1 Kings 17:8-16 (NRSV)
Read 1 Kings 17:8-16 on biblegateway.com
Verse 8Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Verse 9"Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you." Verse 10So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink." Verse 11As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." Verse 12But she said, "As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." Verse 13Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. Verse 14For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth." Verse 15She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. Verse 16The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.
Devotion
As I pondered for this week, two words kept going through my mind. Scarcity and Abundance. Scarcity is that sense of not having enough, or not measuring up. This mindset can lead to fear and doubt. Scarcity looks at what we do not have, while abundance looks at what we already have.
The widow of Zarephath looked around at her life and saw scarcity; Elijah shows up and brings God’s word of abundance. To the woman who is prepared to die, Eljah brings words of hope, “Do not be afraid.” To the widow this must have sounded ridiculous. But the widow does as Elijah asks, and she experiences the abundance of God’s provision.
God’s call is to live by faith and to trust even when life does not make sense. May you hear God’s word for you: Do not fear, I see you, hear you, and know you; I will provide.
Prayer
God of abundance, come into our lives with the promise that with you there is enough. Open our hands and hearts to be willing to share with others. May we hear your word of promise: Do not be afraid. Amen.
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