Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. Joshua 21:45

Years ago, when I was a single mom, I knew what it was to try and scrape together enough food to feed my children. A mother can suffer hunger, if it means that her children will eat. But God still provided, even for me.

In 1 Kings chapter 17 we find another mom trying to feed her child.

Elijah had predicted a great drought and God told him to go and hide by a brook and He promised that ravens would feed him, which they did, day and night. But then even the brook dried up and God said leave here and go and dwell in Zarapheth, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.

So, Elijah did as he was instructed and when he got to the gates of the city there was a widow gathering sticks. Elijah called to her and said “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” (17:10). As she began to go get the water he called to her again and said “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” ¹² And she said, “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.”. Notice that she knows who Elijah’s God is. This had to be a revelation from God.

This poor widow, has lost her husband, there is a famine in the land and she has only enough food for she and her son to have one last meal. After that meal she is fully prepared to eat it with her son and the two of them then die from starvation. And this stranger has come and desires food from their very mouths. I don’t know many mothers that would have been able to maintain their composure, at this point.

Then in verse 13 it says “And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘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.’” 

Remember that she recognized who Elijah’s God was and now Elijah says if you will prepare this food for us, my God says that you will have flour and oil until He brings rain.

This widow, trusts not just what Elijah said, but trusted God to keep His promise and in verses 15 and 16 we see that she listens to that command that God told Elijah that He had given to the woman about sharing her food with him (¹⁵ And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. ¹⁶ The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.) and God did exactly as He had promised.

This woman trusted the very last meal that she and her son might ever eat, to a stranger and a God that was not her own. And God was faithful and kept His promise and He fed them just like He said that He would.

We see faith like this over and over in the scripture. We see it in Joshua 2 when Rahab the prostitute fears God and trusts His two spies and Him to protect she and her family. We see it in the book of Ruth, she was a Moabite who agreed to follow Naiomi and her God and God rescues them both. In the book of Jonah we see God desire the people of Nineveh to repent and, once He gets Jonah to go, they all (even the King) do repent and follow after God.

God promised and He kept His promises. Even when things seemed outrageous and when our intellect would tell us not to risk it, these people did and God was faithful.

Has God made promises to us? Yes. Has He asked things of us? Yes. Has He asked outrageous things of us, does He want us to really step out of our comfort zones? Yes.

The answer to these questions should be yes. But what is the answer to the next question…have you trusted Him, have you said yes, are you doing what He has called you to do? Or are you ready to eat your last meal and die, rather than risk it?

I pray that right now, we would recognize the mighty hand of God and that we would trust Him to keep His promises. I pray that we would trust Him to provide. I pray that we would trust Him to protect. And, I pray that we would say yes Lord, to what ever He asks.

In the scripture we do not find people who would say yes to God, only to have Him not keep His promise. Our God is a promise Keeper! If you haven’t said yes, yet, do it! God wants to bless, love, provide for and use us for His glory and to rescue those who are currently in the enemies grip. Let that starving widow, who shared her very last meal, certain that she and her boy would then die, be an example. God probably isn’t even calling you to share your last meal, He is just calling you into service. He is calling you to make an impact on His Kingdom and to rescue others, all the while being protected and provided for by Him.

That widow risked, not just their last meal, she risked it all, even the life of she and her son, what are you willing to risk?

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and have never trusted God to keep His promises, or maybe you didn’t even know that God made promises to you, I pray that you would go to our Life Preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/) right now and pray the prayer that is outlined there. God is a promise keeper and He has promised that if we will repent of our sins that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Then He promised that Jesus came to give us life, an abundant life, when we repent and follow Him. Please pray this prayer, God has great things planned for you. Once you have prayed that prayer, please reach out to me at Forgiven-N-Loved.com and let me know. I’d love to be in prayer for you.

Luv Ya!