Xanthe Hancox

Elijah said to her, “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.’” 1 Kings 17:13-14

Over and over the events in Elijah's life illustrate what God can do with nothing.  The story of the widow and the flour and oil that never ran out is a familiar one to many of us.

When I read this story again this morning, I was struck by the widow’s response when her son became ill. She says to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” (v 18).

It's strange what power our emotions can have on us. It’s true that the widow’s circumstances were traumatic, and most of us would forgive her for feeling more than a little sorry for herself. I expect that many of us would be just as angry and bitter if we were living in poverty and our only child was dying.

And yet, that wasn’t the whole story. Miracles had been happening every day in her house; the oil and flour was being renewed each day. She simply couldn’t see it for what it was.

Sometimes anxiety, depression, fear or just a bad day can keep us from seeing what God is doing around us. Truly he is always at work, but sometimes our emotions blind us to what he is doing. All we see in those times are our own feelings and the warped picture of reality that comes with them, not the truth.

There are many around who say these are perilous times: the economy is crashing, inflation will become rampant, there will be rioting in the streets. Instead of listening to the doomsayers, we should be listening to the voice of God, the whisper that says, 'Don't be afraid.'

Prayer: Lord, let me be full of your joy today. May I look expectantly for your hand at work in my life. May I not allow my emotions to cloud my view of all that you are doing and to the truth concerning my circumstances.  Amen