scarce but satisfying

1 kings 17:7-16; Psalm 4 Lord, let your face shine on us; Matthew 5:13-16

We continue to read the narrative on ELijah in the first reading.

Yesterday, we encountered Elijah on the run and in hiding. He was told to drink from the stream and he was to served his meals via the ravens. The life of a prophet isn't always glamorous.

Imagine eating meat brought by ravens. It was probably not gourmet. And the stream since is was in the middle of the drought was probably not you standard water cooler refreshment.


But none the less, he was provided for. It was scarce but satisfying for it was from the Lord.

Today, we encounter ELijah being led by God to a widow at Zarephath where he was too be taken care of. Again, Elijah finds himself in a predicament. The widow only had a handful of flour and a little oil and she was as they say a bit bitter but faithful.

Elijah and the widow and the widow's son ate a morsel of bread a day.
Again this as not your HEB pantry bread aisle where every imaginable loaf with every imaginable flavor, style, cut was at your finger tips. It was a little bit of flour and little bit of oil and a lot of nasty, but it was sufficient.

It was scarce but satisfying.

It both instances and throughout the prophets life we discover that God's will takes care of those who are faithful; he provides, he sustains, he stretches forth to bring alive in time of famine, but often it is beyond our expectations.

Elijah had to surrender his expectation in order to take God at his word and trust the word he heard.

Scarce but satisfying.

Look around at your life today. How often have our expectations thwarted the bounty of God and interfered with true gratitude in learning to live on what God provides. Surrender your expectations and learn to recognize the bounty of God in the provisions he has provided.

Scarce but satisfying for those who are faithfulness.