Flour and Oil

Certain things seem like they're never going away. Part of growing older you would think, means that some things become easier; others harder, but at least the things you've been dealing with will go away right?

What is it that keeps us from changing? Is it fear of the unknown? A lack of understanding of the past?

I'm currently on a reading plan through the Bible, which by the way I used to laugh at, now if I'm honest is one of the main reasons I read the Bible. It works, so pick one up. One of the great things about these plans is that it takes you throughout the whole bible, and not just the places you like. The other day I was reading in 1 Kings, and came to the story of Elijah and the widow. This really desperate scene where a prophet of God, certainly having to know the situation of the widow, asks her for food and water. She swears all she has is enough to take home for herself and her son, and that’s it.

They'll die.

Then Elijah, this prophet says, "Oh don't worry, go home and you'll be fine. I promise. But first... make me a cake."

“Make me a cake, for when you go home, the jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the Land."

Can you imagine that moment for the widow? She has nothing. And here's this man who says he's a prophet, promising her a lifetime's worth of supply... but now she must put all she has into this cake for him?

When I think about it, it's like I can see her there, kneading the flour, thinking only of her son back home, tears mixing with flour, thinking, "God...what are you doing to me?"

She doesn't know for sure that her flour and oil jars will be "magic" jugs now. She doesn't know what will happen to her and her boy. She bends down, and makes a cake.

I can't stop thinking about it.
It's seared in my mind now.


There are so many things in my life that I just can't shake. I can't get them off me, and in one moment I know why, and in another, I have no idea. "God...what are you doing to me?"

For some reason I’ve never been able to give it all up. To look myself square in the eyes and say, “do you trust Him enough? Do you trust yourself enough?” I can’t count the times I’ve been at the place where I was being asked to move, and yet I stood still.

Desperation usually leads to lashing out and bad decisions. But this widow…

She takes the flour…and the oil…and on the promise that God will move towards her…makes a cake for Elijah.

You see I want to know so desperately- I want to know that if I’ll just give what little I have, believe me its nothing, if I’ll just give it over, will he fill my jar? Will the jug run over with more than I need? Will he do it?

We all have so many things in our lives that are unanswered. So many issues we don’t want to look at, face, or talk about. A laundry list of struggles that beat us down time and time again, and the thoughts of ever getting passed them become more like a fantasy than a possibility.

But there’s this widow…

In her most desperate time, she gave of what she did not have to the Lord. He took it, and for the rest of her life, took care of her.
There is no doubt that if I could just take what little flour, and what little oil I have, and give it to the Lord…He will answer.

He will answer.

But will I?