She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.
1 Kings 17:15,16
Startling Generosity is Confident
Daily Devotion – November 12, 2024
Devotion based on 1 Kings 17:15,16
See series: Devotions
The drought had been severe for a while now. The fields were parched, and the rivers were dry. She was a poor widow who had enough flour and oil to feed herself and her young son one last time. She was by the town gate, gathering sticks to bake her final meal, when the Prophet Elijah approached her with an outrageous request: “Bring me, please, a piece of bread” (1 Kings 17:11).
Now, she was not one of God’s people—she was a Gentile, not an Israelite. Moreover, she barely had enough food for her family, let alone a stranger. But Elijah had something to offer her – a promise from God: “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land” (1 Kings 17:14).
She could have done the sensible thing and said no. But instead, she did what Elijah had asked. Her startling generosity showed her confidence in the Lord’s promise. Imagine her joy when there was enough flour and oil to feed Elijah, herself, and her son! And not just that day, but every day afterward until the drought was over.
It all happened just as the Lord had said. And that’s a key to startling generosity: the Word of God. God’s Word created the universe, and that same Word sustains it. So, when the Word of the Lord promises to give you your daily bread, you can be confident that he will keep that promise.
Moreover, you can also be generous, trusting God to meet your needs, even in ways you don’t expect. He wants to use you to help others in unexpected ways. The Bible says, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25).
Prayer:
Gracious Lord, thank you for promising to provide all that I need to keep my body and life. Help me to trust that promise as I seek to be generous to others. Amen.
