Today’s scripture: 1 Kings 17:1-16 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Brent Walsh):
The stack of bills reached an all-time high this month, didn’t it?
The dentist’s office called to say that they need payment on your delinquent balance before you can come back for your next appointment. The pharmacy called to say the check bounced that you wrote for your heart medicine. When you went online to check the balance of your checking account, you saw that an overdraft fee caused three more checks to bounce, causing even more fees to be charged to your account. Now the paycheck you get on Friday will be halfway gone just covering the negative balance, and you still haven’t sent out the mortgage. You snapped at your daughter when she complained that you don’t ever buy her any of the cool clothes the other kids have. Before she stormed off to sulk, she handed you the order form for cheerleading uniforms and said she needs to hand it back in by Friday with a check. Does this sound even a little familiar to you?
You had hoped that this would be the week you could start putting something in the offering plate. It’s something you have wanted to do for so long, but now you suppose the “generosity” part of your financial plan will just have to wait. When you get some bills paid off and get caught up on the mortgage, you will start tithing. Our economy has seen better days, and the evidence is showing up in households just like yours and mine. We’re losing our jobs, our homes are in foreclosure, college funds are being spent on car repairs, we’re depleting our savings, and there seems to be no relief in sight. How can we possibly be expected to give anything away? God will just have to wait.
Maybe this is how the widow of Zarephath was feeling when Elijah showed up and asked her for something to eat. God told Elijah to go to this widow, but she had no bread — only a meager “last meal”.
So it seems God made a mistake. Why would God send Elijah to this poor widow? Surely there were others who had more to give! The widow told Elijah what we are used to telling our pastors: that she would love to help him out, but she couldn’t afford to give anything right now. But when we look closer, we can see that God had a specific plan in mind, and it would only be possible with someone who was willing to step out in faith to give when it looks impossible.
When we look at how this story plays out, we see that God didn’t reward the widow’s faith by allowing her to win the lottery. She didn’t find a new sports car in her driveway. In fact, she didn’t even get a fill-up of flour and oil! It wasn’t an elaborate display of wealth and reward for the woman. It was a quiet, personal contract between God and the widow. “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.” Essentially, if the widow would take care of Elijah, God would take care of her. So as the woman stepped out in faith and prepared a meal for Elijah, she got to experience first-hand the miracle of “enough.” The woman couldn’t explain how it happened; she just somehow had enough flour and oil every day.
When we look at that stack of bills and try to decide if we are going to give money back to God, sometimes it looks like it will be the last thing we do before we die — or maybe more realistically, before we are sent to live on the streets. But if God is moving your spirit to start giving, it means that God has a special plan in mind for you, and you can rest assured in God’s promise to make sure you always have “enough.”
I’m not suggesting you take out a loan so you can put a hundred dollars in the offering plate. I don’t think God works that way. I’m simply saying that if God is challenging you to give your time, your money, your talent, or your friendship, there is a special blessing for those who enter into a quiet, personal contract with God.
Thought for the day: Have you seen a need where you could make a difference — even in a small way? Is God challenging you to give something of yourself?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.