Devotion:
Read 1 Kings 17:8-16.
Long before the Great Depression, there was the “Great Famine” brought about by King Ahab’s idolatry. The drought was so great the land dried up and there was no rain. Elijah is hungry and thirsty. God gives Elijah commands to “go and stay” in Zarephath. Then he promises Elijah there will be help from a widow. This command and promise is interesting. Elijah is an Israelite; the woman is a Gentile. He is a refugee; she is a resident. And she is a woman, vulnerable, poor, and powerless.
She tells Elijah she has heard the voice of “your God”—a crazy God who doesn’t seem to understand that she is starving and has only enough for one last meal for herself and her son before she dies. And yet, she feeds him. She feeds him. Out of her extreme poverty, she shares what she has – with a man, a refugee, a stranger. As a result, there was plenty of food for Elijah and her family. God blessed her for her blessing.
In her example, may we see the promise that—even when we think we don’t have enough—we still have more than enough to be generous to others.
We are often told to fear those who are different from us. Yet God tells us to love and serve others. The lesson from this account is to listen to God whether he tells us to “go” or “serve.”
Personal Worship Option:
Father, help me to trust and obey you in all things. Help me to use the resources you have given me to bless others. Show me a way to be a blessing to someone today. Amen.
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