Faiza sat in her dilapidated house, the hot African sun shining through the open window, watching her handsome, young son nap. This was it, the time she most dreaded. There was nothing left for her to sell and she only had two plantains and a little oil to fry up for one last meal. Faiza, weak with hunger and tormented by her inability to feed her son Taji, went outside to gather sticks to burn so she could cook their last meal. A deep sadness gripped her heart. Where was the God she served?
A stranger walked up to Faiza as she worked in the heat of the day and asked for some water to drink. There was no harm in that, so she went to get the water. As she walked away, he said, “Please give me some plantain.” Faiza doesn’t say no, are you crazy, go away, or try next door, instead she states a fact, “I have only two plantains and some oil for frying which I plan to eat with my son before we die. The stranger replies, “Don’t be afraid, make me some first, then take what’s left over and cook it for the two of you.” And then he claims the Lord will never allow their plantain and oil containers to be empty until the rain returns. Faiza did as told.
See below for the real story*
I have to ask myself if I would have done the same; give any portion of my son’s and my last meal to a man I didn’t even know (the widow’s lack of greeting or plea for help shows she didn’t know him). What made her do as requested? Perhaps her heart was open to Elijah’s faith in God concerning the food, or perhaps she knew a man would be coming as the word ‘commanded’ could indicate (although the word also means: appointed, established, instructed). Of course, I guess at that point you have nothing to lose because you’re going to die anyway!
Still, for the time it took her to set the fire, and cook the food for the stranger, she must have wondered if she was doing the right thing. Handing it to him would also cause her to question again. Then she would have gone back and looked discouragingly at what was left, such a small amount for her and her precious son! Sometimes we get discouraged at what we have and wonder where God is. Other times we question if we should still be giving or serving because nothing good seems to come from it.
At some point, if we are to find peace, we must decide to trust God and His plan/ promises/ provision for us. It is not easy to do when faced with insurmountable odds, but I have discovered it is possible. First, we have to remember who God is, and then we have to remember who we are in Him and believe that He will work things out for our good somehow. (Rom. ) As David said, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God… will be with thee; he will not fail thee… (1Ch. 28:20)
The blessings will eventually come- maybe not just at the time we prefer! God’s promise to the widow came true and while the famine continued her meal and oil never went dry. He provided what she needed for her and her son. But first, she had to step out in faith and give away a most precious resource believing God’s word over what her natural eyes were seeing.
Lord, help us to be that way!
*…get thee to Zarephath… I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee… when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink… And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel
And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah. 1Kn. 17:9-16