A Little Oil in the Hands of God...

1 Kings 17:1-16 (Click on reference to read text)

Paul, Peter, Stephen, Deborah, Esther, Ruth, Timothy... all great names of men and women who were used by God in mighty ways. I don't think any of us would question whether their life was a waste. We would all say that they fulfilled the great purpose of God and lived a life pleasing to Him. However, that often leads us to ask, what about me? God has not used me to plant churches all over the world, stand up and preach to thousands, save a nation, etc. I am just a girl from the South, raising two kids, helping my husband, and trying to plant His Word in my home. Will I ever measure up? Why don't we ask that same question to a little widow that was just trying to keep her child from starving.

The widow of Zarephath was literally doing all she could to simply keep her child and herself alive. That is all we know of her, until Elijah shows up at her door. He didn't ask her to face the prophets of Baal or try to talk some sense into Queen Jezebel. No, he asked her for a piece of bread and some water. However, he asked her for all she had. She replies to Elijah, "As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar... that I may prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die" (vs. 12). We then see her "go and do according to the word of Elijah"(vs.15).

Her purpose, feed the man of God. Help him so that he could continue on His way. Was God pleased with her? YES! We try so hard to invent these mighty schemes to serve the Lord. We justify our purpose with measurements of human standard (amount of people who came, number of converts, etc). However, God is not asking us for our ideas of what it means to serve Him. God is asking us to obey his voice when He calls. Like the widow, our obedience could directly influence what God wants to do in someone elses's life. Just as God used what the little widow had to further His purpose, He can use the little you have to do the same.

The neat thing about our Heavenly Father is that when we walk in His will, He will provide. Verse 16 tells us that her little bowl of flour "was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through Elijah." Through this miracle and her obedience she received more than the blessing of food for herself and her child. She learned that day that trusting obedience to God and His Word leads to life. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, she too learned that bread sustains life but doesn't guarantee life, only God can do that. That lesson is priceless.

She may have just been a little widow that gave a loaf of bread, but her life was not a waste. A life of obedience is never a waste. Maybe God wants to use you or me in a way that we could not even imagine. Maybe one day I will have the opportunity to speak to thousands, go throughout the world and preach the good news, or maybe I will feed those who are already preaching and pray for those who are already serving. I do know one thing, God wants me to use what I have for Him. He wants me to obey Him in everything... Even if it means giving a loaf of bread.