For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth (1 Kings 17:14).
Mother, I think God always hears when we scrape the bottom of the barrel," said a little boy to his mother one day. They were very poor and often found themselves in real need. Many times they used the last stick of wood and the last bit of bread before they knew where the next supply was coming from. But they had often been provided for unexpectedly and in providential ways just when they were most in need.
The little boy seemed to think that when his mother scrapped the bottom of the barrel, God always heard and knew then that they were in special need. That was his way of saying what Abraham had said so beautifully thousands of years before, when he called a place where God had delivered him Jehovah-jireh, "the Lord will provide."
Our heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask Him (Matt. 6:8), and He has promised that in the days of famine we shall be satisfied (Ps. 37:19).
The words of our promise text today were spoken by the prophet Elijah to the widow of Zarephath, and these words were fulfilled. The widow, her son, and the prophet were fed from the unfailing meal barrel and oil cruse for a year, in spite of the famine all around them. God does not promise needless luxuries, but He does say that our bread and our water shall be sure (Isa. 33:16).
Without God's blessing we could not earn our daily bread. We could not live at all; our hearts would not beat. We need to remember that it is He who, in the last analysis, "giveth food to all flesh" (Ps. 136:25). Let our prayer ascend to Him, "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matt. 6:11).
MEDITATION PRAYER: "Bless the Lord, O my soul...; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Ps. 103:2-5).
Mother, I think God always hears when we scrape the bottom of the barrel," said a little boy to his mother one day. They were very poor and often found themselves in real need. Many times they used the last stick of wood and the last bit of bread before they knew where the next supply was coming from. But they had often been provided for unexpectedly and in providential ways just when they were most in need.
The little boy seemed to think that when his mother scrapped the bottom of the barrel, God always heard and knew then that they were in special need. That was his way of saying what Abraham had said so beautifully thousands of years before, when he called a place where God had delivered him Jehovah-jireh, "the Lord will provide."
Our heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask Him (Matt. 6:8), and He has promised that in the days of famine we shall be satisfied (Ps. 37:19).
The words of our promise text today were spoken by the prophet Elijah to the widow of Zarephath, and these words were fulfilled. The widow, her son, and the prophet were fed from the unfailing meal barrel and oil cruse for a year, in spite of the famine all around them. God does not promise needless luxuries, but He does say that our bread and our water shall be sure (Isa. 33:16).
Without God's blessing we could not earn our daily bread. We could not live at all; our hearts would not beat. We need to remember that it is He who, in the last analysis, "giveth food to all flesh" (Ps. 136:25). Let our prayer ascend to Him, "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matt. 6:11).
MEDITATION PRAYER: "Bless the Lord, O my soul...; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Ps. 103:2-5).
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