Our daily bread

So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, 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.”
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. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah. – 1 Kings 17.12-16

This is one of those amazingly wonderful provision stories of God’s word. Because God is God and in control of everything there is not limit to what He can do. If He can create a universe out of nothing, than He can certainly sort out the provision of the things we need.

Elijah was visiting in a widow’s house. It was just her and her son. They were broke and had almost nothing and despite that Elijah asked her to go make him a meal. But she had only enough left to make a small supper for the two of them. ‘That’s okay,’ Elijah said, ‘do that, but first make a meal for me and then go do it. Your flour will be there and the oil will not run out.’

So she did. And when she went back there was oil and flour for another meal. And the next day the same. And the next, and the next, and the next. She had to trust God with each day and each day God provided.

God still provides today. Sometimes He provides in a clear and mighty and dramatic way that excites and stirs us up and gets shouts and praises. That great and He always deserves the praise.

But I know for me that I can forget to praise Him sometimes for the miraculous way that He provides ‘our daily bread’ like He did for this woman. Most of the time when God meets our needs it is not dramatic. Most of the time it is just a daily provision for that day. That last few euro somehow is enough to get through. We are able to squeeze out one more meal from the leftovers or the food in the press. Those tyres last just that few miles more. Our old banger of a car gives us one more year. That's why we pray ‘give us today the bread we need for today.’

That can be a scary way to live, but I think that is what ‘living by faith’ is all about.