Monday, May 30, 2022

And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”

1 King 17:7-12 (NKJV)

These scriptures tell the story of one of my favorite biblical characters, the widow of Zarephath. In the preceding verses, we find Elijah, the prophet, telling the evil king Ahab that Israel is about to experience a drought because of their idolatry. The Lord leads Elijah to the Brook of Cherith. When the brook dries up, the Lord sends the prophet to the widow who is preparing to die with her son.

Some of us may not have been wealthy growing up, and food prices are soaring right now, but most of us are not on the verge of starving. Even if we’re going through a rough patch, we can access government programs to help us purchase food. Food banks, organization and church-operated pantries, family, and friends can help fill the gap. Unlike the widow, we are not on the brink of dying physically, but we may be at the bottom of our emotional, mental, or spiritual barrels – at the end of our ropes or almost ready to let go. Our “end” may be an abusive marriage, a broken relationship, church hurt, or working a dead-end job. What do we do? We could decide to put on our “prepare to die boots.” On the other hand, it’s possible that at our end place, God has already orchestrated an answer to our dilemma.

PRAYER: Lord, when life weighs me down, sometimes I feel like letting go. When famine hits me through situations that seem unsurmountable, remind me that you always have my back. Thank you for working things out for my good. In the name of the Jesus, I pray and give thanks. Amen