘Don’t worry about tomorrow, it has enough issues of its own.’

It is so easy to worry about tomorrow or next week or next month or next year or years down the road. We like to see it all sorted out in advance.

Oh for the faith to trust God on a daily basis that He will not let our supply of oil run dry. That is where real practical faith comes in to play.

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