FN-031 - Honor God First, and He Will Supply

I Kings 17:13 - Several kings have come and gone in the life of Israel, which is now divided into Israel and Judah.  A few (very few) honor God and lead their people well - the rest go from bad to worse.

Ahab is on the throne of Israel, and Elijah the prophet tells him that there will be no rain, not even dew.  God provides a brook and a raven delivery service to keep Elijah nourished for a while, then sends him to live with a widow in Zarephath. He finds her gathering sticks, and asks her for a drink and a bit of bread.  Her supplies were about to run out, and she was preparing one last bite for herself and her son, then she expected they would die.

#FearNot, Elijah tells her, make your food, but first bring me a little, because God promises your supplies will not run out until we have rain again.  She honored God by honoring His prophet, and God kept His promise, as He always does.  Day after day, she made bread from a jar of oil and a  bowl of flour that were always nearly but never truly empty.

In the wilderness there was manna for each day - just enough for one day, and always enough again on the next day.  In The Lord's Prayer we are taught to ask Our Father to give us today our daily bread.  As we honor God, He will provide for us. #FearNot

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BW 01.22 - Genesis 22: Surrender Isaac

 Isaac was born in chapter 21, when Abraham was 100 years old. Hagar and Ishmael, the Egyptian servant and her son by Abraham (at Sarah's prompting) were sent away.   Years went by, and God came to Abraham and asked him to give up, as a burnt offering, this miracle son through whom He had promised to bless the world. Early the next morning, the party set out for Moriah - Abraham, beloved Isaac, two servants, and supplies for a burnt offering.  On the third day, Isaac and his father are walking up the mountain, the servants have been left behind.  Isaac, carrying wood, asks: "Where is the lamb?".  Abraham answered, "God will provide".  They reach the place, assemble the altar, then Abraham does a very unusual thing - he binds his own son, puts him on the altar, and raises the knife to strike. Remember - Isaac is a young man, or a grown boy - he is strong enough to carry enough wood to burn a lamb.  His father is 100 plus years old.  ...
Read more

BW 01.17 - Genesis 17-21: Covenants

 At 99 years of age, Abram (meaning 'exalted father') was renamed Abraham (meaning 'father of nations') , and his wife Sarai was renamed Sarah - both of these changes made by God.  God repeated His promise, clarifying that the covenant people would be born of Sarah (Isaac), and laid out the terms of Abraham's obedience (and that of his descendants forever). This began the practice of circumcising males at 8 days of age, a symbol of surrendering to God the very essence of self & generations to follow.  (The Apostle Paul later writes of the importance of circumcising the heart - a metaphor for surrendering self-will to participate in the promise of God). Three men visit Abraham & Sarah, receive hospitality, and make sure Sarah hears the announcement that she'll be giving birth within the year, causing her to laugh (pregnant? an old barren woman?) .  Is anything too hard for the Lord? (no) The three begin to leave, and Abraham walks with them tow...
Read more

FN-041 - God Doesn't Simply Write Us Off

Isaiah 43:1,5 - In chapter 42, a new plan is declared, a perfect/complete answer (take note, Galactic Hitchhikers) .  The people God created and redeemed as His have turned aside to worship idols. By ignoring or rejecting their only salvation, they have chosen a destruction that they should know to avoid. And we tend to do the same. Yet, as chapter 43 opens, God reminds them that He doesn't simply write off His investments: "Fear not, I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine."  In verse 5, He says "Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west." Those He has scattered, He will bring back, because they are precious to Him. They are precious because He created and chose them, no matter their worth by other standards. If God has called your name and redeemed you, you are precious to Him, no matter your perceived worth by other standards. #FearNot, He will not write you off until ...
Read more