When Trusting God Is A Handful
2008-01-04

Psalms for today: 4, 34, 64, 94, 124.

Psalm 34 is beautiful. Verse 8 has been a favorite of mine for many years.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!



Day 43

read

1 Kings 17:7-16

This is the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. He comes on the scene, asks her to make a small meal for him out of the last of her provisions. She does what he asks, and for a long while, her stock of flour and oil never depletes.

think

Reading the passage again to see if there are any words or phrases that God seems to be speaking directly to me.
I don't see any directly, but the idea that I need to take care of God's people and ministries first strikes home. God has always provided. We have a responsibility to share what he provides.

How do you resemble Elijah, the loner who was perhaps content by the solitary brook but now has to venture into Palestinian territory and ask a widow for her last dime?

I resemble Elijah in that I tend to be a loner. I don't "play well with others." I find that others distract me. I have a few close friends that I like being around. Other than that, I like being alone. Plus I hate having to ask others for help. It's not really a pride thing...maybe it is a little, but it's also not wanting to inconvenience others. Especially for my little needs. And I would certainly be hard pressed to ask a poor person for food! Egad!
How do you identify with the widow and feel that Elijah is asking too much? How difficult is it for you to give up the last handful of flour? Hold out your hand in front of you. Open and close it. Imagine that the amount of flour your hand could hold is all that stands between you and death.

I'm not sure I could have done it! This widow certainly displayed some great faith. Notice that she doesn't even claim faith in God. She says to Elijah, "As surely as your God lives..." Not "my God," or "our God," but "your God." However, the Lord told Elijah when he told him to go to Zarephath that he had instructed this widow to feed him. So, if I had a clear message from God that I was supposed to give my last bit of food to this guy, maybe I could do it.
How do you think the widow felt every time she put her hand in the jar and there was another handful of flour?

HAH! I'm sure the first time, she was surprised. Probably got a little "goose-bumpy." Then, I'll bet there was a moment of extreme joy and awe at the power of God. There was probably temptation to worship the prophet. After a while, though, I'm thinking the surprise turns to confidence. Not presumption, though. Confidence that this God that she has suddenly encountered is a faithful God who does what he says he will do and takes care of his own.

pray

Ask God what might be your jar of flour today--something that needs filling up. It's okay to tell God he's asking too much. At first, the widow did just that. Trusting God is a process.

I think my jar holds my self-confidence. My confidence that I can do this thing called life in Christ. Because I can't. But the jar needs to be emptied of "self-confidence" so it can be filled with "God-confidence!" I have to trust him to do that.

live

Consider how it would feel to trust God this much. How would your life be different if you trusted God with just a little more every single morning, as the widow did?

Trusting God is a life-changing thing. And if it grows, each day, the life gets more amazing. Eventually, a life that is totally trusting God would become something to see. I think I may have seen this once in my entire life. One person that I have ever met, out of the thousands that have crossed my path, displayed this kind of trust. Her name is Julie Brancadora. She is the most beautiful woman of God that I have ever met. I get tears in my eyes thinking about it, because I don't ever see myself looking like that.

Maybe it's time to start.

Oh, taste and see...

Taste.

See.

The LORD is good!



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