Page 64 - Livin Light Issue 81

Wednesday August 16 - The widow’s response
As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” 1 Kings 17:11
This additional request from Elijah really is a ‘double take’ moment! The widow was willing to get him some water... but bread as well? Could he not see how destitute she was? I’m pretty sure my response would have been: “Bread! Are you mad?! There’s a famine and you’re asking me for bread!”
Instead, her reply paints a devastating picture of a woman without hope. She was collecting sticks to make a fire, then a final meal for her and her son... and then they would die. For her, this was the end. But earlier we read that God had chosen her to be the means of feeding Elijah. She just didn’t know it yet. She was to be part of something more wonderful than anything her broken heart and life could have ever imagined (Luke 4:25-26).
I have no way of knowing the circumstances you are facing as you read these notes; no way of knowing if, like this widow, you are at your lowest ebb with little or no resources... or hope. But just as God had a plan for this broken, destitute woman, he has a plan and future for you too. She didn’t ignore Elijah or his outrageous request; she responded to him, and told her story. If you have someone you trust and can speak with, let them know your story. It could be the beginning of something wonderful for you too.
Dear Lord, our lives, our stories, have value and worth. You came for the broken. You came for us. Thank you! Amen.
Thursday August 17 - Don’t be afraid
Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me...” 1 Kings 17:13
There are countless times in scripture when those who encounter God, or are called to step out into the unknown, hear these words: “Don’t be afraid.” There are countless times I have heard them – as I’m sure you have – when situations that lie ahead have been too daunting; so overwhelming that taking that first step has felt impossible.
For this widow, with no resources left and no hope beyond one last meal, how much did they mean? Was this to be a step too far, in putting Elijah’s needs before her own? Would the oil and flour stretch to feeding three instead of two? But there’s a promise in verse 14. What a promise – it is well worth reading again!
Dare she take that step and out of her abject poverty make a cake for this strange and seemingly demanding man? Sometimes we may feel our faith is as small as a mustard seed; we think the little we have can’t achieve much at all. But just as Jesus took two fish and five loaves that were offered to him and fed 5000 people, so he can take even the little that we have to give – and use it.
All he asks is that we never underestimate just what he can do when the little we have is given in faith, obedience, and trust. She heard the promise!
Father God, your personal promises to us still stand firm and true. Help us to hear them once again. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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PRAYER FOR TODAY