Providence as Provider

I thought writing my last post from the "opposite" direction (from the verse to the idea, instead of from the idea to verses informing the issue) was a fun change, so I am going to do so again! The story is in 1 Kings 17:1-15.

The story starts with background. God told Elijah to call down a drought on the land, that there would be no dew and no rain. So God sent Elijah to a valley where there was a brook which would last a long time even in the drought so that he could have water, and God sent ravens to bring food to Elijah while he was there. (I Kings 17:1-6)

But eventually, even that brook went dry, and God sent Elijah to Sidon where the Lord had "directed a widow there to supply [Elijah] with food.” So Elijah went to the village in Sidon, and "when he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, 'Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?' As she was going to get it, he called, 'And bring me, please, a piece of bread.'" (I Kings 17:7-11)

But the widow didn't have any bread. She and her family were starving to death. She had a little flour left and a little oil left, and she was gathering those sticks to make a fire with which to bake their last meal so that they could die with something in their stomachs at least. (I Kings 17:12)

But Elijah knew that God would provide. He said "Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’” (I Kings 17:13-14)

The widow obeyed and did as Elijah had directed, and according to the Bible, "there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family."

Whew! That's a meaty passage, no pun intended. OK, small, cheesy pun intended. There's a lot to unpack here, but I am going to focus on three themes.

First is trust. There are two kinds of trust in this passage. First, there is Elijah's trust. Elijah was a prophet of the Lord. And while certainly there had been some point where Elijah had stepped out in blind faith, at this point Elijah knew when God spoke he needed to listen, and Elijah knew from experience that he could trust God. Despite the certainty of that trust, it was still a beautiful thing. We can, and should, rely on God, regardless of whether we feel certain of his response or not. 

That brings me to the widow's trust. This amazing woman was expecting to starve to death, perhaps that very night. So maybe a small part of her agreement was kind of a gallows "why not?" thought process. But if this woman had not trusted that Elijah was a man of God, and that God had spoken to him, she would have been depriving her only son of his last meal. No, this woman trusted in Elijah and trusted in God.

And so, God provided one meal at time so that they had to continue trust that God would provide their next meal. This was a lesson, and one well learned. God will provide!

The next theme is to expect the unexpected. Throughout the Bible God works in unexpected ways.Jesus healed a blind man with spit. (Mark 8:22-25) God spoke from a burning bush. (Exodus 3:1-4:17) Jesus pulled a tax payment from the mouth of a fish. (Matthew 17:27) God used a donkey to reveal the truth to a man who would not see.(Numbers 22:21-39) Jesus spoke to a tree to teach his disciples a lesson. (Mark 11:12-25). 

And here yet again God works in an unexpected way. From using the widow to provide food, to Elijah receiving food from ravens, God is almighty, all-powerful, unsearchable. With God, you have to expect the unexpected. God will use the ordinary to do extraordinary things.

And finally, step up when God desires it of you. Yeah, we know, we know! Right? But when have you ever been asked to call down a drought? Yeah, think about it. When God says jump, sometimes we say "sure, but how about next week, or when its warmer, or when I can afford gas to get to the gym with the trampoline?" 

When God told Elijah to jump, he didn't even stop to ask how high, he leapt as high as he could. But for Elijah, this was old hat. Not to say that Elijah didn't love serving the Lord. And Elijah knew God, he was never bored.

I only say this to point out that what Elijah asked of the widow on God's behalf was like asking a drowning man for his life preserver, or someone dying of dehydration for their last glass of water. And the widow jumped, and she jumped high. How often do we hesitate to give up something we have to help others? Now imagine how we today would balk at being asked to give up the LAST of what we had to help another, and on just a promise that we would even SURVIVE the giving. again, whew!

Please, I'd like to hear what you thought...or what else you see in the passage, what other themes you think need to be discussed or what you think about these themes. Give me a shout out! I know this is a lot to look at, and to process. And I truly believe there is more here to unravel than three points in this passage. But for me, these points are so deeply thought provoking, that I'll be mulling on them. I think they are beautiful in their simplicity.